qwant news | Oligarchs are robbing America blind, and the IRS is powerless to stop them

AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information.

The article argues that the United States is increasingly dominated by a small class of ultra‑wealthy oligarchs who shape politics and evade taxes with near‑impunity, thanks to a combination of massive, often “dark” campaign contributions, a weakened IRS, and a powerful Wealth Defense industry that engineers opaque legal structures and aggressive litigation tactics; landmark moments such as the Citizens United decision, record‑breaking spending by figures like Elon Musk and the late Sheldon Adelson, and high‑profile evasion cases involving the Wyly brothers and Robert F. Smith illustrate how these elites exploit loopholes and intimidation while the tax‑gap swells to hundreds of billions of dollars, leaving ordinary taxpayers shouldering the burden and eroding public faith in democratic institutions.

Read more: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/oligarchy-tax-evasion-avoidance-irs-powerless-enforcement-books-blind-spot-excerpt-jeffrey-winters/

#ElonMusk #IRS #DOJ #SupremeCourt #CitizensUnited #SheldonAdelson #RobertFSmith

Mother Jones | Tax Me If You Can by Jeffrey Winters

AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information.

Democracy in the United States has long tolerated a quiet oligarchy, but recent decades have seen that influence explode into the open: Supreme Court rulings such as Citizens United unleashed “dark money” and allowed a handful of ultra‑rich individuals—Elon Musk, the late Sheldon Adelson’s family, Timothy Mellon, among others—to funnel billions into elections, accounting for nearly half of 2024’s presidential‑contest spending. At the same time the IRS has been progressively crippled—first by the 1970s sabotage of investigator Dick Jaffe, later by drastic budget cuts that slashed enforcement capacity by more than 90 percent—leaving a colossal tax gap (estimated at $700 billion‑plus in 2022) that the government cannot close. Wealthy Americans evade taxes through intricate offshore structures and a powerful “Wealth Defense Industry” of former tax agents, prosecutors, and elite law firms that neutralize investigations, turn audits into costly, drawn‑out battles, and often settle for fractions of the owed sums while keeping the details private. High‑profile cases such as the Wyly brothers’ $3.2 billion claim reduced to $300 million, and the Smith–Brockman scheme that ended in non‑prosecution agreements and lavish philanthropy, illustrate how oligarchs routinely sidestep accountability. This combination of unchecked campaign spending, weakened tax enforcement, and sophisticated legal defenses has cemented an environment where the super‑rich can act with near‑impunity, eroding democratic accountability and reinforcing oligarchic dominance over American politics.

Read more: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/oligarchy-tax-evasion-avoidance-irs-powerless-enforcement-books-blind-spot-excerpt-jeffrey-winters/

#CitizensUnited #IRS #oligarchy #politics #taxes #SheldonAdelson #ElonMusk #DonaldAlexander #RobertFSmith

Trump Heights grove honors Adelsons' role in historic US Golan recognition

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/02/12/trump-heights-grove-honors-adelsons-role-in-historic-us-golan-recognition/

'A monumental legacy that will endure for generations': 5 years since the passing of Sheldon Adelson

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/02/03/a-monumental-legacy-that-will-endure-for-generations-5-years-since-the-passing-of-sheldon-adelson/

#Israel / Netanyahu admits to lying, implicating his “friends” in Israel Hayom scandal

#Netanyahu's history of lies and manipulation is being dissected in court.

In a surprising turn during his second day of testimony war criminal #Netanyahu admitted to directly influencing the editorial line of Israel Hayom, the free newspaper established with the help of the late Sheldon Adelson.

Netanyahu confessed to making frequent calls to Adelson and former editor-in-chief Amos Regev regarding political coverage, implying that all three previously lied to the court to conceal their connections.

For 15 years, Israel Hayom functioned as a propaganda outlet, promoting Netanyahu's agenda, suppressing negative information, and attacking his rivals, a fact supported by intelligence information and a comprehensive review by The Seventh Eye.

State witness Nir Hefetz corroborated this, testifying about Netanyahu's demands to attack Noni Mozes, whom Netanyahu and his wife considered a nemesis.

This admission comes as Netanyahu attempts to refute bribery charges in “Case 4000”, contrasting his actions with Israel Hayom to his lack of influence over news site Walla!, where he believed he couldn't manipulate coverage.

[…] Over the years, employees of Israel Hayom have reported that editor-in-chief Regev would frequently seclude himself in his office for long phone calls before press deadlines. These calls were followed by changes to the newspaper's front page and news sections, which, according to the employees, often served Netanyahu's personal interests.

After Adelson's death and Netanyahu's loss of power, Israel Hayom distanced itself from Netanyahu, highlighting the end of their alliance.

Hebrew https://www.the7eye.org.il/537634

@israel
@palestine
#IsraelOccupation
#IsraelWarCrims
#NetanyahuTrial
#IsraelHayom
#SheldonAdelson
#Case4000

Explosive Documentary Critical Of Benjamin Netanyahu Premieres In Toronto After Attempt To Block It Fails; Film Contains Leaked Footage Of Israeli Leader’s Police Interrogation
#Documentary #Festivals #News #AlexGibney #AlexisBloom #ArnonMilchan #BenjaminNetanyahu #SheldonAdelson #TheBibiFiles #Toronto #TorontoFilmFestival

https://deadline.com/2024/09/benjamin-netanyahu-documentary-the-bibi-files-toronto-world-premiere-1236083292/