Between Wrongdoing and ‘the Done Thing’

Gbemisola Olujobi / Truthdig Apr 20, 2007 On April 21, Nigerians held elections to replace outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo, who staged a battle (outwardly, at least) against corruption in Africa's most populated country during his tenure in office. Nigerian journalist Gbemisola Olujobi explains how outsiders' ideas about the issue of corruption in Africa can be limited by their differing cultural perspectives. Dig deeper ( 15 Min. Read )

‘Daily Show’ on Wolfowitz

Staff / Truthdig Apr 19, 2007 Jon Stewart swings away at the Wolfowitz scandal: "Last week it was disclosed Wolfowitz had used his influence to get a promotion and a raise for his longtime paramour, World Bank employee Shaha Ali Riza -- considered to be a foremost expert on the Middle East. Which means -- you know what they say -- opposites attract." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Study in Contradictions

Staff / Truthdig Apr 15, 2007 What a difference a year makes! Let's review: Here's what Paul Wolfowitz said about ending corruption at the World Bank in early 2006, about 14 months before news of his very own corruption scandal broke. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Partisan Purge Too Far

Joe Conason / Truthdig Mar 8, 2007 The plot to eliminate politically inconvenient U.S. attorneys was a direct assault on the integrity of American justice, and its architects should be investigated and punished accordingly. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Ronnie’s Legacy

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Mar 8, 2007 Many of our nation's latest scandals, from the abject failure to rebuild New Orleans to the abuse of veterans at Walter Reed, are the logical result of a contempt for government so zealously implemented by Ronald Reagan and his political descendants. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

House Majority Leader Wants Ethics Investigation

Staff / Truthdig Mar 7, 2007 Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has said there should be an ethics investigation of improper behavior related to the politically motivated firing of eight U.S. attorneys. The Senate is already conducting an inquiry into the matter, which involves at least three prominent Republicans in Congress. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Oversight Hearing Reveals Contractor Abuses

Staff / Truthdig Feb 8, 2007 Last year, the Army vehemently denied allegations that Halliburton had hired Blackwater, another private contractor, to provide security in Iraq, but in a hearing before the House Government Oversight Committee on Wednesday, the military reversed itself. The committee also made public an e-mail from a Blackwater employee who frantically demanded that the firm properly equip its guards, four of whom were killed hours after the message was written. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Barney Frank Does Battle With Fox’s Cavuto

Staff / Truthdig Jan 7, 2007 One thing we love about Rep. Barney Frank is his total unwillingness to allow an interviewer to step on his answer, misrepresent his argument and then slither away. Neil Cavuto practices the dark arts for Fox News in this particular interview, as Frank steadfastly defends his position on exorbitant CEO pay against an avalanche of nasal smugness. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Ethics Bill Passes by Huge Margin

Staff / Truthdig Jan 5, 2007 Within hours of taking power in the House, Democrats successfully pushed through ethics legislation by a telling margin: 430 to 1. Either it's politically untenable to vote in favor of corruption (except for Dan Burton of Indiana) or the bill was watered down enough, as critics alleged, that it wasn't worth opposing. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Untold Scandals of the Green Zone

Staff / Truthdig Jan 4, 2007 The Washington Post's Rajiv Chandrasekaran tells Jon Stewart that while many of Bush's Iraq blunders have been pored over extensively, the story of American corruption and incompetence in the Green Zone has been largely ignored -- from the 21-year-old former ice cream vendor who was sent to reform the Interior Ministry to the questioning of aspiring imperialists as to whether they had voted for Bush. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Tom DeLay Blogs, Briefly

Staff / Truthdig Dec 11, 2006 Disgraced Congressman Tom DeLay reinvented himself as a blogger, briefly, before removing all posts and disabling comments. Guess it didn't work out. (h/t: Think Progress) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bill Moyers on Defiling Democracy

Staff / Truthdig Dec 9, 2006 Bill Moyers offers this gripping and comprehensive analysis of corruption in Washington and finds that "although Jack Abramoff [above] and Tom DeLay have been brought down, the system remains as vulnerable as ever." Watch it Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )