Links to today’s show transcripts:
Voters Reject Republican Candidates as New “Autopsy” Report Finds the Democratic Party in Crisis
As voters on Tuesday turned against the Republican Party one year after Donald Trump was elected president, a new report, “Autopsy: The Democratic Party in Crisis,” examines the role of Democratic Party loyalists in the party’s 2016 defeat. Amy and Juan look at the outcomes from election night with the report’s co-author, Norman Solomon.
Billionaire GOP Backer Robert Mercer Used Offshore Profits to Fund Breitbart & Attacks on Clinton
A major new investigation by The Guardian based on the Paradise Papers shows how billionaire Robert Mercer and his family built a $60 million war chest for conservative causes inside their family foundation by using an offshore investment vehicle to avoid U.S. taxes. The report traces the money directly to future White House chief strategist Steve Bannon of the far-right news outlet Breitbart Media.
Trump’s Commerce Secretary Owns Stake in Russian Companies While He Oversees Potential Sanctions
The Paradise Papers revealed Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is conducting business with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law through a shipping venture in Russia. According to the leaked documents, Ross owns a stake through offshore entities in Navigator Holdings, a shipping firm that receives millions of dollars from a company owned by Putin’s close allies. On Monday, Ross told the BBC he had declared his interests earlier this year when he joined Trump’s administration, and had done nothing wrong. “This Trump administration is responsible for imposing sanctions on various Russians, some of whom are involved in this company, Sibur,” responds Jon Swaine of The Guardian. “That’s a pretty big conflict.”
Paradise Papers Expose “Cleverest Ways of Exploiting” Offshore Tax Havens by GOP & Democratic Donors
Examining the Paradise Papers, The Guardian reports seven Republican super-donors mentioned in the papers stored some of their fortunes offshore, beyond the reach of public scrutiny and tax authorities. Together, the billionaires pumped more than $350 million into the 2016 election. Some are well-known backers of conservative causes, like casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and Charles and David Koch. Another investigation focuses on Democratic donor James Simons, who spent $11 million to back Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Simons is the founder of Renaissance Technologies, the world’s most profitable hedge fund. Leaked records show he kept much of his $8 billion fortune in an offshore private wealth fund in Bermuda in order to avoid “particularly severe” taxes that would be triggered if he tried to bring the funds onshore.
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