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Three Individuals with Alleged Ties to Aryan Brotherhood Charged with a 2008 Murder That Occurred in Atascosa County, Texas

Three alleged members or associates of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been indicted for their alleged roles in a 2008 murder in Atascosa County, Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Five Brothers Charged in Human Trafficking Scheme That Smuggled Young Ukrainian Migrants

An indictment unsealed today in Philadelphia charged Omelyan Botsvynyuk, Stepan Botsvynyuk, Mykhaylo Botsvynyuk, Dmytro Botsvynyuk, and Yaroslav Botsvynyuk, a/k/a Yaroslav Churuk, with extortion and conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for their alleged involvement in a human trafficking operation.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Brothers Plead Guilty in Miami HIV Infusion Medicare Fraud Scheme

Two brothers pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami for participating in a $13.7 million HIV infusion Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Eleven Alleged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Members Charged for Roles in Assault

Eleven alleged members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been indicted for their alleged roles in the 2008 beating of a gang prospect in Tomball, Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Brothers Plead Guilty to Felonies in Connection with Kansas Deer Hunting and Guiding Operation

James Bobby Butler Jr. and Marlin Jackson Butler pleaded guilty today in federal court in Wichita, Kan., to felony conspiracy and wildlife trafficking charges stemming from the illegal sale of guided deer hunts in southern Kansas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Alleged Aryan Brotherhood Members Charged for Roles in Jefferson County, Texas, Shooting

Two alleged members and associates of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) were arraigned today on charges related to their alleged roles in the 2009 shooting of a man in Jefferson County, Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering Charges

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) prison-based gang pleaded guilty today in federal court to racketeering aggravated assault in the 2008 beating of a gang prospect in Tomball, Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Member of Aryan Brotherhood Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime in Connection with Church Arson and Attempted Murder of Disabled African-American in Texas

Steven Scott Cantrell, of Crane, Texas, pleaded guilty today to hate crime charges stemming from a series of racially-motivated arsons in December 2010, including the arson of a historic African-American church as part of an effort to murder a disabled African-American man.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Louisiana Brothers Plead Guilty and Are Sentenced for Knowingly Killing Protected Alligators

Two Louisiana brothers pleaded guilty today and were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, La., for Lacey Act violations for their role in illegally killing American Alligators in violation of the federal Endangered Species Act and Louisiana law.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Member of United Aryan Brotherhood Pleads Guilty to a Hate Motivated Assault of Jewish Inmate in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that Timothy Lee York, a 35 year-old, self-proclaimed member of the United Aryan Brotherhood, pleaded guilty to violently assaulting a Jewish inmate at a federal correctional facility in Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Member of Aryan Brotherhood Sentenced to 450 Months in Prison in Connection with Hate Crime Involving Church Arson and Attempted Murder of Disabled African-American in Texas

Steven Scott Cantrell, 26, of Crane, Texas, was sentenced today for hate crime charges stemming from a series of racially-motivated arsons in December 2010, including the arson of a historic African-American church as part of an effort to murder a disabled African-American man.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Member Convicted of Federal Racketeering and Firearms Charges Related to Jefferson County, Texas, Shooting

John Oliver Manning, aka “Fish,” 52, of Pasadena, Texas, was charged by a federal grand jury on Mar. 17, 2011, with violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Member of the Aryan Brotherhood Sentenced for Assaulting a Jewish Inmate in Texas

Timothy Lee York, 35, of Fountain Valley, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 63 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violently assaulting a Jewish inmate at a federal correctional facility in Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Convicted in Houston of Racketeering Charges

Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang member David Harlow was found guilty today by Senior U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. in Houston of racketeering aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit racketeering aggravated assault for his role in the 2008 beating of a gang prospect.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Role in 2009 Shooting

Joshua Mark Bodine, 32, aka “Desperado,” of Vidor, Texas, also was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Marcia A. Crone to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Five Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

Five members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an aggravated assault that took place in Tomball, Texas, in September 2008.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

On April 20, 2012, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. sentenced Michael Burkett, 34, aka “Redneck,” to 27 months in prison and Shane Dallmeyer, 31, aka “Lock Jaw,” to 33 months in prison.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Sentenced for Racketeering Assault

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an aggravated assault that took place in Tomball, Texas, in September 2008.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. to Pay $741,000 Clean Water Act Penalty and Implement Company-Wide Stormwater Controls

Toll Brothers Inc., one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, will pay a civil penalty of $741,000 to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations at its construction sites, including sites located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Prison for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

An Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang member from Houston was sentenced today to serve 10 years in prison for his role in an aggravated assault that took place in Tomball, Texas, in September 2008.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Leader Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

Steven Walter Cooke, 48, aka “Stainless,” pleaded guilty on March 16, 2012, to racketeering aggravated assault for his role in the beating of an ABT prospect member.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former COO of Louisiana Construction Management Company and Brother-In-Law Charged in Fraud Scheme

Mark J. Titus, former Chief Operations Officer of Garner Services Ltd. (GSL), and his brother-in-law Dominick Fazzio, have been charged in a second superseding indictment returned today by a federal grand jury in New Orleans for defrauding GSL of over $1 million.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering

Bobby Teets, 46, aka “Bull,” pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2010, to racketeering aggravated assault for his role in the assault of an applicant for membership in the gang, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. Teets is to serve the 72-month sentence consecutively to the state prison term he is currently serving.



  • OPA Press Releases

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34 Alleged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charges

Thirty-four alleged members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT), including four of its most senior leaders, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Houston for allegedly conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at Press Conference to Announce Charges Against Alleged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Leaders

"The Criminal Division is determined, with its federal, state and local law enforcement partners, to continue disrupting and dismantling ABT and other violent criminal enterprises," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Plead Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) pleaded guilty to racketeering charges related to their membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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South Florida Brothers Sentenced for Tax Evasion

Michael Farnell and James Farnell, residents of Boca Raton, Fla., were sentenced to prison terms today for income tax evasion.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

A member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to his membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brother Inmate Sentenced for Federal Hate Crime for Assaulting Fellow Inmate

John Hall, 27, an Aryan Brotherhood member and inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Seagoville, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor after pleading guilty to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act stemming from his assault of a fellow inmate, whom he believed to be gay.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Reputed Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Leader Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

An alleged general of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to his membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Sentenced in Houston to 150 Months in Prison for Role in Racketeering Conspiracy

A member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) was sentenced today to serve 150 months in prison for his role in the ABT’s criminal enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Plead Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to their membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

An associate of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to her involvement in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

A member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to his membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Plead Guilty to Involvement in Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Racketeering Murder

An Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang member and an ABT associate have pleaded guilty to charges related to the May 2008 murder of Mark Davis Byrd Sr. in Atascosa County, Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

A member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to his membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Leader Sentenced in Houston for Role in Racketeering Conspiracy

A high-ranking member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) was sentenced today to serve 360 months in prison for his role in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Three Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Plead Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

Three members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang have pleaded guilty to racketeering charges related to their membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Sentenced for Involvement in Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Racketeering Murder

An Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang member and an ABT associate were sentenced to prison today for their involvement in the May 2008 murder of an ABT prospect member.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

A member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges related to his membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Reputed Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Leader and a Fellow Gang Member Plead Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

An alleged general of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) and a fellow gang member pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to their membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Plead Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to their membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood Members Plead Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang members pleaded guilty this week to racketeering charges related to their membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Reputed Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Leader Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

Terry Ross Blake, aka “Big Terry,” 56, of Corpus Christi, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood Members Plead Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang members have pleaded guilty to racketeering charges related to their membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas



  • OPA Press Releases

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Remarks by Associate Attorney General Tony West at My Brother's Keeper Summer Success Workshop

"My Brother's Keeper is about letting young people take responsibility for themselves and realizing success on their own terms. Those of us in positions of leadership -- we need to do our part to make sure you have a fair shot at your dreams; that you're not being held back by bias and discrimination; that the justice system designed to protect your rights is treating you fairly. That's our job."




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All 36 Charged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Members and Associates Have Pleaded Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges in Southern District of Texas

The remaining two defendants of 36 accused in the Southern District of Texas of racketeering activities as part of their roles with the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have pleaded guilty, capping a six-year sweeping effort that has led to 73 convictions across five federal districts and the decimation of the gang’s leadership and violent members and associates. Those convicted were charged with involvement in a criminal organization that engaged in murders, kidnappings, brutal beatings, fire bombings and drug trafficking



  • OPA Press Releases

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On the Same Day Sen. Richard Burr Dumped Stock, So Did His Brother-in-Law. Then the Market Crashed.

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

Sen. Richard Burr was not the only member of his family to sell off a significant portion of his stock holdings in February, ahead of the market crash spurred by coronavirus fears. On the same day Burr sold, his brother-in-law also dumped tens of thousands of dollars worth of shares. The market fell by more than 30% in the subsequent month.

Burr’s brother-in-law, Gerald Fauth, who has a post on the National Mediation Board, sold between $97,000 and $280,000 worth of shares in six companies — including several that have been hit particularly hard in the market swoon and economic downturn.

A person who picked up Fauth’s phone on Wednesday hung up when asked if Fauth and Burr had discussed the sales in advance.

In 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Fauth to the three-person board of the National Mediation Board, a federal agency that facilitates labor-management relations within the nation’s railroad and airline industries. He was previously a lobbyist and president of his own transportation economic consulting firm, G.W. Fauth & Associates.

Burr came under scrutiny after ProPublica reported that he sold off a significant percentage of his stocks shortly before the market tanked, unloading between $628,000 and $1.72 million of his holdings on Feb. 13 in 33 separate transactions. As chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the health committee, Burr had access to the government’s most highly classified information about threats to America’s security and public health concerns.

Before his sell-off, Burr had assured the public that the federal government was well-prepared to handle the virus. In a Feb. 7 op-ed that he co-authored with another senator, he said “the United States today is better prepared than ever before to face emerging public health threats, like the coronavirus.”

That month however, according to a recording obtained by NPR, Burr had given a VIP group at an exclusive social club a much more dire preview of the economic impact of the the coronavirus, warning it could curtail business travel, cause schools to be closed and result in the military mobilizing to compensate for overwhelmed hospitals.

The timing of Burr’s stock sales drew widespread outrage, allegations of insider trading, calls for his resignation and an FBI investigation.

Gerald Fauth, Burr’s brother-in-law, was appointed by Trump to the National Mediation Board in 2017. (National Mediation Board via Wikipedia)

Burr defended his actions, saying he relied solely on public information, including CNBC reports, to inform his trades and did not rely on information he obtained as a senator.

Fauth avoided between $37,000 and $118,000 in losses by selling off when he did, considering how steeply the companies’ shares fell in recent weeks, according to an analysis by Luke Brindle-Khym, a partner and general counsel of Manhattan-based investigative firm QRI. Brindle-Khym obtained Fauth’s financial disclosure from the Office of Government Ethics and shared it with ProPublica. Government forms only require that the value of stock trades be disclosed in ranges. After the February sales, the total value of Fauth’s individual stock holdings appears to be between $680,000 and $2 million.

Alice Fisher, Burr’s attorney, told ProPublica that “Sen. Burr participated in the stock market based on public information and he did not coordinate his decision to trade on Feb. 13 with Mr. Fauth.”

She did not respond to a question about whether Burr discussed anything he learned as a senator with Fauth or any other relatives.

A review of Fauth’s financial disclosure forms since 2017 show that he is not a frequent stock trader, but that he also had a major day of sales in August 2019.

On Feb. 13, Fauth or his spouse sold between $15,001 and $50,000 of Altria, the tobacco company; between $50,001 and $100,000 of snack food maker Mondelez International; and between $1,001 and $15,000 of home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma. He also sold stakes in several oil companies, which have been hit particularly hard, including between $15,001 and $50,000 of Chevron; between $1,001 and $15,000 of BP and between $15,001 and $50,000 of Royal Dutch Shell.

The finances of the Burrs and Fauths have intersected before. Federal Election Commission records show that Burr’s leadership PAC, Next Century Fund, has paid $120,348 since 2002 to his sister-in-law, Mary Fauth, Gerald’s wife, who serves as treasurer. The PAC has also paid $104,850 in rent and utilities over the same period to 116 S. Royal St. Partners, in which Gerald Fauth is a partner.

Do you have access to information about stock trading by Trump administration officials or members of Congress that should be public? Email robert.faturechi@propublica.org or reach him on Signal/WhatsApp at 213-271-7217. Here’s how to send tips and documents to ProPublica securely.

Update, May 6, 2020: This story was updated with new comment from Sen. Richard Burr’s attorney.





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The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan: Time to reform


The Muslim Brotherhood has faced a great deal of opposition in the Middle East in recent years, with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates all declaring it to be a terrorist organization. Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, which has historically operated as a loyal opposition to the palace, has also come under fire as regional instability has dampened Jordanians’ appetite for protest and reform. While the group still enjoys significant public support, it is facing a number of internal tensions, culminating in its recent split. How can the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood retain its political clout? Can it play a role in stabilizing and strengthening Jordan?

Read The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan: Time to reform

In this new Policy Briefing, Neven Bondokji discusses the various reform efforts undertaken by Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood since 2010, and argues that it urgently needs to see them through. She identifies key challenges, including the division over the Zamzam reform initiative, overlap between the movement and its affiliated political party, the inclusion of women, the ongoing ideological shifts in the movement’s political discourse, and generational tensions. Additionally, Bondokji examines how Jordan’s East Banker-Palestinian fault line is manifested within the Brotherhood.

Bondokji makes a series of recommendations, including that the Muslim Brotherhood ensure the independence of its political party’s leadership and decision-making, actively engage in and disseminate discourse on plural politics and policy debates, and introduce new leaders and styles of communication. She also asserts that Jordan’s government must empower political parties and allow for a more representative parliament. The application of such reforms, Bondokji concludes, would allow Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood to be an asset in the country’s efforts against destabilizing extremism.

Downloads

Authors

Publication: Brookings Doha Center
Image Source: © Muhammad Hamed / Reuters
      
 
 




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The lesser threat: How the Muslim Brotherhood views Shias and Shiism