| After OceanFirst Flushing
Hit by Fair Finance Watch Fed
Withholds Warburg Pincus Rubber
Stamps
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack FEDERAL
COURT,
April 24 – How automatic do
bank now think merger
approvals are? On December 29,
OceanFirst, which settled
charges of redlining earlier
this decade, announced it will
apply to buy Flushing Bank in
New York. Fair
Finance Watch has opposed it,
in comments filed January 2
with the Office of teh
Comptroller of the Currency,
and with the Federal Reserve
Board which recently allowed a
$7 billion mega-merger to
proceed with no Fed review.
OceanFirst's record should
preclude this. and this
proposed deal. In 2024
OceanFirst made 1399 loans to
whites - and only 94 to
African Americans. In
Connecticut, for example, it
made loans only to whites,
none to African
Americans. In
Pennsylvania its ratio of
loans to whites to loans to
African Americans was 4.5 to
1. In New York, it was 7 to 1.
This proposal is
being opposed along with the
OCC's moves to exclude the
public, and to withhold
documents under FOIA from
Inner City Press and others
until comment periods close. On February 17
the Fed asked OceanFirst 17
questions,
including "Discuss
in greater detail the due
diligence conducted by
OceanFirst related to Flushing
Bank’s Community Reinvestment
Act (“CRAâ€) program and how
OceanFirst will ensure
compliance with Community
Reinvestment Act requirements
post-acquisition.Todd Schell
of Warburg Pincus (“WPâ€) needs
to submit an IBFR for purposes
of processing the instant
application" - filing on
Patreon here On March 5, the
FRB of Philly, not the bank,
sent out OceanFirst's response
- and it was heavily redacted,
including response on CRA. So,
an immediate FOIA request, for
response / responsive
documents within the comment
period. On March 19, with
still no documents despite the
Fed granting "expedited"
processing, the Fed asked
OceanFirst: "1. OceanFirst
notes that certain funds
associated with Warburg Pincus
would invest $225 million of
cash capital in OceanFirst in
exchange for newly issued
shares of voting common
shares, non-voting common
equivalent shares, and
warrants. Provide evidence of
the $225 million in hand or in
escrow or similar account. 2. OceanFirst
notes that Warburg But on March 27
OceanFirst through counsel
wrote in, "Confidential
information regarding the
ownership percentages of the
WP Investor in the identified
institutions is provided at
Volume K, Exhibit 40." Inner
City Press immediately
submitted a FOIA request to
the Fed. On April 3, still
with no substantive response
from the Fed, the FRB of
Philadelphia forwarded its
third Additional Information
letter to OceanFirst - with
all of the questions withheld.
A FOIA request was immediately
filed. And on April 13
the Board said it granted
Inner City Press' challenge to
the Reserve Bank's wrongful
withholding of its own
question But on April 24,
the Board rubber stamped the
redlining deal, now dismissing
comments on Warburg Pincus
while withhold info: "One of
the adverse comments the Board
received on the proposal,
discussed further below,
observed that certain funds
controlled by Warburg Pincus
LLC (“Warburgâ€), New York, New
York, would make investments
in OceanFirst as part of the
proposal. The commenter
asserted, without offering
support or analysis, that (i)
the Board should take into
account Warburg’s involvement
in the proposal, and (ii)
Warburg should be required to
file applications with the
Board under section 3 of the
BHC Act in connection with the
transaction. Wholly
unsubstantiated claims
generally are not considered
to be substantive comments
and, thus generally are not
considered by the Board in its
evaluation of the statutory
factors governing the
transaction.... Regardless,
the Board considered the
impact of the investments by
the funds controlled by
Warburg as part of the
proposed transaction when
considering the financial and
managerial resources and
future prospects factors under
the BHC Act." This new
"substantive" language, with
the Fed applies even to the
CFPB complaint database is
called by some the
"Bowmanization" of the Fed.
Sullivan & Cromwell
gleefully uses it, even as it
uses AI. And so it goes... Note: the
above was written and published
before the Board's 4:45 pm
phone call -- Inner City Press
answered and said it knew the
script. Strange system: the
Board bounced / did not accept
comments by email, but insists
on phone call notice, hours
after announcing the approval
to the market. The changes at
the Fed, the shrill language
about "substantive," is a step
back. Watch this site.
*** Your
support means a lot. As little as $5 a month
helps keep us going and grants you access to
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page. Click
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Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station,
NY NY 10013 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis. Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City
Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com |
Friday, May 1, 2026
After OceanFirst Flushing Hit by Fair Finance Watch Fed Withholds Warburg Pincus Rubber Stamps
Man Charged With Trucking Company Ponzi Scheme Pled Guilty Gets 42 Months US Asked 51
| Man Charged With Trucking
Company Ponzi Scheme Pled Guilty
Gets 42 Months US Asked 51
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
April 24 – The prosecutors of
the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York late on October 25
announced "the arrest of ARSEN
LUSHER, who orchestrated a
scheme to defraud more than 20
investors of more than $5
million." By
then Inner City Press was in
the SDNY Magistrates Court,
where Lusher was being
presented, his wife and
daughter in the gallery, no
other media. Thread:
AUSA: We want
electronic monitoring,
and defendant's Ukraine
passport if he has one. He
could flee to Ukraine, the
country of his birth.
Individual-1 fled there.
Judge: Mr. Lusher dud not
flee. AUSA: He brought
in $40 million. [Woman in
gallery shakes head]
AUSA: He gambles on FanDuel
and in Atlantic City. We found
luxury watches this morning.
He has used other people's
identities. Judge: Many
fraudsters do.
While the US Attorney's Office
sought location monitoring,
emphasizing that Lusher was
born in Ukraine, Magistrate
Judge Gary Stein turned them
down, finding it unlikely he
would seek to return there. But
Lusher's request for travel to
South Florida to renovate his
in-laws' condo as a rental
property was denied. On November 6 his
counsel wrote in to Magistrate
Judge Willis asking for
permission to travel to
Florida November 11-14 to
"open a compounding pharmacy."
It was approved. On November 13
Lusher's counsel asked for and
got a 1 week extension to meet
conditions, and the switch of
security from Lusher's house
to that of his father in Sunny
Isles. On August 18,
2025 Lusher pled guilty to
Count 1 of an information. The US asked for
51 months in prison before a
sentencing set for April 24. On April 24, he
got 42 months. The case is
now USA v. Lusher, 1:25-cr-373
(Ho)
*** Your
support means a lot. As little as $5 a month
helps keep us going and grants you access to
exclusive bonus material on our Patreon
page. Click
here to become a patron.
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station,
NY NY 10013 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis. Copyright 2006-2025 Inner City
Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com |
DOJ Wants Sped Up Tunney Act Approval Process After It Denies FOIA Request Why and How It Settled with Live Nation
SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 24 – The United States versus Live Nation trial began
on March 2 with jury selection, before U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of New York Judge Arun
Subramanian. Then after a week of testimony it
went on pause, and the DOJ and several states settled with
Live Nation.
Inner City Press submitted a
Freedom of Information Act requests to US DOJ on March 27,
2026.
On March 16 the trial picked back up, with
NYS' Hatch questioning AEG's Marciano followed by a
grilling cross by Live Nation's Marriott, emphasizing the
size and actions of AEG. Then the states called Live
Nation's Bob Roux, who repeatedly said he didn't remember
and couldn't confirm.
Late on March 19, Inner City Press
published TicketMonster in Court, here
On April 15, the jury found Live Nation to
be a monopolist, verdict form here.
Inner City Press immediately published "Ticketmaster Loses
the Jury: Live Nation Death Sentence?" Ebook here,
audiobook and paperback coming.
On the DOJ FOIA requests, after DOJ correctly granted expedited processing and Inner City Press voluntarily limited the scope of its request in order to get the records more quickly, on April 20 a total denial by DOJ, full copy here
Inner City Press
immediately appealed.
On April 24 a letter to
Judge Subramanian: Live Nation's briefing for a new
trial to July 2. But DOJ wants the Tunney Act process to
move forward: "the United States intends to file the
Proposed Final Judgment, Stipulation and Order, and
Explanation of Procedures Under the Antitrust Procedures
and Penalties Act by late May. The United States would
then be in a position to move for entry of Final
Judgment in early or mid-September, after the 60-day
comment period under the Tunney Act has run, the United
States has responded to public comments, and all other
Tunney Act requirements are satisfied. The United States
believes the Court should be able to enter Final
Judgment shortly thereafter. The United States sees no
reason to delay entry pending the completion of remedy
proceedings. Delaying the Tunney Act proceedings could
also affect the approval of state-specific settlements
under 15 U.S.C. § 15c." Full letter on Patreon here
March 18 extra on "war room(s)" on X for
Subscribers here
and Substack here
On March 6, Inner City
Press was in the courtroom at 8:30 am, and spoke to push
for further unsealing, including of demonstratives. See
new book, "TicketMonster: US v Live Nation 1," ebook,
audiobook and paperback here.
The case is United States of America et al v. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. et al., 24-cv-3973 (Subramanian)
Harvey Weinstein Retrial Jury Hears of Changes to Jessica Mann After Doubletree Hotel
100 CENTRE STREET, April
24 -- Harvey Weinstein was in
his wheelchair, this time with Marc Agnifilo, Teny Geragos
and Jacob Kaplan as his lawyers, as opening arguments
began before NYS Justice Curtis Farber on April 21. Inner
City Press was there and live tweeted. So too on April 24:
Assistant DA: Was Jessica Mann not herself after the trip to New York in 2013? Defense: Objection! Judge Farber: You can't really ask that ADA: Can we have a sidebar? Sidebar ensues. Some jurors watching.
Sidebar ends Judge: You noticed some change? Witness: I read- Judge: Not what you read. What did you see. Witness: I noticed it in a call with her.
Judge: When? Witness: 2018 ADA: You called her "more grounded" [does air quotes]
Judge: More grounded?? Defense: Objection
Now defense gets to question Weinstein's lawyer Jacob Kaplan: Did you see Jessica Mann after March 2013? Witness: Yes, here in New York. And at Harvey's Oscar party.
Kaplan: When you had breakfast with them, were her eyes red? Witness: No.
[Kaplan walks over and confers with Agnifilo and Teny Geragos. Then]
Kaplan: No further questions. Judge: Any more witnesses today? ADA: No.
End of week
Maduro Lawyer Can Get Paid by Venezuela US DOJ Concedes so Conference in 60 Days
SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 24 – With police helicopters overhead and completing
protests on Worth Street, Nicolas Maduro was bought on
March 26 before U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of New York Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, see
below.
On March 30 his lawyer Barry Pollack filed
opposition to the US Attorney's Office's proposed
protective order, saying it would "severely limit the
ability of Mr. Maduro Moros and Ms. Flores de Maduro to
investigate the evidence and fully defend themselves
against the charges. It applies to four individuals:
Diosdado Cabello Rondón; Ramón RodrÃguez ChacÃn, Nicolás
Ernesto Maduro Guerra, and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero
Flores." Filing on Patreon here.
On April 1, after a US Attorney's Office
proposal, Pollack wrote in again, that "The government’s
latest proposal, while a mild improvement on its original
proposal, does not go nearly far enough. It would only
allow the defense to be able to share Disclosure Material
with prospective witnesses who are defendants in this case
but have not appeared in this Court only after this Court
has granted an application to take that witness’
deposition pursuant to Rule 15. But as set forth above, in
order to obtain such an order from the Court, Ms. Maduro
and Ms. Flores de Maduro would need to determine what
information the prospective witness has, determine that
the witness is material the case, and then make an
application to the Court to demonstrate the witness’
unavailability for trial and the reason the witness is
material to the case. Thus, the need to share Disclosure
Material with the potential witness occurs before a Rule
15 application is made, not after it is granted." Full
filing on Patreon here.
But on April 7 Judge Hellerstein rejected
the argument: "the Court rules on the parties' proposed
protective orders as follows: Paragraph 13 of the
protective order shall read: '13. Disclosure Material may
not be shared with any named defendant who has not yet
been apprehended in this action or any such defendant's
counsel. It is not necessary to share Disclosure Material
in order to prepare the defense.'" Inner City Press is on
alert for next rulings, including on whether Venezuela can
pay Maduro's legal fees.
On March 26, Inner City Press live tweeted, here
and below followed by link to analysis
On April 24, after 9 pm, the DOJ conceded Maduro's lawyers
CAN be paid by Venezuela, and asking for a conferenc ein
sixty day...
Inner City Press will
stay on alert and report it - for now analysis on X for
Subscribers here
and Substack here
UN Rights Commish Volker Turk Wastes Public Funds in Mexico Dodging Disappearances Staff Say
| UN Rights
Commish Volker Turk Wastes
Public Funds in Mexico
Dodging Disappearances
Staff Say
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack UN GATE,
April 24 – How corrupt
and decrepit has the UN system
become under Antonio Guterres,
in this case due to Guterres?
Today's example is again from
the Office of the High
Commission for Human Rights,
to which Guterres appointed
his unqualified crony Volker
Turk more than two years ago.
From OHCHR
staff - "Dear Matthew Russell
Lee, Today Volker Turk
traveled to Mexico with full
entourage (a media officer, a
cameraman and his personal
friend and crony Matthias
Behnke). As OHCHR office in
Mexico has had to fire half of
its staff due to the budgetary
crisis (aggravated by
flamboyant Turk’s
mismanagement) many wonder
whether this is efficient use
of tax-payers money. Does
Volker Turk need to spend four
business class plane tickets
from Europe, plus hotel plus
DSA, for a three day visit?
Will “timid†Volker Turk dare
to raise sensitive human
rights issues with the
authorities or he will
continue his silent diplomacy
approach avoiding speaking up
to try to secure an extension
of his cozy mandate?. The bar
is low. Expectations are
lower. Only the bill is high.
And from staff,
after the junket: Dear Matthew
Russell Lee: Many thanks for
your efforts to expose
corruption in Guterres' UN. We
are still wondering why
narcissist Volker Turk
traveled to Mexico with a 3
person entourage (including
his personal friend Matthias
Behnke and two press
officers). Apart from videos
in touristic spots and
admiring murals it is hard to
see what was the objective of
his mission. The most visible
outcome is that timid Volker
Turk succeeded in undermining
the UN Committee on Enforced
Disappearances that had issued
a red card to Mexico’s
government and had requested
the issue to be elevated to
the UN General Assembly. Equidistant
Volker Turk avoided the topic
and the conflict with the
authorities and authored a
joint press-release (something
unprecedented in OHCHR but the
main Mexican objective to
neutralize the Committee on
Enforced Disappearances
report). Turk’s staff also
succeeded in offending many of
the victims who got excluded
from meeting the High
Commissioner. So what was the
purpose of the mission apart
from very expensive bills?
(Four business class tickets
from Geneva, 5 star hotel,
meals plus 230 dollars per day
of DSA each!…. Member states,
watch out, this is how the
unearmarked funds are wasted.
This is fraud to tax payers.
Volker Turk, and all his
cronies, must go at the end of
his term. UN needs a new High
Commissioner for Human Rights. As must
Guterres at UNHQ - Inner City
Press and FUNCA have sent a
questionnaire on transparency
and accountability to the now
four (so far) candidates for
UNSG, no answer from Rebeca
Grynspan, watch this site. And
nothing from Mike Waltz.
Meanwhile both Big Tony and
Amina are due on April 15 at
the IMF which Inner City Press
is accredited to cover, Inner City Press
re-applied to re-enter the UN
on June 19, 2025 - no answer
at all from Melissa Fleming,
Tel Mekel, Stephane Dujarric
for six months, then a denial
with no reason at all given.
Today's UN is corrupt.
*** Your
support means a lot. As little as $5 a month
helps keep us going and grants you access to
exclusive bonus material on our Patreon
page. Click
here to become a patron.
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station,
NY NY 10013 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis. Copyright 2006-2025 Inner City
Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com |