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David Szakonyi

@szakonyi.bsky.social
2.2K followers 246 following 114 posts

Associate Professor at George Washington University Co-Founder, Anti-Corruption Data Collective (@acdatacollective.bsky.social) Researching corruption, kleptocracy and authoritarianism in Russia and the West

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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
shameless corruption meduza.io/en/news/2026...
meduza.io
German retailer Globus stayed in Russia after the full-scale invasion. Now its Russian arm has put former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on its supervisory board. — Meduza
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC, which operates the Globus hypermarket chain in Russia. He will help manage the business and guide its str...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
it turns out you can prosecute high-ranking members of past administrations for corruption www.occrp.org/en/news/ex-h...
occrp.org
Ex-Hungarian Minister Detained in $53 Million Graft Probe
Balázs Hankó, a former culture minister under Viktor Orbán, was ordered held in pretrial detention over allegations he funneled tens of millions in state cultural grants to political allies, marking a...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The tide may be turning: politicians can’t spend their way out of ethics scandals. TX polls aren't moving under a deluge of cash www.texastribune.org/2026/10/01/t...
texastribune.org
Thune, Senate GOP rain cash on Texas to boost Ken Paxton
With the Senate GOP majority hinging on a red Texas, Republicans spent an eye-popping $122 million in September to support nominee Ken Paxton. But the polls have hardly budged.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Too few politicians have taken such a clear moral stance on betting on elections
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"The top 29 purchasers will be invited to an additional 'VIP Reception with YOUR FAVORITE PRESIDENT', while the four biggest will also receive an 18-karat Trump-branded gold watch." www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/t...
washingtonsun.com
Want Dinner With the President? Buy His Meme Coin.
The $Trump meme coin is offering buyers a new "exclusive" opportunity to meet the president.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
MAGA Inc has over $400 million in cash on hand, yet still raiding taxpayer money www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
pbs.org
Homeland Security spending $20M in taxpayer funds for pro-Trump ads
The Department of Homeland Security has tapped $20 million to pay for the campaign-style ads glorifying President Donald Trump that have drawn widespread criticism from Republicans and Democrats as a ...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Impeach the FCC chair for dereliction of duty
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The world needs fewer interview podcasts and more investigative journalism
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Jeff Passan Bot @jeffpassanbot.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
FINAL: White Sox 7, Astros 3 One day after receiving a letter from Pope Leo XIV offering "abundant blessings," the Chicago White Sox have won a playoff series for the first time in more than two decades. They went to Houston and absolutely ran the Astros. Cleveland awaits next.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
FinCEN’s final beneficial ownership rule shrinks corporate ownership reporting from roughly 32.6 million companies to just 28,000 That means more than 99.9% of companies in the US no longer have to report who actually owns or controls them www.orrick.com/en/Insights/...
orrick.com
FinCEN Permanently Lifts Certain Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements
The change exempts U.S. companies and U.S. persons from BOI requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act.
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · 29/09/2026
Political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann says the FSB tortured election expert Alexander Kynev with electric shocks and broke his leg in two places while trying to force him to confess to treason. When he refused, she says, they slapped him with the felony drug charges. t.me/tvrain/111762
t.me
Дождь | Новости
❗️Политолога Кынева пытались обвинить в госизмене, его пытали силовики — Екатерина Шульман Об этом политолог заявила в программе «Статус». «Вчера я выступала на совместном заседании двух комитетов П...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
One of Russia's best political experts - Alexander Kynev - has been arrested on preposterous charges of drug trafficking. Reports emerging that he may have been beaten and tortured after arrest. Independent expertise is treated as a crime in Putin's Russia
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
How much verification of public officials' financial disclosures is actually being done?
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The fossil fuel industry has captured the Trump administration: - a 945x $ return ($190 billion!) on campaign donations - 26 senior officials who previously worked for the industry - 76% fewer DOJ environmental enforcement cases - higher energy prices for all www.epw.senate.gov/public/index...
epw.senate.gov
Leader Schumer, Whitehouse Unveil Comprehensive New Report Exposing Corrupt Fossil Fuel Industry Control Over Trump Administration
As energy and electricity costs skyrocket, Americans are paying Trump’s debt to the fossil fuel industry Bombshell investigation released as part of Leader Schumer’s Anti-Corruption Workin...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Another outrageous move by the White House fundamentally at odds with our constitution and US public opinion
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
At @acdatacollective.bsky.social we helped uncover how 61 current and former Nigerian officials purchased over $271 million, mostly using cash Money laundering in US real estate has to gets back towards the top of the anti-corruption agenda www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlin...
premiumtimesng.com
61 Nigerian officials linked to $271 million US property holdings -Report
The investigation examined how wealth linked to Nigerian political and economic elites moved into the US real estate market and identified recurring risk factors in the acquisition of the properties.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The Democrats cannot claim to be the anti-corruption party until they stop doing crap like this
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Anti-Corruption Data Collective @acdatacollective.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Thrilled with this collaboration with @pplaaf.bsky.social! The report launched today details 284 US properties, collectively worth nearly $271 million, linked to 61 current and former high-level Nigerian officials, many of whom are implicated in corruption scandals.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
a little too on the nose that you "can't hear what the president is saying" unless the major media outlets give him a microphone
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 17/09/2026
"Prediction markets are creating new nightmares for operational security," write @szakonyi.bsky.social, Michelle Kendler-Kretsch, and Michael Hornsby. They allow those with inside information to bet on national security issues, all while giving both allies and adversaries a possible heads-up.
buff.ly
Insiders are betting on war: How prediction markets are becoming a national security threat
Prediction markets allow those with insider information bet on national security issues, giving adversaries a potential heads-up.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
My new op-ed argues that Russia's gift to Trump Jr will actually constrain Trump from making obvious concessions to the Kremlin
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
We're hiring in Comparative Politics here at GWU! Come join our fantastic department, and plug your research directly into DC’s policy community Work on all regions and methodological approaches welcome I'm on the committee and happy to answer any questions www.gwu.jobs/postings/128...
gwu.jobs
Assistant Professor of Political Science
The Department of Political Science invites applications for a tenure-track position in Comparative Politics at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning as early as Fall 2027. This position is pendin...
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Nick Schwellenbach @schwellenbach.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
worth a read... by the @acdatacollective.bsky.social crew thebulletin.org/2026/09/insi...
thebulletin.org
Insiders are betting on war: How prediction markets are becoming a national security threat
Prediction markets allow those with insider information bet on national security issues, giving adversaries a potential heads-up.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
How a wedding gift reveals Russia’s continued pursuit of informal ties to Trump, and why Moscow may get little in return Some thoughts from me in @themoscowtimes.com www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/17/r...
themoscowtimes.com
Russian Businessman’s Wedding Gift Shows That Moscow Hasn’t Given Up on a Trump Backchannel - The Moscow Times
Opinion | It seems like every week brings a new bombshell report of corruption in the Trump administration.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
77 candidates on the November ballot have not filed the personal financial disclosure the law requires, while 31 have loaned their own campaigns money without disclosing its source campaignlegal.org/update/campa...
campaignlegal.org
Campaign Legal Center Calls for Ethics Investigations of Nearly 80 Congressional Candidates’ Disclosure Violations
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed complaints with both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Ethics Committees alleging that 66 House candidates and 11 Senate candidates who will be on the...
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Molly White @molly.wiki · 15/09/2026
The Senate is set to vote this afternoon on whether to advance the Clarity Act, a major piece of crypto market structure legislation that would not only enshrine in law Trump's deregulation of the sector, but allow him to continue pocketing billions from his own crypto businesses.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Back-to-back exposes showing how our ethics system is beyond broken No disclosure of: 1. Trump son accepting $100,000 gift from Russian oligarch 2. Trump Arctic adviser promoting Dutch firm under Russian sanctions probe (and invested in Papa Johns in Russia) www.propublica.org/article/thom...
propublica.org
How a MAGA Influencer With Ties to Russia Became Trump’s Arctic Adviser
As head of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Thomas Dans has backed a takeover of Greenland and other items on President Donald Trump’s list. But it’s not always clear where the administration’s ag...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Still amazed by his absolute inability to support any positions popular with the median voter www.cnn.com/2026/09/14/p...
cnn.com
Trump dismisses AI alarms as a ‘HOAX’ — worrying White House officials | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump on Monday all but rejected calls from AI industry leaders for more government regulation on their cutting-edge models, making clear he considers outpacing China a higher priorit...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
One of the best directors this century takes a hard look at Russian society under wartime mobilization www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTHe...
youtube.com
MINOTAUR | Official Trailer | Only in Theaters This November
YouTube video by MUBI
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
No surprise you don't want transparency if your country's whole business model is "trusts, foundations and wealth management for international families". www.ft.com/content/f2b7...
ft.com
Europe’s disclosure push has gone ‘too far’, says Liechtenstein
Prince Michael of Liechtenstein accuses EU of ‘bureaucratic zeal’ over anti-money laundering rules
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
For less than $100, you can move the entire odds of most midterm election markets on Kalshi or Polymarket by $0.05 (or 5%). So if a candidate is at 40%, your small bet by itself could move them to 45% Any bettor can artificially help a campaign look more popular than it actually is
a plot showing how much money it costs to move prediction markets
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
This is a huge loss. The Miami Herald in particular has led the way investigating money laundering in South Florida as well as the Epstein cover-up. Please subscribe to local newspapers
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
97% of the prediction markets on the 2026 midterms can be moved five cents for less than $3,500 Our latest from @acdatacollective.bsky.social www.cnbc.com/2026/09/09/p...
cnbc.com
How much does it cost to move a midterm prediction market? Not much
Interested parties could seek to move prediction markets to give a perceived boost to a candidate who is struggling to gain momentum or attention.
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Anti-Corruption Data Collective @acdatacollective.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
🔵 NEW FROM ACDC 97% of midterm prediction markets on the three big platforms can be moved 5 cents for under the maximum personal campaign contribution of $3500. Where a single user has already moved the price, the price usually did not snap back within 24 hours.
cnbc.com
How much does it cost to move a midterm prediction market? Not much
Interested parties could seek to move prediction markets to give a perceived boost to a candidate who is struggling to gain momentum or attention.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I just watched this teaser seven times, and I’m still in shock
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The masterful book Making a Career in Dictatorship (Christian Glassel @ascharpf.bsky.social) explains exactly why this happens so often in authoritarian regimes
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
All of these contracts should come under review by a future administration
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Europe's top court just ruled you can't see who owns a company without proving "legitimate interest" first We're going backward in the fight against corruption
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Anti-Corruption Data Collective @acdatacollective.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
“There is a broad base consensus for the fact that something is broken in Washington” @szakonyi.bsky.social
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Trump's corruption is getting through to the general public, and they are not happy www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Poll shows nearly 90% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread
Americans have the highest level of distrust in their government in two decades, voicing bipartisan frustration with the country's institutions and the people who run them.
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Adam Parkhomenko @adamparkhomenko.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The iconic weeping willow trees outside the Kennedy Center have been cut down by Trump.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Just utterly fascinated by the Trump admin's ability to take out the most unpopular positions on basically every issue www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/c...
nytimes.com
E.P.A. Moves to Curb Public Input on Data Centers
Under the proposal, states would no longer need to provide public notice or solicit comments on air pollution permits for data centers and other projects.
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Anti-Corruption Data Collective @acdatacollective.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
David Szakonyi joins the Fox News Rundown Podcast to talk about prediction market betting on war and elections. “Maybe we shouldn’t be betting on lives and shouldn’t be betting on military matters” @szakonyi.bsky.social
youtu.be
Did Crypto Bettors Leak U.S. Military Secrets?
YouTube video by FOX News Podcasts
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
"Among industries, the crypto industry still leads as the biggest corporate donor to U.S. elections, followed by online betting and AI in 2026. Together they accounted for more than half of all company donations, at $344 million, Public Citizen found." www.reuters.com/legal/legali...
reuters.com
The new kingmakers: Crypto, AI and betting firms fuel record spending on the 2026 midterms
A handful of billionaires and companies are driving corporate spending in U.S. midterm elections this year, and they aren’t the usual power brokers who have sat atop the political food chain in Washin...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Cartels and criminals now even more free to launder money through the US #TrumpsCorruptionCostsUS www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
A Green Light for Crooks
The Treasury has made the American economy a safe space for corruption.
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Anti-Corruption Data Collective @acdatacollective.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
ACDC recently explained to NewsNation how military insider trading on Polymarket can broadcast signals of upcoming military operations. 📺 Watch the full segment here
youtu.be
US military secrets traded on Polymarket can tip off enemies: Report | Jesse Weber Live
YouTube video by NewsNation
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
If the Trump administration hadn't done away with our own beneficial ownership register, we might similarly be able to find Russian investment in the US...
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Memo analysts price the West getting "exhausted" and giving into Russia's peace terms at 12%.
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David Szakonyi @szakonyi.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The SEC cannot locate a single investigative record for a company that handed the president's crypto venture $750m and then fell 90% www.pogo.org/investigates...
pogo.org
No SEC Probe of Trump Crypto Deal Despite Alleged "Illegality"
In matters involving the president and cryptocurrency, some experts say the Securities and Exchange Commission has abandoned its mission of protecting investors.
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Reposted by David Szakonyi
Anti-Corruption Data Collective @acdatacollective.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Asked about our latest report, Polymarket appears to confirm the scale of the military insider trading problem, telling @marshall-cohen.bsky.social @cnn.com that it had previously referred “dozens” of the accounts we flagged to the DoJ. edition.cnn.com/2026/08/21/p...
edition.cnn.com
Polymarket referred dozens of possible military insider trading cases to DOJ, source says | CNN Politics
The prediction site Polymarket referred dozens of accounts that showed signs of potential military insider trading to the Justice Department for investigation, a senior company official told CNN.
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