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The Festering Rot that is Corruption in the Trump Administration

December 21, 2018 Add Comment Edit

Despite promises to "drain the swamp" Trump and his administration have been defined by ethics violations and rampant corruption. On the campaign trail Trump repeatedly vowed to end government corruption. Instead he has made it worse in ways that most could not have imagined.

Trump has been tied to shady deals, questionable financial partners, hush money, conspiracy, tax evasion, illegal payments, and conflicts of interest.

Although Trump has disparaged his own government (intelligence services, the Department of Justice, and the FBI) a report at the end of last year concluded that most Americans share the view that the White House is the most corrupt institution in government.

Corruption in the White House

Allegations of corruption against members of the Trump administration are ubiquitous. Headlines echo a resounding chorus of opinions and analyses that have all come to similar conclusions. According to Newsweek, Trump sits atop the most corrupt administration in US history Zephyr Teachout, an expert on government corruption and a Fordham University law professor said Trump is at the head of, "the most corrupt presidency and administration we’ve ever had".

Reflecting on the Trump administration Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson concluded, "Never have we seen such utter chaos and blatant corruption". The New York Times described Trump as a "scandal ridden scoundrel", and Time described a White House "devoid of integrity". The Washington Post said, "Trumpism is rotten to its core and the stench of corruption is everywhere".

Presidential historian Robert Dallek says there is something nefarious that distinguishes the Trump presidency. Dallek is quoted as saying, "no American leader has acted with more unadulterated self-interest as Trump." According to Dallek Trump is not just allowing corruption he is encouraging it. "The fish rots from the head," Dallek said.

Resignations

In the first 6 months the Trump administration was plagued with complaints of ethics violation. During this time 6 members of his cabinet were accused of misusing public funds. Both Brenda Fitzgerald, the head of the Center for Disease Control and Tom Price, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, were forced out due to financial improprieties. Complaints were also leveled against Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury and Ben Carson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

In the most recent 6 month period Trump lost 5 cabinet secretaries. Former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt was forced to resign because of a number of ethics controversies. Pruitt will be remembered for enfeebling the EPA, but most of all he will be remembered for his deregulatory agenda and its deleterious impact on the health of Americans

David Shulkin the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs was forced to leave due to ethics violations and misuse of taxpayer dollars. Tom Price Secretary of Health and Human Services resigned in the midst of a controversy over his use of private jets for government travel.

Most recently Ryan Zinke, was forced to resign his post as Secretary of the Interior due to ethics investigations. Zinke will be remembered for selling off rights to huge swaths of public lands to fossil fuel interests.

Rob Porter, White House staff secretary, resigned over multiple allegations of domestic abuse. Others have resigned because they strongly disagree with Trump's policy decisions. Gary Cohn resigned over the tariffs. James N. Mattis, often referred to as the only adult in the White House, resigned recently in the wake of Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria and Afghanistan. White House ethics lawyer Stefan Passantino also left the Trump administration.

Indictments and incarceration

Although the Mueller probe is not over several former Trump employees have been indicted and a few are serving time. Former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos was arrested, he pleded guilty and was sentenced to prison. Sam Patten, a Republican operative and lobbyist pleded guilty to not registering as a foreign agent.

Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chair, was indicted and convicted on eight counts with more to come. He will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Former Trump campaign aide and Manafort’s longtime junior business partner, Rick Gates was indicted on similar charges to Manafort but unlike Manafort he has cooperated and received a plea deal. Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, pleded guilty to making false statements to the FBI and he is awaiting sentencing.

Trump’s former lawyer and "fixer" pleded guilty to 8 counts including campaign finance violations where Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator. Cohen received a three year sentence. "The president is clearly guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors," said New York Times columnist Bret Stephens

Trump cheated to win the White House but the tentacles of corruption extend well into his presidency and may have even had a role in his stacking of judges on the Supreme Court.*

Russia

We have seen a number of indictments against Russians. A total of 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies have been indicted as have Richard Pinedo, Alex van der Zwaan, Konstantin Kilimnik, and 12 Russian GRU officers.

Trump's son-in-law and top advisor Jared Kushner may be next. Kushner withheld information about his assets and his ties with Russian oligarchs. Trump himself is known to have shared intelligence with Russian diplomats and the evidence for collusion with Russia to win the 2016 election is expected to be among the findings contained in the Mueller report.

It is clear that the investigation is getting ever closer to Trump himself. It is almost certain that when the Mueller probe is released Trump and his inner circle will be exposed for their criminal malfeasance.

Why do we not see more Republicans publicly calling the president on his corruption? Perhaps Trump has acquired compromising information on them in the same way that Russia allegedly has kompromat on Trump.

Impeachment?

Trump's corruption was already widely known before he was elected and concerns intensified early in his presidency. In recent months some of those fears have proven to be warranted. The conviction of Michael Cohen impugns Trump in campaign finance violations. Trump has also been found guilty of misusing funds from his charity. But this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Trump's exposure may include but is not limited to collusion with Russia, obstruction of justice, treason, the emoluments clause of the Constitution, shady financial entanglements, nepotism, and numerous conflicts of interest.

Trump has power, but there are also checks and balances to that power. As explained in a New York Times opinion piece, it is unlawful for the president to exercise his power corruptly. Federal statutes subject individuals to criminal penalties for the crime of obstruction of justice when they "corruptly" or by "any threatening letter or communication" try "to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice". In this this context, corruptly implies improper use that is evil or wicked.

So what?

Corruption may end up being both the defining feature of Trump and his undoing. But what does this mean for the United States? The range of direct and indirect effects of corruption include the erosion of trust, impeding economic growth and undermining political stability. It leads to inefficiency and reduced government effectiveness. It also erodes the institutions of democracy.

Some say that corruption is part of life and we should learn to live with it. However, this view ignores the fact that corruption is a cancer that often kills its host. In a Business Insider an op-ed, James Traub argued that America has become "decadent" and he explains how this is tied to corruption. He concludes that this is, "the last stage before collapse."

* Deutsche Bank loaned Trump over $2.5 billion since 1998. The bank was fined $630 million for its role in a $10 billion Russian money laundering scheme in 2017. Justice Anthony Kennedy ceded his place on the Supreme court paving the way for Brent Kavanaugh. It is interesting to note that Justice Kennedy's son is a banker at Duetsche Bank.

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Trump's Corruption may be his Lasting Legacy and his Undoing

May 22, 2017 Add Comment Edit

The Trump administration can be described as an oligarchy full of kleptocrats or a kakistocracy. Donald Trump is known for shady dealings and now that he is president his corruption has predictably become a defining feature of his presidency. While this should not surprise anyone who has followed Trump, the extent of the corruption is troubling.

Trump has a long history of corrupt business practices. This includes the scam that was Trump University. He has also failed to pay vendors for services rendered. Trump's progression from corruption as a "business man" to presidential corruption was seamless. Within a week of winning the election on November 8th he was hard at work exploring ways that he can profit from the presidency. Even before taking the oath of office he had created an influence peddling scheme whereby he sold access to foreign diplomats in the form of exorbitantly priced bookings at one of his hotels.

Although the Constitution expressly forbids the receipt of gifts from foreign diplomats, Trump argues that as president he is above the law. However, the malfeasance goes far beyond breaching the emoluments clause of the constitution. As president it starts with failing to put his business interests in a blind trust.

In a flagrant display of unprecedented nepotism he put his family and friends in key administration positions. Even those associated with Trump outside of the administration capitalized. The sister of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is using her brother's name to sell US citizenship in China under the guise of a half million dollar real estate investment.

Campaign finance and the GOP

According to The Wall Street Journal of the $6 million in campaign funds that Trump spent in the first quarter of 2017, $500,000 was directed right back into Trump-owned hotels, restaurants and golf clubs. In total, since the start of his campaign, over $14 million has been funneled back into Trump-owned properties.

Although Republicans widely criticized Trump, once he became president they saw this as a chance to pass a slew of legislation. The Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was also critical but he changed his tune and is now protecting Trump. Some have suggested this may be due in part to a $100K donation Trump gave to the Ryan aligned Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC.

This all relates to the murky campaign finance under what is known as the Citizen's United ruling which allows politicians to receive virtually unlimited donations. This Supreme Court decision destroys century long legal prohibitions against undue influence. Justice Anthony Kennedy successfully argued for removing limits on independent expenditures specifically mentioning, "quid pro quo corruption" in his ruling.

Some allege that Betsy DeVos was appointed as Secretary of Education because of the massive amount of money she donates to the Republican party.

Opacity

As revealed by the Panama Papers corruption is widespread in government. However, Trump takes it to a whole new level. Corruption costs everyone, it is a cancer that undermines far more than just environmental protections. Conversely sustainability is a bulwark against malfeasance and corporate transparency goes a long way to combat corruption. In recent presidential history Trump's lack of transparency is unparalleled. This president has broken with tradition and refused to release his tax returns ostensibly to hid his malfeasance.

Tax payers footing the bill

There is also the issue of his seemingly weekly jaunts to Mar-a-Lago at the tax payers expense. In response Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) introduced the Stop Waste and Misuse by the President (SWAMP) Act. This bill would require Trump to reimburse the government for funds spent on travel to his own properties. Trump has also met with heads of state at his Mar-a-Lago property. This means that tax payers are effectively bankrolling a marketing campaign.

Media lays out the facts

Trump's corruption has been singled out by media outlets around the world. A recent example can be found in the German investigative news magazine Der Spiegel. The article points to rampant corruption and says of Trump, "He does not possess the requisite intellect and does not understand the significance of the office he holds nor the tasks associated with it."

As explained in the title of a May 12, Esquire article, "This Level of Corruption Is Unprecedented in the Modern History of the Presidency And it's threatening our democracy." The article states, "There is a level of intellectual—and, perhaps, literal—corruption that is unprecedented in the modern history of the presidency and that is a genuine and unique threat to democratic institutions that are the objects of destructive contempt."

A Reuters report reviews some of the ways that Trump has profited from being president. Public pension funds in at least seven U.S. states have invested millions of dollars in an investment fund related to Trump. This may violate a constitutional rule prohibiting the flow of money from states to the pockets of a sitting president.

Russia connection

A Dutch TV documentary (see video at the bottom of this page) looks at Trump’s dark money and dubious business partners including Russian oligarchs and convicted members of organized crime. The documentary specifically looks at Trump's relationship with a man that was once on Trump's payroll, Russian mobster and convicted fellon Felix Sater.

Sater was found guilty of racketeering and Trump may also be guilty of the same crime. Trump is alleged to be involved with a money laundering pyramid scheme that helps Russian billionaires move money out of Russia. Through his association with a front-company called Bayrock, Trump may be guilty of graft, tax fraud and running a criminal organization. Part Two of the Dutch documentary series explores Trump’s relationship with Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev, who is suspected of trading in blood diamonds.

Trump may have violated a number of anti-money laundering laws. According to recent reports the Senate Intelligence Committee has requested information about a $10 million money laundering penalty imposed against Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in 2015.

Bribes and hypocrisy

In a flagrant example of quid pro quo, Ivanka Trump praised the progress of women's rights in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In exchange the two nations pledged a $100 million donation to Ivanka's global project for women entrepreneurs. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are universally recognized as some of the worst places in the world for women. In these countries women cannot do very much without the permission of male guardians this includes the right to travel anywhere or gain access higher education.

Like Ivanka, Trump's hypocrisy knows no bounds. Trump's tour of the Middle East may be designed to get him away from the constitutional crisis back home but his ineptitude has only landed him in more hot water. In stunning reversal Trump did another 180. His rhetoric went from a steady spew of anti-Islamic vitriol to obsequious efforts to pander to Muslim leaders.

The savage irony is apparent to all but the president's supporters. Trump ran on a platform of draining the swamp, yet he sacked a leading swamp drainer, when he fired Preet Bhahara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Trump railed against Hilary Clinton for giving a speech at Goldman Sachs and then he went on to put senior executives from Goldman Sach's into key administration positions.

Threat to democracy

Trump is not only the most dishonest US president in history he is also the most corrupt. This corruption not only erodes America's credibility it siphons vast amounts of public funds. Even more importantly corruption also imperils democracy itself.

There are efforts underway to combat corruption and defend democracy. Americans could learn a lot from events in Romania this past winter.

"Trump's presidency is deeply corrupted, our democracy is compromised, and the system of checks and balances is failing us," Bill Moyer s wrote. Impeachment may be the only recourse but this will only work if Republican lawmakers see it as a matter of political survival.

What Romanians can Teach Us About Combating Corruption

February 04, 2017 Add Comment Edit

The way Romanians are tenaciously defending their democracy by standing against corruption is a model for the world. The nation's hard-won anti-corruption gains are now under threat due to a government issued decree.

As January drew to a close, the country’s Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu issued an emergency decree that decriminalizes some forms of corruption. This is but the latest attempt by members of the Romanian government to escape indictment. For days Romanians in 50 towns and cities have been on the streets to show their support for the country's anti-corruption laws. These are the largest demonstrations since the fall of communism almost thee decades ago.

A joint statement from six strategic allies of Romania (US, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium) called for a repeal of the decree and underlined the importance of the fight against corruption.

These protests are a beacon of hope in the dark days of the Trump/Bannon kakistocracy.

Efforts to combat corruption have never been more important than they are today. In the context of the current US administration and surging right-wing movements in Europe, this point becomes particularly prescient.

The Trump administration includes some of the most corrupt and powerful people in the country. The Secretary of State is Rex Tillerson, he is the former CEO of Exxon arguably the most corrupt corporation in the most corrupt industry on Earth.

Corruption not only undermines environmental protections it also eats away at a nation's resources and frays the fabric of society. Sustainability is a bulwark against corruption. Through its emphasis on transparency sustainability actively combats the culture in which turpitude flourishes.

Corruption is a cancer that is highly detrimental to a country's well-being. We have seen evidence of this in Greece. At the last two Olympic Games, in both Russia and Brazil corruption was rampant. Perhaps the most well-known corruption story to break in recent years is the release of the Panama Papers.

Romanian protests

Romanians appear to understand what is at stake and they are standing firm against corruption. Protests have been ongoing in the country for four days as people are pushing back against government corruption.

Justice Minister Florin Iordache said the measure would decriminalize abuse of power cases in which the financial damage is valued at less than 200,000 lei ($47,800 ).

Hundreds of thousands are protesting against this decree. This comes after repeated attempts by politicians to weaken anti-corruption measures to save themselves from prosecution. Now the country's president has joined the fight pledging to use the courts to challenge the prime minister's decree.

The Romanian people and the nation's press show us what doing one's civic duty looks like. These brave people are not complacent or apathetic they are standing up to their government out of love for their country and its fledgling democracy. It may also be that they remember what tyranny looks like. The memory of their former leader, the massively corrupt "communist" dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu still looms large.

With the aim of contextualizing these protests here is a brief summary of the recent history of Romania's anti-corruption measures. Prior to joining the EU in 2007, Romania was well known for its money laundering operations. Tax evasion seemed to be the norm and crimes like forgery and graft were commonplace.

DNA

In 2015 Romania's anti-corruption laws were enforced in earnest and 1,250 public officials including a sitting Prime minister were indicted.This is due to the work of the country's National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA).

DNA has investigated and indicted the former prime minister Victor Ponta, five ministers, 21 members of the combined houses of parliament, and Bucharest Mayor Sorin Oprescu. These efforts have been hailed by citizens, foreign governments, and investors. This reinforces the idea that such measures are good for international relations and the economy.

Romania compared to Bulgaria

Anti-corruption efforts also contribute to political stability conversely, the absence of such measures are a recipe for volatility. Romania's neighbor Bulgaria has been plagued by instability due in large part to ineffectual policing in the face of widespread corruption.

Bulgaria is ranked as the worst nation in the EU according to latest Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International. As long as the government refuses to allow itself to be thoroughly investigated, Bulgaria will likely remain the most corrupt nation in Europe.

Although Romania is still near the bottom of this list it is improving quickly while Bulgaria appears to be getting worse. In fact, Romania's progress has caused European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to say that corruption monitoring will end in 2019.

Model country

Romania's efforts to combat corruption has implications well beyond Romania. As reported by Politico,

"Laura Ştefan, who was instrumental in reinvigorating the DNA as the director of the ministry of justice from 2005 to 2007, told POLITICO. “We have a hemorrhage of people under investigation. They have to change their way of doing business, or kill the DNA. Or else they’ll all end up in jail. Ştefans ex-boss, former justice minister Monica Macovei, said the DNA should serve as an example for other countries."It’s a model for the region, but not only the region, for all Europe, as it works extremely well,” Macovei said.

Perhaps the most prophetic words for people around the globe and particularly those in the US is the following warning from a former justice minister

"We need to be very vigilant the whole time...It is like democracy — if you think it’s given to you forever, you can lose it overnight."

Romanians offer both a warning and hope for everyone. We can learn from their brave dedication in defense of their country. We have to confront the apathy that accepts corruption.

Romanians are leading by example. If we value our democracies we need to stand up and protest against corrupt governments.

Sustainability Combats the Culture of Corruption

March 23, 2015 Add Comment Edit

Corruption is an anathema to sustainability. Corruption also makes it that much more difficult to marshal the economic and social capital required to combat climate change. Corruption eats away at the fabric of our economy and whittles away at the public's trust. This is particularly true for social enterprises.

Fraud, bribery, extortion and embezzlement may be rampant but they are antithetical to the new form of capitalism that is beginning to take shape. Although socially responsible business is not new concept, we are developing more sophistication methods that allow us to better articulate the mechanics of an ethical enterprise. We are also creating a wealth of tools that are giving us the ability to measure and assess such efforts. The growth of sustainability, social business and cause marketing is providing a wealth of data that translates into a best practices regime.

The new book, Thieves of State, makes the point that corruption is not only economically costly it also fosters violence, social unrest and revolutionary upheavals. Corruption generates a kind of societal malaise that breeds the type of anger we saw at the Occupy Wall Street protests.

We need to do a better job of identifying and exposing corruption. Corruption should not be condoned as the cost of doing business, it must be recognized as the cancer at the core of our financial system.

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Corruption in the Fossil Fuel Industry

March 03, 2015 Add Comment Edit

Corruption is rife in the oil and gas industry. Fossil fuel graft schemes commonly involve senior oil executives and politicians.Two prominent recent examples are Petrobras in Brazil and Gazprom in Russia.

According to a new report, the extractive sector, which includes fossil fuels, is the most corrupt industry in the world. Of all reported cases of corruption almost 1 in 5 (19 percent) were associated with the extractives sector. Most of these corruption cases involved the paying of bribes by senior executives. This is the finding of an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report that analyzed 427 cases of bribery in international business. Public sector employees including senior politicians and Presidents of state companies were most likely to be involved in bribery.

In Brazil the oil industry is embroiled in what is being described as the biggest corporate scandal in the country's history. Dozens of senior managers of Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) and other companies have been arrested as part of what is being called "Operation Car Wash." So far a total of 80 people have been charged.

In addition to senior executives at Petrobras, the kickback scandal is expected to implicate some senior members of the Brazilian Congress, the government of President Dilma Rousseff and the opposition.

Petrobras executives are alleged to have conspired with contractors to divert billions of dollars from the company to bribe politicians and political parties. The defendants include two former Petrobras senior managers and 23 executives from six of Brazil's leading construction and engineering companies. At least 40 politicians are implicated in the scandal.

Brazil's top prosecutor Rodrigo Janot filed charges against Petrobras executives including Nestor Cerveró who was head of international operations at Petrobras from 2003 to 2008. He is alleged to have accepted bribes to help engineering and construction firms win contracts. Fernando Soares and Oscar Algorta, were two of those charged with racketeering and money laundering related to the purchase of a $586 million oil drilling ship from Samsung Heavy Industries.

In response to the scandal Petrobras CEO Maria das Gracas Foster and five other executive directors have resigned.

In addition to harming the national reputation, corruption is also taking a toll on shareholders. Petrobras stock (PBRA) has plummeted 53 percent since the scandal broke and credit rating companies Fitch and Moody's downgraded Petrobras shares to junk status.

A class action suit has been launched by Wolf Popper law firm, which represents Petrobras' shareholders. The suit alleges that the oil company released false statements and misled investors about its asset values.

Petrobras is not the only fossil fuel company to suffer from corruption, Russia's state controlled natural gas exporter Gazprom is also dealing with its own corruption scandal. Gazprom managers are facing corruption charges in Switzerland. Former and current Gazprom managers are implicated in connection with the construction of the Yamal gas pipeline that connects Siberia to Germany.

"The federal prosecutor is conducting an investigation against four individuals suspected of misappropriation, forgery of documents, money laundering and bribery of foreign government officials," the Swiss prosecutor's office said. Charges are forthcoming.

An investigative reporting piece in the Daily Beast brilliantly exposes corruption in Russia. The article discusses Bill Browder who is well known in Moscow for investigating corruption in major Russian companies including Gazprom. For example, he revealed that in the 90's, 53 percent of Sibneftegaz (a Gazprom subsidiary) was sold to a group of buyers which included the brother and nephew of Gazprom’s then-CEO Rem Vyakhirev, for 0.3 percent of its estimated cost.

Sergei Magnitsky, Browder's tax attorney was wrongfully arrested, jailed and then murdered for uncovering Gazprom corruption. The interior and tax ministries, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Russian judiciary were all complicit in the conspiracy with a transnational organized crime syndicate and murderous cover-up, which culminated with the posthumous "trial" of Magnitsky in 2013.

Browder was also tried in absentia and sentenced to nine years. In 2012, Congress passed the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, which aims to ban and freeze any stateside assets of Russian officials credibly accused of gross human-rights violations.

Boris Nemtsov wrote a report on corruption in Gazprom and on February 28th, 2014 he was gunned down in front of the Kremlin in Moscow. Corruption costs everyone and as the murders of good men like Magnitsky and Nemtsov demonstrate, it can be lethal for those brave souls who have the courage to expose it.

Emissions from the fossil fuel industry are deadly as is getting in the way of their corrupt practices.

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Breaking News - Russian Duma to Free the Arctic 30

December 18, 2013 Add Comment Edit

On December 18, exactly three months after their arrest, the Russian Duma voted to release 28 Greenpeace activists and two freelance journalists known as the Arctic 30. After their boat the Arctic Sunrise was stormed by Russian special forces the Arctic 30 spent months in jail for a peaceful protest against a Gazprom oil rig. It is not know what will happen to the Arctic Sunrise, currently impounded in Murmansk. The amnesty applies to thousands of prisoners and it does not amount to an admission of guilt but it does signal an end to legal proceedings.

Upon hearing news of their release, Peter Willcox the Captain of the Arctic Sunrise said, “There is no amnesty for the Arctic.”

First charged with piracy and then the lesser charge of hooliganism, Greenpeace reports that the Arctic 30 are scheduled for released after a final vote in the Duma that took place at 4 pm today Moscow time (7 am EST). The 26 non-Russians will still need to be given given exit visas by the Russian authorities before they can leave the country.

One of the captives, Ana Paula Maciel from Brazil said:

“I’m relieved, but I’m not celebrating. I spent two months in jail for a crime I didn’t commit and faced criminal charges that were nothing less than absurd. But now at last it seems like this saga could soon be over and it may not be long before we’re back with our families. Right now my thoughts are with our Russian colleagues. If they accept this amnesty they will have criminal records in the country where they live, and all for something they didn’t do. All because we stood up for Arctic protection.”

Peter Willcox said:

“I might soon be going home to my family, but I should never have been charged and jailed in the first place. We sailed north to bear witness to a profound environmental threat but our ship was stormed by masked men wielding knives and guns. Now it’s nearly over and we may soon be truly free, but there’s no amnesty for the Arctic. We may soon be home, but the Arctic remains a fragile global treasure under assault by oil companies and the rising temperatures they’re driving. We went there to protest against this madness. We were never the criminals here.”