A former Facebook global diversity strategist pled guilty to stealing more than $4 million from the company through an “elaborate scheme involving fraudulent vendors‚ fictitious charges‚ and cash kickbacks‚” federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Barbara Furlow-Smiles‚ 38‚ pled guilty to wire fraud related to the scheme‚ the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta said in a statement. Furlow-Smiles led Diversity‚ Equity‚ and Inclusion (DEI) programs at Facebook between January‚ 2017 and September‚ 2021. As Facebook’s lead strategist and global head of employee resource groups and diversity engagement‚ Furlow-Smiles was responsible for developing and executing DEI initiatives‚ operations‚ and engagement programs‚ prosecutors said. She had access to company credit cards and was able to approve invoices and used her position to “cheat and defraud the company‚” prosecutors said. Furlow-Smiles linked PayPal‚ Venmo‚ and Cash App accounts to her Facebook credit cards and used those accounts to pay friends‚ relatives‚ and others for goods and services that were never provided to Facebook‚ prosecutors said. She then submitted fraudulent expense reports to hide those charges‚ falsely claiming that her friends had performed work for Facebook‚ such as providing swag or marketing. Those people then paid kickbacks to Furlow-Smiles‚ sometimes through accounts in her husband’s and other people’s names‚ prosecutors said. Sometimes the kickbacks were paid in cash in person and sometimes through the mail. Cash was even hidden in a t-shirt at one point‚ prosecutors said. Furlow-Smiles also sometimes told her friends to pay one another to hide the scheme‚ prosecutors said. Furlow-Smiles also had Facebook hire vendors operated by her friends‚ prosecutors said‚ and she approved fraudulent and inflated invoices to pay the vendors‚ who then paid her kickbacks. People who were part of the scheme included friends‚ relatives‚ former interns from a prior job‚ nannies and babysitters‚ a hair stylist‚ and her university tutor. She even had Facebook pay for several expenses of other people‚ including $10‚000 to an artist for specialty portraits and more than $18‚000 for preschool tuition‚ according to prosecutors. “She used the money to live a luxury lifestyle in California and Georgia‚” prosecutors said. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 19. It is not clear whether any of the other people involved in the scheme will be charged. Prosecutors said most of the people were not aware that the money was coming from Facebook. Meta‚ Facebook’s parent company‚ cooperated with the investigation‚ which is being investigated by the FBI. “This defendant abused a position of a trust as a global diversity executive for Facebook to defraud the company of millions of dollars‚ ignoring the insidious consequences of undermining the importance of her DEI mission‚” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan. “Motivated by greed‚ she used her time to orchestrate an elaborate criminal scheme in which fraudulent vendors paid her kickbacks in cash. She even involved relatives‚ friends‚ and other associates in her crimes‚ all to fund a lavish lifestyle through fraud rather than hard and honest work‚” Buchanan said.

The GOP-led House voted on Wednesday to formally authorize the corruption-focused impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden‚ a move Republicans said was necessary to give them more legal weight to enforce subpoenas. By a 221-212 tally‚ the chamber adopted the authorization resolution that establishes “sufficient grounds” exist for the probe to continue after it passed through the House Rules Committee on Tuesday. One Democrat did not vote. With the successful vote‚ the inquiry follows a similar track as the first impeachment probe against former President Donald Trump‚ which Democrats did not vote to authorize right away either. U.S. House APPROVES Impeachment Inquiry into President Biden‚ 221-212. pic.twitter.com/TH6JNpHF8H — CSPAN (@cspan) December 13‚ 2023 Three panels — the Oversight‚ Judiciary‚ and Ways and Means Committees — have led the impeachment probe since mid-September‚ when then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced the endeavor. Congressional investigators have been looking into whether the business practices of Biden’s family members fostered corruption in government — spurred by a money trail showing millions of dollars from foreign countries — as well as the Department of Justice’s handling of a criminal probe into Hunter Biden‚ the president’s son. President Biden‚ who is seeking re-election next year‚ has dismissed what he called last week a “bunch of lies.” But GOP lawmakers contend that the commander in chief has lied more than a dozen times in his denials about his knowledge and participation in his family’s dealings. Democrats in the House have insisted the impeachment inquiry is a “sham” lacking legitimacy and evidence of wrongdoing by the president. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)‚ less than two months into his tenure in the leadership position‚ said a vote to formalize the impeachment inquiry was necessary to combat alleged “stonewalling” by the White House. “When the subpoenas are challenged in court‚ we’ll be at the apex of our constitutional authority‚” he said last week. Johnson has also said the House as a responsibility to “follow each truth where it leads” when asked if investigators have found any evidence that Biden is guilty of impeachable offenses. Richard Sauber‚ special counsel to the president‚ wrote to impeachment leaders in mid-November condemning what he described as “Congressional harassment of the President” and calling on the House to withdraw its subpoenas and interview requests that have gone out to Biden administration officials‚ Biden family members‚ and Biden associates. The “Constitution requires that the full House authorize an impeachment inquiry before a committee may utilize compulsory process pursuant to the impeachment power — a step the Republican House Majority has so far refused to take‚” Sauber wrote. One high-profile individual who has resisted a subpoena is Hunter Biden. He showed up to Capitol Hill earlier on Wednesday but refused to show up for his scheduled deposition‚ demanding instead that lawmakers allow him to appear for a public hearing. House Republicans highlighted Hunter Biden denying that his father “financially” benefited from his business dealings as evidence that the Biden family’s story keeps changing under scrutiny. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) released a joint statement afterward‚ saying they would initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Hunter Biden. The vote to formalize the impeachment inquiry serves to “strengthen our legal case in the courts as we face obstruction from the White House and witnesses‚” they said. “Today’s obstruction by Hunter Biden reinforces the need for a formal vote. President Biden and his family must be held accountable for their corruption and obstruction. And we will provide that to the American people.”

In a move that has sparked considerable debate and criticism‚ Hunter Biden made an appearance on Capitol Hill but notably skipped his scheduled impeachment deposition. This development comes as Republicans are gearing up to formalize their impeachment inquiry‚ leaving many to question the motives behind Biden’s absence. Hunter Biden‚ whose business dealings have long been a subject of scrutiny and controversy‚ was expected to deliver a statement on Wednesday morning. His failure to attend the deposition has fueled further speculation about the transparency and accountability of the Biden family‚ particularly in light of the ongoing investigations into his financial affairs. This is so bad. @nytimes doctored what Hunter said today‚ leaving out the key word. Wow. NYT: “Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not involved in my business.” Hunter: “Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not *financially* involved in my business.” pic.twitter.com/cDQEnShr6n — Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) December 13‚ 2023 The situation has drawn attention to the broader issue of political privilege and the perceived double standards in the treatment of figures connected to powerful families. Critics argue that such actions undermine the integrity of the legal and political processes‚ suggesting that there may be different rules for the elite. Republicans on Capitol Hill have expressed frustration and concern over Biden’s decision to skip the deposition. They contend that his testimony is crucial to the inquiry and that his non-appearance only serves to hinder the pursuit of truth and justice in a matter of significant public interest. I'm sure the fair and balanced FBI will send a swat team to arrest Hunter Biden for ignoring a congressional supena like they did to Peter Navarro‚ right‚ or do we live in a Banana Republic? pic.twitter.com/U1tppiBbXH — Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) December 13‚ 2023 The incident has also reignited discussions about the role of the media in covering the activities of political figures. Some conservative commentators have pointed out what they see as a lack of adequate coverage and scrutiny when it comes to the actions of certain individuals‚ particularly those associated with the Democratic Party. Amidst the unfolding events‚ there is a growing call for transparency and accountability from all public officials‚ regardless of their political affiliations or family connections. The public’s trust in the democratic process is at stake‚ and many believe that it is imperative for all involved to adhere to the highest ethical standards. As the impeachment inquiry progresses‚ the spotlight will undoubtedly remain on Hunter Biden and his decision to avoid the deposition. The implications of his actions are far-reaching‚ potentially affecting not only the inquiry itself but also the public’s perception of the political establishment. In conclusion‚ Hunter Biden’s absence from his scheduled impeachment deposition raises serious questions and concerns. It is a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by those seeking to uphold the principles of fairness and justice in the political arena. As the situation continues to unfold‚ it will be critical to observe how lawmakers and the public respond to these latest developments. The post Hunter Biden’s Capitol Hill No-Show Raises Eyebrows Amid Impeachment Inquiry appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

Why isn't this gonna be in Rio

Outdoor power equipment is 'contributing to climate change'

'We will continue to protest'

'Joe Biden even compromised his own grandchildren'

Only added 7‚000 jobs

'I'm going to take your car'

'This is a major strategic decision'