Tillerson used email alias at Exxon to talk climate: New York attorney general

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp, used an alias email address while at the oil company to send and receive information related to climate change and other matters, according to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

The attorney general's office said in a letter on Monday that it found Tillerson had used an alias email address under the pseudonym "Wayne Tracker" from at least 2008 through 2015.

Wayne is Tillerson's middle name.

The letter was sent to a New York state judge overseeing Schneiderman's investigation into whether Exxon misled shareholders and the public about climate change. read more »

Fillon Charged With Misusing Public Funds Before French Vote

Charges in jobs-for-family case came day earlier than expected

Fillon has said he will stay in race regardless of probe

Francois Fillon was charged Tuesday with misuse of public funds, casting a permanent shadow over his bid to become France’s next president.

Fillon was informed of the charges after being questioned by investigative judges looking at whether family members did any real work while on the public payroll as his parliamentary aides, according to the French financial prosecutor’s office. Fillon, who had been due to meet the judges on Wednesday, has denied any wrongdoing and denounced the investigation as a plot by his political opponents to undermine his candidacy. read more »

Rolls-Royce calls its first staff AGM Board to open up to workers about bribery charges that led to record losses of £4.6bn as it attempts to improve communications with employees

Rolls-Royce, the engine maker hit by a £671m settlement of bribery and corruption charges, is to hold its first annual meeting for staff with the aim of improving communication with its global workforce of almost 50,000.

The annual meeting will be held in May in Derby, England, where the company has 14,000 staff. The board will take questions on a variety of topics after a year in which the fraud charges and sterling’s plunge drove the company to a loss of £4.6bn, the biggest in its history. read more »

Bangkok Politicians likely involved in Rolls Royce Bribes

Politicians are likely to have had a hand in a kickback scandal where British engineering giant Rolls-Royce allegedly paid bribes to state-owned natural gas and oil firm PTT Plc, according to the National Anti-Corruption Commission .

NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljeak said the agency is gathering facts behind the allegation that some US$11 million was paid to the energy firm in return for contract awards for equipment and aftermarket products and services.

He said the kickback allegation against PTT Plc is similar to the one against Thai Airways International in that politicians and former executives are allegedly involved in the corrupt commission payments. 

Don’t hate the player: How a former NBA star built a real estate fraud scheme around his basketball ties

The shot that made Tate George was one of those moments that make you question the laws of time and space. It was March 21, 1990. The University of Connecticut was up against Clemson University in the Sweet 16 round of March Madness. Clemson was leading, 70-69, with exactly one second remaining on the game clock. UConn’s Scott Burrell had the ball at the baseline.

To win, the 6-foot-5 guard would have to somehow get the ball past Clemson’s 6-foot-11 Elden Campbell, who stood in front of him with arms outstretched. He would have to throw it across the entire court and a UConn player would have no more than a split second to catch, aim and shoot. The odds of UConn scoring were near zero.

The referee blew the whistle. Burrell hurled the ball. It seemed to almost graze Campbell’s hands, but didn’t change course. The ball flew across the court in a high arc. Deep inside Clemson’s half, closer to the sideline than the basket, George, a guard at UConn, jumped up and caught it. He had to arch backwards, and as he landed on one leg, he briefly looked like he had lost his balance. But he didn’t fall.

George now had his back to the basket, about 15 feet away. He spun around and shot the ball over a defender. The ball went in, accompanied by the sound of the final buzzer.

In 2011, federal agents arrested George on charges of wire fraud, claiming he had stolen $2.5 million from a dozen investors. In some cases much of it was gone within hours of George receiving it. He spent it on his relatives and his girlfriend, on renovations to his house, on new air conditioning units, on his white Chrysler, on his tax debt and his mortgage, according to prosecutors. read more »

Charles River Laboratories International Inc. Agrees to Pay United States $1.8 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Charles River Laboratories International Inc. has agreed to pay the U.S. government $1.8 million to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act by improperly charging for labor and other associated costs that were not actually provided on certain National Institutes of Health contracts, the Justice Department announced today. Charles River is a for-profit corporation headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

“Contractors are expected to deal fairly with federal agencies when receiving taxpayer funds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to ensure that contractors spend taxpayer dollars appropriately and that those who do not are held accountable.” read more »