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There Will Be A Huge New 'Panama Papers' Data Dump (businessinsider.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists said in an email that on May 9 it would "publish what will likely be the largest-ever release of information about secret offshore companies and the people behind them," based on data from the Panama Papers investigation. "The searchable database will include information about more than 200,000 companies, trusts, foundations, and funds incorporated in 21 tax havens, from Hong Kong to Nevada in the United States." The ICIJ said in the email, "The impact of Panama Papers has been epic." The investigation has caused Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson to resign following revelations about his personal finances. It has caused Putin to point fingers at the West, accusing the U.S. of trying to weaken Russia. It has even created drama in the UK with calls for Prime Minister David Cameron to resign after his connections to offshore companies became evident. In addition, the ICIJ said, "[The Panama Papers investigation] sparked a new sense of urgency among lawmakers and regulators to close loopholes and make information about the owners of shell companies public."

22 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Possibly largest text coherent collection ever by Alomex · · Score: 4, Funny

    largest-ever release of information about secret offshore companies and the people behind them

    Actually there is so much data that this is possibly the largest release of a coherent text collection of any kind, secret or not.

    1. Re:Possibly largest text coherent collection ever by EmperorArthur · · Score: 4, Funny

      And 90% of it is boilerplate legalese. I'll bet it compresses rather nicely.

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      So lets pretend that we've just completed writing this code, as opposed to having just completed sabotaging it -Altera
  2. "The impact of Panama Papers has been epic." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Ha, I'll believe it when I see it. If they're wealthy enough to take full advantage of these tax havens then they're wealthy enough to escape repercussion.

  3. Including John Kerry's accounts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Surprise, surprise, surprise!

    John Kerry is dirty

  4. Cool by inode_buddha · · Score: 2

    Cool, it can't happen soon enough. The trilateral Commission needs their dirty laundry aired so us regular people have a chance in life.

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    C|N>K
    1. Re:Cool by sabbede · · Score: 2
      The Trilateral Commission? Really?

      Your tinfoil hat is about 40 years out of date.

  5. Sad truth: No Jail Time or RICO confiscation by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The sad truth is those "punished" for tax avoidance so far in the UK (the PM), Canada (a number of families using UK offshore tax havens), and Africa have mostly ...

    Not ... Gone to jail.

    Or suffered any real penalty other than paying, without excess interest owing, the taxes they avoided.

    What we need here, other than a few quick drone strikes until they all pay up, are RICO triple damage confiscations, including trust funds for kids and houses and yachts, and JAIL TIME.

    Which has not happened so far.

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    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:Sad truth: No Jail Time or RICO confiscation by inode_buddha · · Score: 2

      This X 1000. Jail time is the only thing that makes some people slow down and think.

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      C|N>K
    2. Re:Sad truth: No Jail Time or RICO confiscation by wardrich86 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Assuming some of these people are the same people making profit off of privatized jails... would they actually make more money by throwing themselves in jail?

    3. Re:Sad truth: No Jail Time or RICO confiscation by JoeMerchant · · Score: 2

      The problem is that the laws (written by lawyers and legislators, many of whom use these vehicles of financial obscurity) are written with relatively little penalties in them.

      Sure, the law says you must pay your taxes, but there's no penalty clauses in there for doing the kinds of things that the lawmakers themselves are engaged in.

    4. Re:Sad truth: No Jail Time or RICO confiscation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      AND? How is 'tax avoidance' a crime? I'm not talking about 'outright lying' on a tax return but moving money in such a way as to minimize the tax paid...people do this ALL the time. I haven't outright moved money but I look for every legal angle to reduce my tax bill, does that make me a 'bad person'? A 'criminal'? (heck I have purposely NOT taking a deduction that I felt I was 'morally'/ethically entitled to but didn't because of the potential fallout on others who are struggling) I'm not going to get all 'high & mighty' over someone or some company doing something that anyone would do if the rules were in their favor.

      There may in fact be 'illegal activity' going on with some people & corporations stashing money in these accounts but not EVERYONE here is doing anything illegal. You can argue that the 'rules of the game' are rigged, and if true than the 'rules' need to be changed but don't blame people for taking advantage of the rules. I mean shit, its not like Hilary & Bill are all 'above board' on where their Foundation money comes from or how its used.

      Shit, we KNOW 100% for a fact that the British government with backing by the US overthrew the democratically elected government of Iran & put the Shah back in place way back in the '70s just because the Prime Minister (or whatever they called him) wanted to 'nationalize the oil fields' which would have resulted in a major 'renegotiation' of oil rights for British Standard OIl...and yet NOBODY was really punished or sent to jail over that and we're still dealing with the fallout today because the people REALLY revolted & put in their current government of religious leaders.

      The US fought TWO wars in Iraq costing many hundreds of billions of dollars (maybe a trillion...I'm not up on the exact figures) and continues to spend STUPID amounts of money on 'undeclared wars' and 'security theatre' and you're all high & mighty about companies & people 'avoiding taxes'? Wake up. Unless your prepared to actually stand & fight for what you think should be done than your just a whining little puke hoping for 'the man' to throw a crumb or two your way.

      'Of course the game is rigged, but if you don't play you can't win'...figure out how the game is rigged in YOUR favour & use it.

    5. Re:Sad truth: No Jail Time or RICO confiscation by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2

      This is why we use drones until it happens

      Legal is only legal until it stops happening

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      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    6. Re:Sad truth: No Jail Time or RICO confiscation by MoaDweeb · · Score: 2

      Tax avoidance - the LEGAL minimisation of taxation due.
      Tax evasion - the ILLEGAL minimisation of tax due.

      Evasion gets you a cell mate, avoidance does not.

      Regardless of your own views of what should constitute avoidance/ evasion these people do not appear to have done anything illegal.
        Whether it is moral is another question.

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      New Zealanders are well balanced with a chip on each shoulder. One represents Australia, the other the rest of the world
  6. Can the US join this time? by king+neckbeard · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One disappointing thing about the last leak is that it basically had no US connections. A leak that included US clients could probably bring down Clinton, Trump, and half of Congress.

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    This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    1. Re:Can the US join this time? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Which leads smart people to believe that this is a false flag operation from the CIA. That's how they be.

  7. Soros by labnet · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Not much gets into main stream media without puppeteers pulling strings: And when I hear the Soros foundation is partially bankrolling this, you gotta ask why.

    Quote from infowars.

    The Panama Papers expose offshore tax havens in Switzerland, the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, and Panama, but says nothing about a new arrangement legalized under FATCA, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

    The law “makes the parking of dirty US money abroad practically impossible. So where does that money go instead—it stays in the US,” writes Zero Hedge. “And, to top it off, there is one specific firm which is spearheading the conversion of the U.S. into Panama: Rothschild.”

    The international bankster institution opened a trust company in Reno, Nevada. “It is now moving the fortunes of wealthy foreign clients out of offshore havens such as Bermuda, subject to the new international disclosure requirements, and into Rothschild-run trusts in Nevada, which are exempt,” Bloomberg reports. The United States “is effectively the biggest tax haven in the world,” boasted Andrew Penny of Rothschild. One of the world’s largest providers of offshore accounts, Trident Trust, opened an office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

    http://www.infowars.com/soros-...

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    1. Re:Soros by quintessencesluglord · · Score: 3, Funny

      Dude, you know the drill!

      First you have to do a 5 paragraph screed about the evils of money in politics with subtle hints that the Koch Bros are in league with Satan (or big oil. Same difference really).

      Then you do at least 7 posts of how Republicans are out to eat babies, rape your grandmother, and cheat at softball.

      And then you mention Soros as a half-assed et tu and mention the CCX in passing before the popcorn starts.

  8. Future tax havens won't be online by davidwr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I predict that future tax havens won't store client information online.

    The "true, beneficial ownership" information will all be stored on a non-connected computer network or maybe even in paper ledgers.

    Good luck getting at that without walking in and physically stealing it (or bribing/coercing a bank employee to make you a copy).

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  9. Yes, because I'm going to trust what Infowars says by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You might want to try and find someone a little more credible than Alex Jones (9/11 truther, gold bug, serial martial law predictor, etc) if you want me to take a theory at all seriously.

  10. Nobody Trusts the Media Anymore by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The reason the Panama Papers are failing to make the impact they should is because nobody trusts the media anymore.

    We are expected to believe that the same class which protects the interests of the wealthy and which prosletyes their neoliberal ideology has somehow enough concern for us lower castes, or for abstract concepts like "justice" or "fairness", that they will report on this impartially. Excuse me, but even if this massive group of PR-powdered international journalism extraordinaies is in fact legitimate and not just the twitter stunt they appear to be, even if they are legit, why should I believe the media this time around?

    Journalists have cried wolf, stayed silent, and betrayed the public trust too many times to be taken seriously now. The media has morphed from a fourth estate, into the new first estate. So when I see a campaign like this, I see only the new international priesthood, condemning some sin. I await their indulgences to be paid.

  11. Wait... What?? by pablo_max · · Score: 2

    Sorry, but what does our trust in the media have to do with anything? The government does not give a single fuck what the people thing or believe. Not a single fuck.
    The people are not the ones prosecuting people.
    The only outcome is what you always get. Your Clintons and what not say, OH NO!! We are gonna solve this together and those who responsible parties shall be looked at very closely, blah blah blah.
    In the then nothing at all will happen. How could it? The ones who make he laws are the ones breaking the laws and fucking over the general population time and time again.
    Do you think they are going to go after themselves? Of course they wont. Then entire system is rigged.

  12. Re:Panama Papers Stolen? by ledow · · Score: 2

    The media are generally allowed to report anything "in the public interest" no matter the source.

    Technically every celebrity photo is stolen, or taken without permission, or whatever. But because the press are able to hide behind it being "in the public interest", where you and I could be sued to oblivion if we touched it, they get free reign.