Gold Bars, Cash-Stuffed Envelopes And Turkish Campaign Donations: The Most Insane Dem Corruption Scandals Of 2024

From former New York City Mayor William “Boss” Tweed to former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Democratic politicians have long found themselves at the center of corruption scandals, but 2024 may have been a year like no other in the leftist double-dealing department.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of this year’s zaniest cases of purported Democratic malfeasance. (RELATED: Biden Granted Clemency To Multiple Public Officials, Democrat Politicians Convicted Of Corruption)

1. DC Councilman Who Claimed Jews Controlled The Weather Arrested After Allegedly Accepting Cash-Stuffed Envelope

Democratic Washington, D.C., Councilman Trayon White Sr. was charged with bribery in August after allegedly agreeing to accept $156,000 in bribes in exchange for pressuring public officials to extend lucrative government contracts. As of the time of his arrest, White had reportedly accepted four cash payments totaling $35,000, as well as trips to Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Dominican Republic.

“What you need me to do, man? I don’t, I don’t wanna feel like you gotta gimme something to get something. We better than that,” White told a confidential source when offered an envelope with $15,000 cash, before slipping it into his jacket pocket, an arrest affidavit from the FBI’s Washington field office states.

The $156,000 reportedly consisted of 3% of a $5.2 million contract for two youth violence prevention programs, with White agreeing to pressure officials at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to extend the agreements in exchange for the kickbacks.

Despite his August arrest, White coasted to reelection in D.C.’s eighth ward in November, winning nearly 84% of the vote. White is a protégé of Former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry, who won nearly 70% of the Ward 8 vote in 1992 after being caught on camera smoking crack and propositioning an ex-model for sex.

In 2018, following a snow storm in D.C., White suggested that Jewish bankers control the weather, saying, “Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man. Y’all better pay attention to this climate control, man, this climate manipulation … D.C. keep talking about, ‘We a resilient city.’ And that’s a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man. Be careful.”

The Rothschilds are a wealthy Jewish banking family.

WASHINGTON DC – JANUARY 2: Trayon White, Sr. of DC Ward Eight salutes the crowd during a swearing in ceremony in Washington DC on January 2, 2017. (Photo by Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

2. New Jersey Senator With Hundreds Of Thousands In Gold Bars Stashed In Home Convicted Of Taking Bribes From Egyptian Government

Now-former Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted of federal corruption and bribery charges in July for his involvement in a bribery and corruption scheme with three New Jersey businessmen and the Egyptian government. The court found Menendez guilty of lobbying for Egyptian interests in exchange for bribes, with the senator sending a letter to his peers advocating for military aid for Egypt and providing the country with personnel information related to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

When authorities raided the former-senator’s home, they found over $480,000 in cash hidden throughout the property, a luxury vehicle purchased for his wife by the New Jersey businessmen and over $100,000 in gold bars.

BREAKING: Senator Bob Menendez convicted.

The Senator allegedly was bribed hundred of thousands of dollars to help the government of Egypt.

It included included gold bars, cash and a luxury convertible. pic.twitter.com/zxqZKKBHjT

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) July 16, 2024

Menendez has maintained his innocence despite the conviction, stating after his conviction that he has “never been anything but a patriot for [his] country,” and that he was “deeply disappointed by the jury’s decision.” As part of his defense, the former senator tried to pin some of the accusations on his wife, claiming she accepted the gold and cash payments and hid them from him.

Prior to the Egyptian bribery charges, Menendez had been indicted in 2015 for allegedly accepting $1 million worth of gifts and campaign contributions from a longtime friend in exchange for political favors, which included Menendez securing visas for multiple of his friend’s foreign girlfriends.

The Select Committee on Ethics in the Democrat-controlled Senate only began conducting an investigation into Menendez following the conclusion of his criminal proceedings, and dropped the inquiry once he resigned in August. When the Daily Caller News Foundation asked each member of the committee in February why they hadn’t yet begun an inquiry into Menendez, they all declined to answer.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Ethics Committee conducted investigations into now-former Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and George Santos of New York.

US Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, and his wife Nadine Arslanian, arrive at the US District Court. Federal prosecutors charged Menendez and Arslanian with bribery and extortion (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

3. Dem Power Broker, Camden Mayor Charged With Racketeering For Real Estate Scheme 

Menendez was not the only Garden State Democrat to get nabbed for corruption in 2024, with south New Jersey power broker George Norcross being charged with racketeering in June.

Norcross was accused by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin of using his political connections to force rival real estate developers out of properties and to secure favorable deals for his own businesses. In one case, the party boss allegedly pressured a nonprofit to sell to a developer for a fraction of what the property was worth, selling to the Norcross-associated developer for a $125,000 net profit while Platkin claimed they could have sold it for millions.

“The Camden Mayor’s office directed the nonprofit’s leaders to meet regularly with Phillip Norcross and then to update the Norcross enterprise of its progress in the deal,” Platkin alleged. “At the direction of city government officials the nonprofit’s leaders met regularly with Phillip Norcross and were pressured to follow the directions of the Norcross enterprise or else face repercussions.”

Healthcare provider Cooper Health, where Norcross served as chairman of the board, ultimately gained control of the property and collected over $27 million in state tax credits for the building from 2016 to 2022 using legislation that the Norcross enterprise helped craft,” according to Platkin.

Prior to the indictment, Norcross served on the Democratic National Committee, and was described by The New York Times as “the most powerful unelected political official in New Jersey.”

Former Democratic Camden Mayor Dana Redd was also charged for racketeering by Platkin for her involvement in the scheme, along with Norcross’ brother Phillip, his personal lawyer William Tambussi and local business leaders Sidney Brown and John O’Donnell.

CAMDEN, NJ – AUGUST 21: Camden Mayor Dana Redd (R) and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speak at a press conference announcing a new superintendent of Camden School District on August 21, 2013 in Camden, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

4. NYC Mayor Indicted On Bribery Charges

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 27: New York City Mayor Eric Adams exits federal court after his arraignment on bribery and fraud charges on September 27, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Last but certainly not least, Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted in September on bribery charges, with the Southern District of New York alleging he “sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him.”

Adams allegedly facilitated the opening of a new Turkish Consulate without a fire inspection in September 2021 after receiving campaign donations and free air travel from Turkish officials, according to the Department of Justice indictment. He was also accused of trying to shield his ties to the country by not disclosing the travel benefits in annual financial disclosures he was required to file as a New York City employee.

The New York City mayor has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, and has suggested the indictment was a political reprisal from the White House for his criticism of the Biden administration’s “broken immigration policies.” Adams has also spoken highly of President-elect Donald Trump since the indictment, saying on Dec. 24 that he is “looking forward” to “partnering” with the incoming administration.

A slew of Adams’ former aides have also been indicted, including his former chief liaison to the Muslim community Mohamed Bahi, who was charged with witness tampering in October for allegedly having “used intimidation” to interfere with an FBI investigation into straw donations sent to Adams’ mayoral campaign. Meanwhile, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who was once Adams’ chief adviser was charged with bribery on Dec. 19 for allegedly “engag[ing] in a long-running bribery, money laundering and conspiracy scheme” to “illegally influence Department of Buildings and other city decisions in exchange for more than $100,000 in cash and benefits for herself and her son,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a filing with the state Supreme Court.

White and Adams did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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