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I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

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Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#71

Post by happyslobro »

Spooky23 wrote: post #64
tptacek wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I had to choose between a minimum security federal prison and 3-4 long-distance airline flights a week and living out of hotels (a not-unusual travel burden for the kinds of people who make 7 figures a year reliably), I would have absolutely no trouble picking "prison". Remember: the premise here is that once you do your bit, you're set for life.

I'd add that $100M makes it easier, a felony conviction, especially at the federal level is no joke.

I used to see ads on TV for pardoning services, that implied that they could restore your ability to travel. Does anyone know if those actually work? If they do, then you might really be clear and free with a bit less than $100MM after, say, 5 years.

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#72

Post by klipt »

tptacek wrote: post #24
Cerium wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? That makes no sense to me. Like it being wrong to work part time because you pay less taxes.

It is so much weirder than that. Vanguard's signature benefit is the way its organized: rather that a company that owns and manages funds, it's a collection of funds that own and share the management company. All of the expenses and overhead involved in managing the funds come directly out of the returns of the fund, so the company and its investors have aligned incentives. The problem is that the funds have a client…

But lower fees mean higher returns which means clients already pay more capital gains tax etc.

Frankly if that's a tax loophole, then every credit union is in massive trouble. Not to mention restricted banks like USAA.

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#73

Post by ensiferum »

And this is just the tip of the ice berg. Think about all the scheming, scams, power mongering, corruption and outright crime that goes on in the banking business. Self regulation my ass. They're gambling on the whole planet basically. And ofc nothing will ever chance, because the banks own the goverments. A single "occupy wall street" protester will certainly get more time in the jail for minor offence than a bank exec would ever get for his crimes.

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#74

Post by fla »

developer2 wrote: post #68
themodder666 wrote: post #65

Fuck this guy. No, seriously, fuck this guy. Why in the hell would anybody who's not an asshole decide to aid and abet the state in its coercive expropriation of money? I find this guy repulsive.

Huh? He's the only person out of dozens/hundreds/thousands of employees who pursued. Everyone else is happy to have a comfy job that pays their bills, while burying their heads in the sand and praying that nobody shuts them down so they can keep their cushy salaries performing illegal work. "Fuck this guy". No, fuck almost everyone else who works for these kinds of companies, pretending like they're not the scum of s…

I see your point and agree but it must be understood that at that time, what these banker did was not illegal.

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#75

Post by vvpan »

guelo wrote: post #11

It's worth noting that both Kathryn Keneally, the assistant attorney general mentioned in this article, and Kevin Downing, the lead prosecutor that got him jailed, both now work for private law firms helping large corporations shelter their taxes.

Please tell more.

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#76

Post by Terr_ »

intrasight wrote: post #61

Whistle blowing is a total crap shoot. We'd have much more of it if that wasn't the case.

If the data you provide is so damning you don't even need to prove that you're a reliable source, then you could submit it anonymously, as an encrypted block along with a public key to decrypt it.

Then, if things look favorable, you can step forward and prove your identity by supplying the matching private-key.

I expect the problem is that first "if" -- authorities may want to be super-sure of the origin of the information before they proceed with it.

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#77

Post by Terr_ »

intrasight wrote: post #61

Whistle blowing is a total crap shoot. We'd have much more of it if that wasn't the case.

If the data you provide is so damning you don't even need to prove that you're a reliable source, then you could submit it anonymously, as an encrypted block along with a public key to decrypt it.

Then, if things look favorable, you can step forward and prove your identity by supplying the matching private-key.

I expect the problem is that first "if" -- authorities may want to be super-sure of the origin of the information before they proceed with it.

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#78

Post by rjbwork »

Terr_ wrote: post #76
intrasight wrote: post #61

Whistle blowing is a total crap shoot. We'd have much more of it if that wasn't the case.

If the data you provide is so damning you don't even need to prove that you're a reliable source, then you could submit it anonymously, as an encrypted block along with a public key to decrypt it. Then, if things look favorable, you can step forward and prove your identity by supplying the matching private-key. I expect the problem is that first "if" -- authorities may want to be super-sure of the origin of the infor…

Sorry, an encrypted block? A public key? Like, for my desk drawer? A private key? But i alreaady gave the public key out how can it be private too?

See where i'm going with this? You've put a massive technical stumbling block on non-technical folks in order to expose wrong-doing.

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#79

Post by DannyBee »

winstonsmith wrote: post #52
guelo wrote: post #11

It's worth noting that both Kathryn Keneally, the assistant attorney general mentioned in this article, and Kevin Downing, the lead prosecutor that got him jailed, both now work for private law firms helping large corporations shelter their taxes.

It's the elephant in the room, textbook revolving door regulatory capture.

So, let's ignore the SEC here for a second (which truly is a mess):

These folks are tax lawyers. They obey every ethical restriction placed on them by the state bars.

If they quit the federal government, where exactly are they to go to have a job?

Re: I Won $104M for Blowing the Whistle But Was the Only One Who Went to Jail

#80

Post by icelancer »

happyslobro wrote: post #71
Spooky23 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd add that $100M makes it easier, a felony conviction, especially at the federal level is no joke.

I used to see ads on TV for pardoning services, that implied that they could restore your ability to travel. Does anyone know if those actually work? If they do, then you might really be clear and free with a bit less than $100MM after, say, 5 years.

Any real "pardoning" service at that level is simply a very good, high-priced law firm. And yeah, they do "work." AKA they file the correct legal paperwork and navigate the bureaucracy better than your average citizen.
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