Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio recently testified at the trial of rapper Pras Michel, who stands accused of accepting money from Malaysian fugitive tycoon Jho Low, to influence U.S. politics.

First a bit of a background about Michel and Low.

Michel was a member of the hip hop band Fugees.

Low allegedly embezzled $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s state investment fund, making it the biggest scandal of its kind in history.

Michel allegedly received over $100 million from Low.

Low allegedly recruited Michel to funnel the money to Obama’s reelection bid using an illegal network of third parties paid for by foreign funds. (Foreigners cannot donate to U.S. campaigns under federal election law.)

The prosecutors have accused Michel of receiving $21.6 million in payments from foreign accounts linked to Low, funds which the rapper then paid out to roughly twenty straw donors between June and November 2012.

Michel allegedly then took tens of millions of dollars to lobby the federal government on behalf of Low and the Chinese Communist Party. 

Prosecutors have also accused the rapper of attempting to interfere with the investigation of Low.  

Michel had denied the charges, which also include conspiracy and witness tampering.

Michel and Low are both facing charges in the case; Michel has appeared in court while Low is believed to be in China.

DiCaprio was called as a witness owing to his years-long relationship with Low.

DiCaprio called Low “a huge businessman” with considerable clout.

Low financed DiCaprio’s The Wolf of Wall Street which is ironic, considering the movie was supposed to be a scathing critique on financial crimes, corruption, and immorality.

Bloomberg reported that Low donated works by Picasso and Jean-Michel Basquiat — priced at over $3 million and $9 million respectively — to DiCaprio’s charitable foundation. DiCaprio said that Low also actively participated in auctions “to bring in funds” for his environmentally-focused organization.

DiCaprio testified that Low told him that he hoped to donate between twenty and thirty million dollars to Obama’s campaign in 2012.

DiCaprio said he met rapper Pras Michel backstage at a concert in the ‘90s and added Michel might have also attended a Thanksgiving party at his home, but he wasn’t sure.

DiCaprio’s testimony and the accusation against Low and Michel serve as additional reminders of the inner workings of the D.C. Democrat Establishment.

This is a confederacy with its sole function being the enrichment of its members by whatever means possible.

Nothing is impossible for the establishment, as long as the price is right.

Who are the members of this club?

They happen to be elected officials, leaders of various government agencies, showbiz luminaries, corporate honchos, activists, intellectuals, and members of the mainstream media.

It also extends to heads of foreign states and intragovernmental bodies.

Back in 2021, President Macron of France said the quiet part aloud when he declared that Biden is “part of the club” at the G7 leaders’ first formal meeting in the United Kingdom.

The links are so vast, complex, and intricate, that it would probably take a lifetime to comprehend.

So how does it work?

The elected officials from the legislative and executive branches get things done in exchange for a price.

The club specializes in legalized forms of corruption and even if laws are violated, club members seldom suffer any consequences.

No longer is money transferred directly to any account.

Elected officials have intermediary organizations to receive funds.

These intermediaries could be a political campaign or foundation, a charitable organization, or even a think tank.

Donors seeking to influence donate to any of these organizations.

Since Biden’s inauguration, anonymous Chinese donors have poured millions into the University of Pennsylvania — the institution is home to the Penn Biden Center.

The politician ensures that laws are passed or subsidies are granted in a manner that benefits the donors.

Also part of the establishment are the luminaries of showbiz who are looking to enrich themselves via their “charity” foundations.

Hollywood celebrities are ideal middlemen to facilitate deals between D.C. and foreign third parties. They are powerful and connected, and their popularity opens many doors.

A hostile foreign entity could finance a project which earns the star a handsome salary. The “star” then lobbies for his benefactor among his powerful friends in D.C.

Wars are also easy means of enrichment.

So far, the US has given $115 billion to the defense and welfare of Ukraine.

They no longer hide it.

Let’s look at an example from last year when the Ukrainian Embassy in D.C. hosted a reception to commemorate the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s armed services.

The invitation to the event had logos of arms manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin listed as sponsors, and among the attendees was Joint Chiefs chairman General Milley.

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed $521 million to refill its own supplies.

Last year, Ukrainian officials appealed to D.C. to send Lockheed’s advanced weaponry and responded by dispatching 20 of Lockheed’s missile defense systems to Ukraine and will dispatch 18 more, the cost being $1.1 billion.

Lockheed donates to members of both parties and has a record of bribing officials to peddle influence.

This is just one example; doubtlessly there are many others.

It isn’t just defense contractors, there is no transparency on how vendors are awarded contracts, therefore we can safely assume the money is granted to cronies.

This explains why everyone from D.C. to Hollywood claims to love Zelenskyy and to be passionate about the defense of Ukraine.

Sean Penn introduces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the #GoldenGlobes2023 pic.twitter.com/wpF3QlryIL

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 11, 2023

It is not just Ukraine, but every cause they claim to stand for is a means of enrichment. 

Because every issue has a think tank or a foundation associated with it, which means copious donations. The issues are window dressing meant to deceive their troops into thinking they care.

It can be thought of as a shop, with the hordes outside claiming the shop desires to promote a clean environment, or LGBT rights, women’s equality, or minority advancement, but the real goal is enrichment.

This explains why they all stand together and have complete agreement on all the key issues. They know that watching each other’s back is the only way they can thrive.

The Republicans and Democrats feign hostility on trivial social issues but on the key issues that facilitate enrichment, they are together.

The Ukraine war had instant bipartisan support.

No politician has been able to get elected without being supported by the Establishment until President Trump won in 2016, purely based on the grassroots movement and by challenging the Establishment.

This explains why everyone from a Manhattan D.A. to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel despised him.

Trump is the only individual whose net worth fell by hundreds of millions after entering politics.

The Establishment is the result of decades of collaboration by various entities.

Anyone who tries to dismantle this club can expect to either succumb to the temptation of inducements offered, or be destroyed, suffering humiliation as they are targeted by agencies.

Can this self-serving, self-promoting, self-preserving, corrupt, and nepotistic confederacy of crooks be dismantled?

That would need a few hundred such as Trump to be elected in D.C. for at least two decades.

Alas, there is a huge difference between what the nation needs and what it has.

Postscript:

A perfect analogy of the Establishment is the police department in Al Pacino’s Serpico from the ‘70s, where everyone is on “the take”. When they spot someone who isn’t interested in quick personal enrichment, they become very disturbed and use all their energies to destroy the individual.

Image: Public domain.