Mike Benz

But it's a lot less than the premium services. But more – like here's a really clean example that gets to the heart, I think, of what you're talking about with this domestic and how this all ties together. The world's largest consortium of investigative journalists is a group called the OCCRP. And you just think of it, the Corruption Reporting Project.

But it's a lot less than the premium services. But more – like here's a really clean example that gets to the heart, I think, of what you're talking about with this domestic and how this all ties together. The world's largest consortium of investigative journalists is a group called the OCCRP. And you just think of it, the Corruption Reporting Project.

But it's a lot less than the premium services. But more – like here's a really clean example that gets to the heart, I think, of what you're talking about with this domestic and how this all ties together. The world's largest consortium of investigative journalists is a group called the OCCRP. And you just think of it, the Corruption Reporting Project.

They have, since the very beginning, been, they were initially, I believe, fully funded by the US government or they were the anchor fund. And now I believe half of their funds come from a combination of USAID and the State Department. And these are supposed to be independent journalists and they're investigative hit piece writers covering the topic of corruption.

They have, since the very beginning, been, they were initially, I believe, fully funded by the US government or they were the anchor fund. And now I believe half of their funds come from a combination of USAID and the State Department. And these are supposed to be independent journalists and they're investigative hit piece writers covering the topic of corruption.

They have, since the very beginning, been, they were initially, I believe, fully funded by the US government or they were the anchor fund. And now I believe half of their funds come from a combination of USAID and the State Department. And these are supposed to be independent journalists and they're investigative hit piece writers covering the topic of corruption.

If there's something that's published on OCCRP's website or through their media network, it's never about the sky was blue today and someone saved a cat from a tree. No, it's all investigative hit piece work exposing some aspect of corruption in a country. And this was something that the US began funding

If there's something that's published on OCCRP's website or through their media network, it's never about the sky was blue today and someone saved a cat from a tree. No, it's all investigative hit piece work exposing some aspect of corruption in a country. And this was something that the US began funding

If there's something that's published on OCCRP's website or through their media network, it's never about the sky was blue today and someone saved a cat from a tree. No, it's all investigative hit piece work exposing some aspect of corruption in a country. And this was something that the US began funding

Really, I mean, this type of work over a decade ago and really around this before OCCRP, around the time of Yugoslavia and whatnot, because we wanted to create a predicate to arrest the political enemies of the State Department in the region by cooking up corruption scandals that prosecutors can then use to arrest them on the basis of corruption.

Really, I mean, this type of work over a decade ago and really around this before OCCRP, around the time of Yugoslavia and whatnot, because we wanted to create a predicate to arrest the political enemies of the State Department in the region by cooking up corruption scandals that prosecutors can then use to arrest them on the basis of corruption.

Really, I mean, this type of work over a decade ago and really around this before OCCRP, around the time of Yugoslavia and whatnot, because we wanted to create a predicate to arrest the political enemies of the State Department in the region by cooking up corruption scandals that prosecutors can then use to arrest them on the basis of corruption.

And so the problem is prosecutors don't know what to look for. And also, it's not necessarily politically feasible to prosecute somebody who's got a halo on them. So the halo has to be broken by hit piece news articles, by investigative journalists who often get proprietary access, for example –

And so the problem is prosecutors don't know what to look for. And also, it's not necessarily politically feasible to prosecute somebody who's got a halo on them. So the halo has to be broken by hit piece news articles, by investigative journalists who often get proprietary access, for example –

And so the problem is prosecutors don't know what to look for. And also, it's not necessarily politically feasible to prosecute somebody who's got a halo on them. So the halo has to be broken by hit piece news articles, by investigative journalists who often get proprietary access, for example –

You know, the OCCRP, this corruption reporting project, has gotten very strange special access to hacked documents while they're being funded by, you know, what many believe to be a CIA front group, you know, in the form of USAID. You know, when they get special access to documents hacked from a computer and use that as the basis for the Panama Papers, well, you know, they're reporters.

You know, the OCCRP, this corruption reporting project, has gotten very strange special access to hacked documents while they're being funded by, you know, what many believe to be a CIA front group, you know, in the form of USAID. You know, when they get special access to documents hacked from a computer and use that as the basis for the Panama Papers, well, you know, they're reporters.

You know, the OCCRP, this corruption reporting project, has gotten very strange special access to hacked documents while they're being funded by, you know, what many believe to be a CIA front group, you know, in the form of USAID. You know, when they get special access to documents hacked from a computer and use that as the basis for the Panama Papers, well, you know, they're reporters.

You can't ask them their source, but...

You can't ask them their source, but...