Latest news with #FOIA
Hypebeast
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Sale Price of Wu-Tang Clan's 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin' Revealed
Summary Bloombergjournalist Jason Leopold has revealed the sale price ofWu-Tang Clan's elusiveOnce Upon a Time in Shaolinfollowing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in 2021. The album, previously owned byMartin Shkreliprior to his securities fraud conviction, was sold by the US Attorney's office in July 2021 to cover the forfeiture of his assets. However, the government did not divulge the buyer's name and price as part of 'confidentiality provision.' In October of the same year, the digital art and crypto collectivePleasrDAOannounced that they had acquiredOnce Upon a Time in Shaolinfor about $4 million USD in crypto. Leopold went through years of back and forth with the US government, who provided him with unseen images of the album and redacted documents due to 'trade secrets.' The journalist explained, 'The reason it took so long is that the DOJ still had to hand over other documents I requested, and I couldn't challenge the trade secrets and privacy exemptions until the agency finished its production.' Finally, Leopold received an unredacted copy of the album's bill of sale and purchase agreement. As it turns out,Once Upon a Time in Shaolinwas sold to WTC Endeavors for $2,238,482.30 USD — the exact amount Shkreli owed. WTC Endeavors was incorporated in Hong Kong in May 2020 but dissolved in March 2023. In June 2024, PleasrDAO filed a lawsuit against Shkreli claiming thathe had created and distributed copiesof Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. He was then ordered by a federal judge to turn over all the copies he made, as well as the names of any person that received a copy. While PleasrDAO is required to follow the same rules as Shkreli did when he owned the album (no streaming or distributing the album until 2103), the collective was able to turnOnce Upon a Time in Shaolininto an NFT. For $1 USD, interested fans can listen to five minutes of the record. As Leopold notes, each sale 'will speed up the release of the album by 88 seconds.'
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump Admin Facing New Legal 'Traps' on Epstein Files
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Trump administration is facing new legal "traps" aimed at ensuring all evidence in the case of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is released, a lawyer has said. Speaking on The Daily Beans podcast, attorney Kel McClanahan outlined how he was "setting traps" to get the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disclose Epstein-related testimony through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed on behalf of Allison Gill. Gill, a former Department of Veterans Affairs executive and outspoken critic of the president, said she was seeking "to hold him to" earlier pledges of transparency in the Epstein case. Newsweek has contacted the White House by email and the Department of Justice via its website to comment on this story. Why It Matters Trump has been embroiled in controversy after backtracking on the case involving Epstein, a convicted sex offender who, according to a memo released this month by the DOJ and the FBI, died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges. President Donald Trump takes part in a bill signing for cryptocurrency legislation in the East Room of the White House July 18, 2025. President Donald Trump takes part in a bill signing for cryptocurrency legislation in the East Room of the White House July 18, 2025. Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images Initially, the White House had ordered a review of the case and said it would publish names and evidence about Epstein's associates. However, the DOJ-FBI memo said there was no "client list" and that no further charges would be brought. This triggered a backlash among those who had called for more transparency about the case. Trump then called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release "whatever she thinks is credible" regarding the case and asked the Justice Department to release grand jury testimony about Epstein. What To Know Speaking on the podcast, McClanahan said the wording in Trump's request to Bondi asking her to release "pertinent" grand jury testimony had enabled him to file a FOIA request asking for the entire testimony, not just the parts deemed pertinent, to be released. He said the government would then have to justify any exemptions in the files and therefore expose how and why the administration was keeping some aspects secret, if it did not release all the documentation. The action would likely end in a lawsuit and the government would have to explain its decision-making, said McClanahan. "It'll give us a look behind the curtain to see what they're actually trying to do," he added. What People Are Saying Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!" McClanahan said on the podcast: "They now have to release to us, with or without court approval, any info that is not exempt from all of the grand jury testimony." Gill posted on Mueller, She Wrote on July 20: "There are tons of documents the administration doesn't need a court's permission to release, and they could release those right now. But that's not the point of this exercise. We're trying to strip the administration of any excuse they might have for hiding the names of perpetrators and clients. Trump would like to blame the court for that, and I'd prefer they aren't able to." Matthew Mangino, a former district attorney in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, questioned the efficacy of the legal strategy. He told Newsweek: "Grand jury testimony is confidential and outside the reach of FOIA. There are exceptions, if it relates to material developed outside the grand jury or, as in this case, a court order. It is not clear how forcing the government to claim exemption of testimony not deemed 'pertinent' will reveal anything new. Where is the trap? The refusal to disclose will simply say the files are exempt as a result of the confidentiality of grand jury transcripts. At a minimum, the issue will be litigated which will take some time." What Happens Next Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has requested the unsealing of transcripts from grand jury proceedings that resulted in indictments against Epstein and his long-time associate, the imprisoned British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. The backlash to the government's handling of the Epstein saga continues.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Sharpton: Trump releasing MLK assassination files ‘desperate attempt to distract' from Epstein
The Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist and MSNBC host, slammed the Trump administration's decision to release the files on Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, calling the move a 'desperate' effort to 'distract' from the Jeffrey Epstein case. 'We need to be crystal clear on the fact that Trump releasing the MLK assassination files is not about transparency or justice, it's a desperate attempt to distract people from the firestorm engulfing Trump over the Epstein files and the public unraveling of his credibility among the MAGA base,' Sharpton said in a statement Monday. Sharpton derided the administration for using King 'as a pawn in a cheap political stunt' and said he stands with the civil rights leader's children, 'in saying that the integrity of Dr. King's legacy can and will not be weaponized to serve Trump's cynical agenda.' The Trump administration released more than 230,000 pages of files online related to King's assassination, fulfilling a campaign pledge from President Trump over the objections of King's children. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the documents include details about the FBI's investigation into King's killing in 1968, internal memos about the case and details about the pursuit of James Earl Ray, who was convicted of killing the civil rights leader. Some records had been publicized previously through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. But officials touted that the document dump was the first time they had been made available online with minimal redactions. The move came as Trump has faced growing calls for transparency in his administration's handling of the case involving the late disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The enduring Epstein story has marked a rare moment in Trump's political career when the president finds himself at odds with much of his base. Sharpton encouraged the American people to recognize the broader context of the documents dump. 'I urge the public to see this for what it is and not fall for the bait and switch. For a man who has complained about the supposed weaponization of the FBI, it has clearly become his weapon of choice,' Sharpton wrote. 'While Trump continues to try to rally his splintering base, we are organizing to defend the things that Dr. King fought to secure — the right to vote, economic justice, fair housing, access to quality education and equal protection under the law for all people.'
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump administration releases documents in MLK assassination
The Trump administration on Monday released hundreds of thousands of documents related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., fulfilling a pledge from President Trump despite some reluctance from the civil rights icon's children. The release makes more than 230,000 pages of files digitally available. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the documents include details about the FBI's investigation into King's killing in 1968, internal memos about the case and details about the pursuit of James Earl Ray, who was convicted of killing the civil rights leader. Some of the records had been publicized previously through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. But officials touted that the document dump was the first time they had been made available online with minimal redactions. 'Today's record release marks a historic step in the Trump Administration's ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as the interim head of the National Archives (NARA), said in a statement. 'Preserving, protecting, and releasing the records of the U.S. government is at the core of NARA's mission,' Rubio added. 'Thanks to President Trump's leadership and a coordinated interagency process, NARA was able to review and release the records at an unprecedented speed.' Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, the two living children of Martin Luther King Jr., issued a lengthy statement on Monday in which they urged the public to view the newly released records 'within their full historical context,' pointing to what they called an 'invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated' by the FBI. 'While we support transparency and historical accountability, we object to any attacks on our father's legacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods,' the King children said in a statement. 'We strongly condemn any attempts to misuse these documents in ways intended to undermine our father's legacy and the significant achievements of the movement. Those who promote the fruit of the FBI's surveillance will unknowingly align themselves with an ongoing campaign to degrade our father and the Civil Rights Movement.' Within days of taking office in January, Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the release of federal government documents related to the assassinations of King, former President John F. Kennedy and former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. King was shot and killed in Memphis in April 1968, and his assassination has remained the subject of conspiracy theories. 'While we continue to mourn his death, the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve,' King's niece, Alveda King, said in a statement shared by the Trump administration.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
FBI Told to Flag Mentions of Trump in Epstein Files, Dem Senator Says
Dick Durbin is leading the Senate Judiciary Committee in an effort to receive more transparency regarding the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, particularly an order from Attorney General Pam Bondi for FBI agents to 'flag' any mention they made of President Trump. In a letter addressed to Bondi on Friday, Durbin wrote: 'According to information my office received, you then pressured the FBI to put approximately 1,000 personnel in its Information Management Division (IMD), including the Record/Information Dissemination Section (RIDS), which handles all requests submitted by the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act, on 24-hour shifts to review approximately 100,000 Epstein-related records in order to produce more documents that could then be released on an arbitrarily short deadline.' 'My office was told that these personnel were instructed to 'flag' any records in which President Trump was mentioned,' he added. There was likely something for those agents to flag, given Trump's well-documented relationship with the defamed sex trafficker. There's the 2002 New York magazine quote where Trump referred to Epstein, his friend of '15 years,' as a 'terrific guy' who liked women 'on the younger side.' And there was the recent Wall Street Journal report that showed Trump writing a strange birthday message to Epstein in 2006, with the closing line 'may every day be another wonderful secret.' But what else was flagged under Bondi's watch, and what happened to it? Durbin's report asks just that: Why were personnel told to flag records in which President Trump was mentioned? 1. Please list all political appointees and senior DOJ officials involved in the decision to flag records in which President Trump was mentioned. 2. What happened to the records mentioning President Trump once they were flagged? Trump's rollout of the Epstein files has been so disorderly that it has Democrats and the most hardcore MAGA loyalists asking the exact same question: What is the truth about Epstein? The due date for Durbin and the committee's request is August 1. Trump and Bondi have yet to comment.
