Oxfam report finds billionaires' wealth soared in 2024 as global elite prepare for Davos

FRANCE24

WEB NEWS
Sun 19 January 2025 


A logo of the World Economic Forum is pictured in the Congress Centre in Davos, Switzerland, on January 13, 2024.


Oxfam International reported that billionaires' wealth increased three times faster in 2024, outpacing the previous year's growth. Ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the group also forecasts the emergence of five trillionaires within a decade, intensifying concerns over global inequality.

Billionaires' wealth grew three times faster in 2024 than the year before, a top anti-poverty group reported on Monday as some of the world's political and financial elite prepared for an annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland.

Oxfam International, in its latest assessment of global inequality timed to the opening of the World Economic Forum meeting, also predicts at least five trillionaires will crop up over the next decade. A year ago, the group forecast that only one trillionaire would appear during that time.

OxFam's research adds weight to a warning by outgoing President Joe Biden last week of a “dangerous concentration of power in the hands of very few ultra-wealthy people.” The group's sharp-edged report, titled “Takers Not Makers,” also says the number of people in poverty has barely budged since 1990.
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The World Economic Forum expects to host some 3,000 attendees, including business executives, academics, government officials, and civic group leaders at its annual meeting in the Alpine village of Davos.

“What you’re seeing at the moment is a billionaire president taking oaths today, backed by the richest man. So this is pretty much the jewel in the crown of the global oligarchies,” Amitabh Behar, executive director of Oxfam International, said in an interview, referring to Trump and Musk.

(AP)


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Wealth of world’s billionaires grew by $2tn in 2024, report finds

Julia Kollewe
Sun 19 January 2025
THE GUARDIAN

The report reveals the world is on track to have five trillionaires within a decade.Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA


The wealth of the world’s billionaires grew by $2tn (£1.64tn) last year, three times faster than in 2023, amounting to $5.7bn (£4.7bn) a day, according to a report by Oxfam.

The latest inequality report from the charity reveals that the world is now on track to have five trillionaires within a decade, a change from last year’s forecast of one trillionaire within 10 years.

The report, entitled Takers Not Makers, comes as many of the world’s political leaders, corporate executives and the super-rich travel to the Swiss ski resort of Davos for the annual World Economic Forum meeting from Monday.

Oxfam’s examination of billionaire assets also coincides with Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president. Trump is expected to include several billionaires in his team of close advisers, including the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive, Elon Musk, and to offer large-scale tax breaks to the wealthiest US citizens.

Related: ‘Reactionary nihilism’: how a rightwing movement strives to end US democracy

At the same time, the number of people living under the World Bank poverty line of $6.85 a day has barely changed since 1990, and is close to 3.6 billion – equivalent to 44% of the world’s population today, the charity said. One in 10 women lives in extreme poverty (below $2.15 a day), which means 24.3 million more women than men endure extreme poverty.

Oxfam warned that progress on reducing poverty has ground to a halt and that extreme poverty could be ended three times faster if inequality were to be reduced.

The UK has the highest proportion of billionaire wealth among G7 countries, where wealth climbed by £35m a day to £182bn in 2024. Four new billionaires emerged last year, taking the UK total to 57. They are Mark Dixon, who runs the flexible office provider IWG; Sunder Genomal, the founder of Page Industries, a Bengaluru-based garment business; Donald Mackenzie, a Scottish tycoon who co-founded private equity firm CVC; and Jim Thompson, the founder of moving company Crown Worldwide.

Rising share values on global stock exchanges account for most of the increase in billionaire wealth, though higher property values also played a role. Residential property accounts for about 80% of worldwide investments.

Globally, the number of billionaires rose by 204 last year to 2,769. Their combined wealth jumped from $13tn to $15tn in just 12 months – the second-largest annual increase since records began. The wealth of the world’s 10 richest men grew on average by almost $100m a day and even if they lost 99% of their wealth overnight, they would remain billionaires.

They include the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, with a net worth of $219.4bn, whose Amazon “empire” accounts for 70% or more of online purchases in Germany, France, the UK and Spain. Aliko Dangote, with a net worth of $11bn, is Africa’s richest person, holding a “near-monopoly” on cement in Nigeria and dominating the market across Africa, the report said.

The report argues that most of the wealth is taken, not earned, as 60% comes from either inheritance, “cronyism and corruption” or monopoly power. It calculates that 18% of the wealth arises from monopoly power.

According to the Forbes’ real time billionaires list, the richest people in the world are Musk; Bezos; Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook and Meta co-founder; Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle; and the LVMH founder Bernard Arnault. At Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg are expected to sit close together, in a sign of the tech companies’ rapidly growing influence on politics.

Oxfam calls for bold solutions to “radically reduce inequality and hardwire fairness into our economies”.

Anna Marriott, Oxfam’s inequality policy lead, said: “Last year we predicted the first trillionaire could emerge within a decade, but this shocking acceleration of wealth means that the world is now on course for at least five. The global economic system is broken, wholly unfit for purpose as it enables and perpetuates this explosion of riches, while nearly half of humanity continues to live in poverty.”

She called on the UK government to prioritise economic policies that bring down inequality, including higher taxation of the super-rich.

“Huge sums of money could be raised, to tackle inequality here in the UK and overseas and provide crucial investment for our public services. For the first time, with the groundbreaking G20 agreement to cooperate on taxing the world’s super-rich [last July], there is genuine momentum to implement fairer taxation globally.”


Total wealth of UK billionaires increased by £35m per day in 2024 – Oxfam

Rosie Shead, PA
Sun 19 January 2025 



The collective wealth of UK billionaires increased by £35 million per day to a total of £182 billion in 2024, according to a report from Oxfam.

This growth in cash would be enough to cover the city of Manchester in £10 notes almost one-and-a-half times, the anti-poverty charity said.

Last year, four new billionaires were created in the UK, taking the country’s current total to 57, according to the report.

Oxfam has called on the Government to support higher taxation on the super-rich which, the organisation said, could be used to tackle inequality in the UK and overseas and invest in public services.

The charity’s inequality policy lead Anna Marriott said: “For the first time, with the groundbreaking G20 agreement to co-operate on taxing the world’s super-rich, there is genuine momentum to implement fairer taxation globally.

“The UK should champion this opportunity to help build more equal societies at home and abroad.”

The report, titled Takers Not Makers, revealed that global billionaire wealth grew by two trillion US dollars last year, from 13 trillion to 15 trillion, which is equivalent to around 5.7 billion US dollars per day.

The world is now on track to see five trillionaires within a decade, the charity said.

On average, the wealth of the world’s 10 richest people, all of whom are men, grew by almost 100 million US dollars per day.

If the 10 men lost 99% of their wealth overnight, they would remain billionaires, the charity said.

Meanwhile, Oxfam highlighted that 44% of the world’s population currently lives on less than 6.85 US dollars per day, according to data from the World Bank.

Ms Marriott said the data revealed a “shocking acceleration of wealth” over the last year.

She added: “The global economic system is broken, wholly unfit for purpose as it enables and perpetuates this explosion of riches, while nearly half of humanity continues to live in poverty.”

Oxfam said its analysis highlighted that billionaire wealth is “largely unearned”, and that, globally, 60% comes from “inheritance, monopoly power, or crony connections – between the richest and governments”.

The charity is calling for a new global UN tax convention which would ensure the world’s wealthiest people and corporations “pay their fair share” along with the abolition of “tax havens”.

The annual report was published as business leaders gather in Davos for the World Economic Forum annual meeting this week and is based on data from Forbes’ 2024 Real-Time Billionaires List.

New 'oligarchy' under fire as elites descend on Davos

Ali BEKHTAOUI
Sun 19 January 2025


The Swiss Alpine resort hosts the World Economic Forum every winter 

 (Fabrice COFFRINI/AFP/AFP)

A leading NGO warned Monday of an emerging "aristocratic oligarchy" with massive political clout and primed to profit from Donald Trump's presidency, as global elites descend on Davos for their annual confab.

The World Economic Forum kicks off in the Swiss Alpine resort on the same day as the presidential inauguration of Trump, who will not be in Davos but will make an online appearance later in the week.

Global charity Oxfam said in a report that Trump's election win and tax-cut plans are a boon to billionaires, whose combined wealth already grew by another $2 trillion last year to $15 trillion.

"Trillions are being gifted in inheritance, creating a new aristocratic oligarchy that has immense power in our politics and our economy," Oxfam said in its traditional annual pre-Davos report on the super rich.

The organisation echoed similar language used last week by outgoing US President Joe Biden, who sounded the alarm about an extremely wealthy oligarchy that "literally threatens our entire democracy".

Oxfam pointed out that Tesla and X owner Elon Musk helped to bankroll Trump's campaign.

"The crown jewel of this oligarchy is a billionaire president, backed and bought by the world's richest man Elon Musk, running the world's largest economy," said the charity's executive director Amitabh Behar.

"We present this report as a stark wake up-call that ordinary people the world over are being crushed by the enormous wealth of a tiny few," Behar added.

- Five trillionaires -

The report, titled "Takers Not Makers", found that 204 new billionaires emerged last year -- almost four every week -- to bring the total to 2,769.

Total billionaire wealth grew three times faster last year than in 2023, each billionaire seeing their fortune increase by $2 million per day on average. And, according to Oxfam, five trillionaires could emerge in a decade.

Trump's election "gave a huge further boost to billionaire fortunes, while his policies are set to fan the flames of inequality further", Oxfam said.

In the United States "we are in a situation where you can buy a country, with the risk of weakening democracy", said the head of Oxfam France, Cecile Duflot.

The world's three richest men will be at his inauguration: Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, whose Meta empire owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

The tech trio is not expected in Davos, however.

- 'Tax the rich' -

Some 3,000 participants are expected at the Swiss ski village for the forum ending Friday -- including 60 heads of state or government and more than 900 CEOs -- for days of schmoozing and behind-the-scenes dealmaking.

A few hundred protesters blocked an access road to Davos on Sunday, holding banners reading "tax the rich" and "burn the system", and causing a traffic jam until police dispersed them.

"The WEF symbolises how much power wealthy people like me hold," said Austrian-German heiress Marlene Engelhorn, who gave away the bulk of her multi-million-euro inheritance to dozens of organisations working on social issues.

"Because just because we are born millionaires, or because we got lucky once -- and call that self-made -- we now get to influence politicians worldwide with our political preferences," she told AFP.

While Trump will not be in Davos in person, his presidency will dominate discussions. His plans to impose trade tariffs, loosen regulations, extend tax breaks and curb immigration will have far-reaching effects on the global economy.

He has named hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his Treasury secretary, while billionaire businessman Howard Lutnick will head the Commerce Department.

Rising inequalities have fuelled debates about imposing a global tax on the super-rich.

"I don't want to live in a country with a few rich people and lots of poor people," said Morris Pearl, a former managing director at investment giant BlackRock. He is now a member of Patriotic Millionaires, a group that backs raising taxes on the rich.

"I'm afraid that we're going to have civil unrest if we don't change things," Pearl told AFP.

alb/lth/jj


Australian billionaires make $67,000 an hour, Oxfam says in call for tax on super-rich
Cait Kelly
Sun 19 January 2025 at 4:04 pm GMT-8·2-min read


Andrew Forrest and Gina Rinehart are two of Australia’s richest people.Composite: Getty Images


Australia’s 47 billionaires take home an average of A$67,000 an hour, over 1,300 times more than the average Australian, new Oxfam analysis reveals, as the anti-poverty organisation calls for the major parties to tax the fortunes of the super-rich to tackle inequality.

Using data from Forbes’ real-time billionaires list – which categorises billionaires in US dollars – to identify Australian billionaires, the report Takers Not Makers calculated that in 2024 Australian billionaire wealth rose by more than 8% or A$28bn, at a staggering rate of A$3.2m an hour.

If calculated in Australian dollars, the number of billionaires sits higher at 150, according to the AFR’s 2024 rich list.

Oxfam Australia’s chief executive, Lyn Morgain, said billionaire wealth in Australia was largely driven by “inheritance and ongoing impacts of colonialism”.

Along with real estate, the metals and mining industry has made the most billionaires in Australia. The top two richest Australians, according to the most recent Forbes data – Gina Rinehart, worth US$30bn, and Andrew Forrest, worth US$16.3bn – both made their billions out of mining.

Related: Thousands of imports enter Australia from firms blacklisted by US over alleged Uyghur forced labour links

Forrest, the former boss and current non-executive chairman of the mining and green energy company Fortescue Metals Group, has previously stated he will give away his wealth.

Morgain said: “What we can see is a direct relationship between the wealth of Australia’s many billionaires and the extraction of resources from traditional lands and the owners of First Nations.”

In Australia, 35% of billionaire wealth was inherited, she said, while a third of the First Nations peoples were in the poorest 20% of the population.

“Because billionaire wealth is often rooted in unearned privilege, much of it tied to intergenerational advantage and colonial powers, much of it goes untaxed,” Morgain said.

Oxfam is calling for a “relatively modest” wealth tax, where Australian billionaires are taxed between 2-5% of their overall wreath.

“The ultra-wealthy aren’t even going to notice it, but the effect would be to bring literally billions back into the public coffers,” she said. “And that would enable everything from schools to hospitals to adequate housing.

Related: The big idea: should we worry about trillionaires?

“As the federal election looms, it’s critical that our political leaders take bold steps to ensure the super-rich pay their fair share of taxes. There’s no other way that we can achieve that distribution of resources.”

Last year, Oxfam predicted the emergence of the first trillionaire within a decade. However, with billionaire wealth accelerating at a faster pace, this projection has been adjusted and is now on track to see at least five trillionaires within that timeframe.

FASCIST Rioters storm South Korean court after president’s detention extended

THE TELEGRAPH
Our Foreign Staff
Sun, January 19, 2025

Yoon Suk Yeol is in detention after being impeached for unexpectedly declaring martial law - Yonhap/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Hundreds of supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean president arrested after declaring martial law, stormed a court building early on Sunday after his detention was extended.

They smashed windows and forced entry in an attack the country’s acting leader called “unimaginable”.

Mr Yoon was detained on Wednesday, the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested. He faces allegations of insurrection over his shocking, short-lived declaration of martial law that plunged the country into political turmoil on Dec 3.

Shortly after the court announced its decision at 3am local time on Sunday (6pm on Saturday UK time), Mr Yoon’s supporters swarmed the building, overwhelming riot police who tried to keep them at bay.

They turned fire extinguishers on lines of police guarding the front entrance, then flooded inside, destroying office equipment, fittings and furniture, footage showed.

An emergency service worker said around 40 people sustained minor injuries - Yonhap/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Police restored order a few hours later, saying they had arrested 46 rioters and vowing to track down others involved.

“The government expresses strong regret over the illegal violence... which is unimaginable in a democratic society,” Choi Sang-mok, the acting president, said in a statement. He added that the authorities would step up safety measures around gatherings.

Nine police officers were injured in the chaos, Yonhap news agency reported. Police were not immediately available for comment on the injured officers.

About 40 people suffered minor injuries, said an emergency responder near the Seoul Western District Court.

Several of those involved live-streamed the intrusion on YouTube, showing protesters trashing the court and chanting Mr Yoon’s name. Some of them were caught by police during their broadcasts.
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With Mr Yoon refusing to be questioned, investigators asked a court on Friday to extend the impeached president’s period of custody.

Support for Mr Yoon has resurged in the chaos after his botched declaration of martial law - Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty

At a five-hour hearing on Saturday, which Mr Yoon attended, a judge granted a new warrant extending his detention by up to 20 days, due to “concern that the suspect may destroy evidence”.

South Korean regulations require a suspect detained under a warrant to undergo a physical exam, have a mugshot taken and wear a prison uniform.

The leader is being held in a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Centre.

South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) said it had called in Mr Yoon, a former prosecutor, for further questioning on Sunday afternoon – but he did not attend. The CIO said it would ask Mr Yoon to come in for questioning on Monday.

His lawyers have argued the arrest is illegal because the warrant was issued in the wrong jurisdiction and the investigating team had no mandate.

Insurrection is one of the few crimes from which a South Korean president does not have immunity, and is technically punishable by death. There have been no executions in South Korea for nearly 30 years, however.

Mr Yoon said through his lawyers he found the violent incident at court “shocking and unfortunate”, and called on people to express their opinions peacefully.

The windows of Seoul Western District Court were smashed in the riot - Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty

“The president said... he wouldn’t give up and would correct the wrong, even if it took time,” Mr Yoon’s lawyers said in a statement. Saying he understands many are feeling “rage and unfairness”, Yoon asked police to take a “tolerant position”.

Separate to the criminal probe that sparked Sunday’s chaos, the Constitutional Court is deliberating whether to permanently remove Mr Yoon from office, in line with parliament’s Dec 14 impeachment, or to restore his presidential powers.

Mr Yoon’s conservative People Power Party called the court’s decision to extend his detention on Sunday a “great pity”.

“There’s a question whether repercussions of detaining a sitting president were sufficiently considered,” the party said in a statement.

The main opposition Democratic Party said the decision was a “cornerstone” for rebuilding order and that “riots” by “far-Right” groups would only deepen the national crisis.


Nine police officers were injured, local media said - Xinhua/Shutterstock

Support for the PPP collapsed after Mr Yoon’s martial law declaration, which he rescinded hours later after a unanimous vote in parliament rejected it.

But its support has recovered in the ensuing political turmoil, in which the opposition-majority parliament impeached Mr Yoon’s first replacement and investigators botched an initial attempt to arrest Mr Yoon.

The PPP edged ahead of the Democratic Party in support – 39 per cent to 36 per cent – for the first time since August in a Gallup Korea poll on Friday.

Thousands gathered for an orderly rally in support of Mr Yoon in downtown Seoul on Sunday morning. Anti-Yoon demonstrations have also taken place across the city in recent days.

S. Korea's president in court as investigators seek to extend detention

AFP
Sat, January 18, 2025 


Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was in court for the first time on Saturday for a crucial hearing that will decide whether to extend his detention as investigators probe his failed martial law bid.

Thousands of Yoon's supporters rallied outside the court and scuffled with police as they chanted their support for the suspended leader, who plunged South Korea into its worst political chaos in decades with his bid to suspend civilian rule.

The president's December 3 martial law declaration lasted just six hours, with lawmakers voting it down despite him ordering soldiers to storm parliament to stop them. He was impeached soon after.

Yoon was detained in a dawn raid on Wednesday in a criminal probe on insurrection charges after he refused investigators' summons and went to ground in his residence, using his presidential security detail to resist arrest.

South Korea's first sitting president to be detained, Yoon also declined to cooperate during the initial 48 hours detectives were allowed to hold him.

However, the disgraced president remains in custody after investigators requested a new warrant on Friday to extend his detention.

Yoon spoke for 40 minutes in court, the Yonhap news agency reported, with his lawyer earlier telling AFP the leader had hopes of "restoring his honour" before the judges.

The court must decide whether to free Yoon, which analysts say is unlikely, or extend his detention for around another 20 days. Its ruling is expected late on Saturday or early Sunday.

AFP journalists outside the court saw crowds of Yoon's backers waving flags and holding "release the president" placards. Yonhap said police estimated that around 12,000 supporters had rushed to the area.


- 'Passionate patriotism' -

On Friday, Yoon sent a letter through his lawyers on Friday thanking his supporters, who include evangelical Christians and right-wing YouTubers, for their protests, which he deemed "passionate patriotism".

Some protesters chanted "Cha Eun-gyeong is a commie!", referring to the judge reviewing the arrest request. Others cried "We love you, President Yoon Suk Yeol" and "Impeachment is invalid!"

They began marching while waving South Korean and American flags and took over the main roads in front of the court. Yoon's party typically favours South Korea's US security alliance and rejects engagement with the nuclear-armed North.

"The likelihood of the court approving the arrest is very high, and aware of this, Yoon has urged maximum mobilisation among his hardline supporters," Chae Jin-won of Humanitas College at Kyung Hee University told AFP.

"Today's protests serve as a sort of farewell event between Yoon and his extreme support base."

- More legal woes -

A decision by the court to approve Yoon's continued detention would give prosecutors time to formalise an indictment for insurrection, a charge for which he could be jailed for life or executed if found guilty.

Such an indictment would also mean Yoon would likely be detained for the duration of his trial.

Once "the warrant is issued this time, (Yoon) will likely be unable to return home for an extended period", political commentator Park Sang-byung told AFP.

Yoon said on Wednesday he had agreed to leave his compound to avoid "bloodshed" but that he did not accept the legality of the investigation.

He has refused to answer investigators' questions, with his legal team saying Yoon explained his position on the day he was arrested.

Yoon has also been absent from a parallel probe at the Constitutional Court, which is considering whether to uphold his impeachment.

If that court rules against him, Yoon will formally lose the presidency and elections will be called within 60 days.

He did not attend the first two hearings this week but the trial, which could last months, will continue in his absence.

cdl-jfx/ceb/pbt

South Korea's impeached president is arrested over a martial law declaration as his supporters riot

KIM TONG-HYUNG

 Sat, January 18, 2025


SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally arrested early on Sunday, days after being apprehended at his presidential compound in Seoul. He faces possible imprisonment over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month.

Yoon’s arrest could mark the beginning of an extended period in custody, lasting months or more.

The decision to arrest Yoon triggered unrest at the Seoul Western District Court, where dozens of his supporters broke in and rioted, destroying the main door and windows. They used plastic chairs, metal beams and police shields that they managed to wrestle away from officers. Some were seen throwing objects and using fire extinguishers, destroying furniture and glass doors. They shouted demands to see the judge who had issued the warrant, but she had already left.

Hundreds of police officers were deployed and nearly 90 protesters were arrested. Some injured police officers were seen being treated at ambulance vans. The court said it was trying to confirm whether any staff members were injured and assess the damage to its facilities.

A court deliberated for 8 hours

Following eight hours of deliberation, the court granted law enforcement’s request for an arrest warrant for Yoon, saying he was a threat to destroy evidence. Yoon and his lawyers on Saturday appeared before the court and argued for his release.

Yoon, who has been in detention since he was apprehended Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residential compound, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the country’s most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s.

While South Korean presidents have wide-ranging immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military, can now extend Yoon’s detention to 20 days, during which they will transfer the case to public prosecutors for indictment.

Yoon’s lawyers could also file a petition to challenge the court’s arrest warrant.

Yoon’s appearance in court triggered chaotic scenes in nearby streets, where thousands of his fervent supporters rallied for hours calling for his release. Even before the court issued the warrant for Yoon’s arrest, protesters repeatedly clashed with police who detained dozens of them, including about 20 who climbed over a fence in an attempt to approach the court. At least two vehicles carrying anti-corruption investigators were damaged as they left the court after arguing for Yoon’s arrest.

Yoon’s lawyers said he spoke for about 40 minutes to the judge during the nearly five-hour closed-door hearing Saturday. His legal team and anti-corruption agencies presented opposing arguments about whether he should be held in custody.

Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested and indicted for their roles in the enforcement of martial law.

Yoon’s lawyer decries his arrest

The crisis began when Yoon, in an attempt to break through legislative gridlock, imposed military rule and sent troops to the National Assembly and election offices. The standoff lasted only hours after lawmakers who managed to get through a blockade voted to lift the measure. The opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14.

His political fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which is deliberating whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him.

Seok Dong-hyeon, one of Yoon’s lawyers, called the court’s decision to issue the warrant “the epitome of anti-constitutionalism and anti-rule of law,” maintaining Yoon's claim that his martial law decree was a legitimate act of governance. He pointed to the chaos at the Seoul Western Court and said Yoon’s arrest would inspire more anger from his supporters.

Yoon’s People Power Party regretted his arrest but also pleaded for his supporters to refrain from further violence.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which drove the legislative effort to impeach Yoon on Dec. 14, said his arrest would be a “cornerstone for restoring the collapsed constitutional order.” Kim Sung-hoi, a party lawmaker and spokesperson, called for stern punishment of Yoon’s supporters who stormed the court.

“I urge police to firmly enforce the law so that forces supporting rebellion will never even think of causing turmoil again,” he said.

The country’s acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, expressed “strong regret” about the violence at the court, saying it “directly undermines democracy and the rule of law.” He asked for heightened security at the sites related to Yoon’s case and measures to ensure order during protests.

Yoon was transported to the court from a detention center in Uiwang, near Seoul, in a blue Justice Ministry van escorted by police and the presidential security service, to attend the hearing at the court ahead of its warrant decision.

The motorcade entered the court’s basement parking space as thousands of Yoon’s supporters gathered in nearby streets amid a heavy police presence. Following the hearing, Yoon was transported back to the detention center, where he awaited the decision. He did not speak to reporters.

After its investigators were attacked by protesters later on Saturday, the anti-corruption agency asked media companies to obscure the faces of its members attending the hearing.

Yoon insists his martial law decree was legitimate

Yoon and his lawyers have claimed that the martial law declaration was intended as a temporary and “peaceful” warning to the liberal opposition, which he accuses of obstructing his agenda with its legislative majority. Yoon says the troops sent to the National Election Commission offices were to investigate election fraud allegations, which remains unsubstantiated in South Korea.

Yoon has stressed he had no intention of stopping the functioning of the legislature. He stated that the troops were sent there to maintain order, not prevent lawmakers from entering and voting to lift martial law. He denied allegations that he ordered the arrests of key politicians and election officials.

Military commanders, however, have described a deliberate attempt to seize the legislature that was thwarted by hundreds of civilians and legislative staff who helped lawmakers enter the assembly, and by the troops’ reluctance or refusal to follow Yoon’s orders.

If prosecutors indict Yoon on rebellion and abuse of power charges, which are the allegations now being examined by investigators, they could keep him in custody for up to six months before trial.

If the first court convicts him and issues a prison term, Yoon would serve that sentence as the case possibly moves up to the Seoul High Court and Supreme Court. Under South Korean law, orchestrating a rebellion is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Police officers stand at the Seoul Western District Court after supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol broke into the court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. AP 

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Freeland pitches herself as tested Trump negotiator, as protesters disrupt Liberal leadership launch

 'Canadians should have a leader Trump is afraid of'

CBC
Sun, January 19, 2025

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland speaks at the official launch of her campaign to replace the prime minister and be the next leader of the federal Liberal Party in Toronto on Sunday. (Evan Mitsui/CBC - image credit)

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland laid out her case Sunday to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and take on U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, positioning herself as "a battle-tested leader with the scars to prove it."

But her campaign launch message was repeatedly drowned out by pro-Palestinian protesters in the crowd who shouted down Freeland with calls of "genocide supporter" and loud banging.

At least a dozen hecklers were escorted out, according to reporters in the room, delaying her speech multiple times.

"I am not going to let anyone stop me from working with you, from talking with you, and from talking about how we together are going to stand up for our amazing country," she told the room at the St. Alban's boys and girls club in Toronto.

Once she got back on track, Freeland pitched herself as a veteran negotiator and leader with eyes on the Canadian economy.

A protesters interrupts Chrystia Freeland’s formal bid for Liberal Party leadership, and prime minister, at an event in her Toronto riding on Jan. 19, 2025.

A protester interrupts Freeland’s event on Sunday. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

Freeland's official launch comes nearly a month after she resigned from Trudeau's cabinet and one day before Trump takes office, two factors she leaned on in her campaign launch speech.

The former deputy prime minister resigned from cabinet in mid-December, which sent shock waves through Ottawa and galvanized caucus to push Trudeau out.

In a letter to the prime minister that was subsequently posted to social media, Freeland said she had no choice but to resign after Trudeau approached her about moving to another cabinet role.

WATCH | Freeland answers questions about clashes with PM over Canadian economy:

Her searing resignation letter, sent the same day she was originally set to deliver the Liberals' fall economic statement, took aim at Trudeau and denounced what she called the government's "costly political gimmicks."

Speaking to reporters Sunday, Freeland said she and the prime minister had been in disagreement over the government's handling of economy "for some time," which worsened following Trump's re-election in November.

"I realized that we had to really focus all of our energies on being ready for that threat. We had to keep our fiscal fire power dry," she said.

"I was very clear about that and we saw the consequences."

Canada will 'inflict the biggest trade blow' U.S. has seen: Freeland

Freeland, who walked on stage to the song Maneater, launched her campaign just hours before Trump takes office. The incoming administration has committed to imposing punishing 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports.


Freeland —who helped lead Canada's negotiating team during Trump's first term in office, when the North American Free Trade Agreement was in jeopardy — promised to "lead a true Canadian response to the threat we now face."

In this file photo from Nov. 30, 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexico's Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, and President of Mexico Enrique Pena Nieto participate in a signing ceremony for the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in Buenos Aires

, (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

That would include, she said, dollar-for-dollar retaliation.

"If you hit us, we'll hit back," she said. "If you force our hand, we'll inflict the biggest trade blow that the United States has ever endured."

 Canadians should have a leader 'Trump is afraid of,' says Freeland:

After her December resignation, Trump took to social media to call Freeland "toxic" and said she "will not be missed."

Freeland argued Trump not liking her is a good thing.

"He prefers pushovers," she told reporters. "You want someone as leader of the Liberal Party as prime minister who Donald Trump is afraid of."

Freeland also took aim at another opponent — calling Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who continues to lead public polling by a wide margin, "weak."

"He will bow down and he will sell us out," she said. "He will never stand up to Donald Trump. He can't even stand up to Danielle Smith."

Poilievre's team shot back, saying Freeland is now running "away from her disastrous policies," notably the consumer carbon tax.

Freeland confirmed Sunday that she will ditch the policy, a key plank of the Trudeau government's environmental platform.

"Through it all, Chrystia Freeland has been Trudeau's right-hand woman," said the Conservatives in a release.

"Nobody is duped by Freeland's about-face on 'costly political gimmicks' she happily championed as finance minister."

WATCH |Several protesters disrupt Freeland liberal leadership launch event:

During the media question and answer session of the launch, Freeland was asked about the protesters and why she thinks her launch was singled out.

"I am really grateful that we live in a country where everyone can express their views and where everyone has the right to protest," Freeland said.

"It's also the case that the right to protest doesn't include the right to disrupt other people's right to speech."

Race to replace PM firms up

Freeland will face off against central banker Mark Carney, who is pitching himself as someone who can lead Canada through economic uncertainty.

"I'm not the usual suspect when it comes to politics but this is no time for politics as usual," he said at his Thursday launch in Edmonton.

Mark Carney speaks during his Liberal leader campaign launch in Edmonton, on Thursday January 16, 2025.

Mark Carney speaks during his Liberal leader campaign launch in Edmonton on Thursday. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

Burlington, Ont., MP Karina Gould confirmed Saturday she is running as well, making her the youngest candidate so far running to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Recently the government House leader, Gould said she'll step aside from cabinet to run.

MP Chandra Arya, who represents the Ottawa-area riding of Nepean; former Montreal MP and businessman Frank Baylis; and MP Jaime Battiste, who represents the Nova Scotia riding of Sydney—Victoria, have all declared they're running for the leadership.

Candidates only have until Jan. 23 to declare they are running and begin a series of entry fee payments to the party so they can join the race. The party will choose their next leader, who will serve as the next prime minister, March 9.

Hecklers interrupt Freeland's leadership campaign launch, Gould pledges carbon freeze

Dylan Robertson
Sun, January 19, 2025 


The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland has launched her bid to be the next federal Liberal leader while staring down multiple hecklers.

Freeland's speech in Toronto to launch her candidacy for party leadership was interrupted several times by protesters with at least one banner and a flag related to Gaza.

Freeland says she will seek re-election as a Liberal MP regardless of whether she wins party leadership, and says all other contenders should make the same pledge.

Another recent federal minister, Karina Gould, also launched her leadership bid this morning, saying she is stepping down as House leader and plans to freeze the federal carbon price but not abolish it.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has endorsed Mark Carney for Liberal leader in the race's first major endorsement from a Quebec minister.

Candidates only have until Jan. 23 to declare they are running and begin a series of entry fee payments to the Liberal party so they can join the race.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Up next

Freeland launches leadership campaign, pledges 'true Canadian response' to tariff threat

Global News

Sun, January 19, 2025 at 1:31 p.m. MST

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will not attend Trump inauguration in-person as event moves indoors

CBC
Sun, January 19, 2025 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, left, will not be attending the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump in-person, as the event has moved indoors. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press - image credit)

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will not attend the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump in person, now that the event is being moved indoors.

Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of frigid temperatures in the U.S. capital.

"Most ticketed guests will no longer be able to attend the [inauguration] ceremonies in person, including Premier Danielle Smith," Sam Blackett, the premier's press secretary, told CBC News in a statement.

Blackett said the Premier's schedule for inauguration day in lieu of the change of plans is still being finalized, and could not confirm if Smith will watch the ceremony from another location.

She is, however, slated to take part in the Canadian embassy's inauguration day event later in the afternoon. She will also attend the Republican Governors' Association evening reception.

With only those in Trump's close circle able to attend the indoor ceremony, roughly 250,000 ticketed guests, as well as the tens of thousands expected to line the inaugural parade route, are left to find alternative plans.



Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida home, on Jan. 11. (Danielle Smith/X)

Trump said some supporters would be able to watch the ceremony from Washington's Capital One Arena — which has a capacity of about 20,000 — and that he would visit the arena after his swearing-in.

Smith will stay in Washington until Thursday, during which time she is expected to meet with U.S. governors, elected officials and industry leaders.

Her trip to Washington will occur alongside the anticipated implementation of tariffs on Canadian goods crossing the U.S. border, which Trump has threatened would be enacted Monday.

The premier's 'Alberta First' approach to tackling the sanctions, marked by a visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago home last weekend, has been criticized by other Canadian premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as undermining a united front.

Smith has said that her meeting with Trump at his Florida residence was "constructive," and that she won't support any federal government plan to deal with the tariffs that cuts off supply of Alberta energy and other products to the U.S.

‘A small act of patriotism’: Canada’s anti-Maga hats go viral

Leyland Cecco

THE GUARDIAN
Sat, January 18, 2025

Doug Ford in the ‘Canada is not for sale’ hat, which its creators called a ‘creative rebuttal’ to Donald Trump’s threats.Photograph: David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty Images


Few items of clothing have come to exemplify American far-right nationalism in the 21st century as much as the red “Make America Great Again” hats worn and sold by Donald Trump. But this week, the beloved – and reviled – headwear appeared to have met its match.

Before a high-stakes meeting with Canadian leaders in preparation for American tariffs, the Ontario premier, Doug Ford, strode into the summit wearing a hat emblazoned with a defiant message: “CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE”.

Canadian leaders are still scrambling to come up with a response to the threat of a trade war with the country’s closest ally if Trump makes good on his promise to inflict punishing tariffs on all Canadian goods and services.

And in the depths of a national crisis, the novelty hat has emerged as an unlikely expression of unity.
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Related: Canada’s provincial leaders in disarray over response to Trump tariff threats

For the hat’s creators, “it’s been a wild and surreal few days”.

Liam Mooney, who runs a design firm in Ottawa with his fiancee Emma Cochrane, said the hat came about as a direct rebuttal to a viral Fox news segment in which the host Jesse Watters taunted Ford about Trump’s threat to annex Canada.

“If I were a citizen of another country and I was a neighbour of the United States, I would consider it a privilege to be taken over by the United States of America,” Watters told the Ontario leader.

Mooney and Cochrane were “shocked” at the hostile interview and spent the next few hours coming up with the “creative rebuttal” to the Trumpian threats.

The result was a cap with a Canadian-designed typeface and a simple but firm message. “It was a small act of patriotism to respond to these big threats and this big bluster,” said Mooney.
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Online sales grew steadily, but the momentum surged after Ford wore his cap to a meeting of regional leaders on Wednesday – and later posted a link to the online store.

Since then, the couple have sold more than 45,000 hats. More than 150 have been purchased in the United States.

The Conservative Ontario leader’s appearance with the hat prompted praise from his political rivals in Canada, including the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and the foreign minister, Mélanie Joly.

“I WANT THIS HAT!!!!!!!!” the country’s former Liberal environment minister Catherine McKenna posted on X. “And thank you Doug Ford for being a leader on #TeamCanada.”

Even the Manitoba premier, Wab Kinew – a progressive often at odds with Ford – quipped that he loved it: “Great hat, I hope they make that in an orange.”

(Mooney, keen to capitalize on the moment, said he had spent hours trying to ensure Kinew receives a hat that matches the colours of his leftwing New Democratic party.)
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The threat of a devastating trade war has forced Canada’s political leaders to set aside policy and ideological rifts, with most projecting a unified front.

“Canadian pride is something we can really lean on right now. And there are few things that unite Canadians more, for better or for worse, than our neighbour to the south,” said Kinew after the premiers met with Trudeau.




But the need for a unified front has taken on fresh urgency after the rightwing premier of the oil-rich western province of Alberta appeared to go rogue, refusing to sign on to a joint communique from other leaders and the prime minister.

Danielle Smith did not join the Ottawa meeting in person, instead joining virtually; she was also absent from the press conference with Trudeau and the other premiers.

Canada remains the largest supplier of energy to the US, shipping roughly 60% of its crude oil – nearly all of which comes from Alberta. Federal ministers and provincial leaders including Ford have weighed blocking energy exports – including natural gas, oil and electricity – as a retaliatory measure. Federal ministers have also suggested Canada could impose tariffs on exports of critical minerals to the United States, including uranium, potash, germanium, zinc, nickel, copper and graphite.

Smith, whose provincial economy is tied to oil exports to the United States, has come out forcefully against the idea.

“Until these threats cease, Alberta will not be able to fully support the federal government’s plan in dealing with the threatened tariffs,” she wrote online. “Alberta will simply not agree to export tariffs on our energy or other products, nor do we support a ban on exports of these same products. We will take whatever actions are needed to protect the livelihoods of Albertans from such destructive federal policies.”

The position has divided Conservative leaders, with Ford, who oversees a C$1tn economy, expressing mounting frustration over Smith’s refusal to entertain the idea of halting energy exports.

“That’s her choice. I have a little different theory: protect your jurisdiction but country comes first,” he told reporters, warning “we cannot have division” in the country.

“You can’t let someone hit you over the head with a sledgehammer without hitting him back twice as hard.”

Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration: The executives expected to attend

Alena Botros
Sun, January 19, 2025 

Donald Trump will be sworn in as the president of the United States on Monday for the second time, and behind him you’ll see Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and other tech titans, if all goes as planned.

In a press conference after his victory, the former and future president Donald Trump proclaimed: “In the first term everybody was fighting me. In this term everybody wants to be my friend.”

There is no better way to describe the U-turn of the corporate elite in the last eight years. Consider the technology billionaires set to be in attendance at Trump’s inauguration on Monday, and those who poured millions into it.

In 2017, Trump spoke of “American carnage,” protests erupted—and it was mostly just family who were near him when he was sworn in. In photos, you can see his vice president Mike Pence, his wife Melania Trump, and his children: Barron, Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, and Donald Trump Jr. Behind them are the Obamas, Bidens, and in-laws—and Republican mega donor Miriam Adelson among elected officials. There are no photos of the three wealthiest men in the world who are all expected to be there this time.

Trump 2.0’s right-hand man Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will be in attendance for the president-elect’s inauguration on the dais. TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew is planning to attend, too. Although, that was before the Supreme Court upheld a law banning his app if it is not sold to a non-Chinese company. Multiple publications have reported Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are also planning to show up.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2017 : U.S. President Donald Trump hugs his family after he was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States during the presidential inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 20, 2017. Donald Trump was sworn in on Friday as the 45th President of the United States. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu via Getty Images)More

Their attendance is despite Trump’s prior insults and threats; he once called Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, “Jeff Bozo” and threatened to jail Zuckerberg. Not to mention, Musk and Zuckerberg were set for a cage match at one point, and Musk and Bezos are in a space travel competition. But they appear to have put that aside for a budding bromance.

Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Gavin DeGraw, and other stars are slated to perform throughout the inaugural celebrations—again, a step up in A-list celebs from the last time, when the lineup included The Missouri State University Chorale and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Since his election night win, Trump has raised more than $200 million, at least $150 million of which is for his inauguration, according to The New York Times. He appears to be beating his own record set eight years prior.

In 2017, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase are among the corporations that donated to his inaugural fund, according to data from OpenSecrets. While there isn’t much difference when it comes to those who donated, apart from Meta and Uber, for instance, some companies and their respective leaders are donating more and are far more public about it. Take Amazon for example: the company donated less than $100,000 to Trump’s first inauguration, according to OpenSecrets. In early December last year, outlets reported Amazon was planning to donate $1 million for Trump’s second inauguration, and stream it on Prime.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

IRONY

Opinion - Face the facts: America has outsourced its military supply chain to China

Dan Nidess, opinion contributor
Fri, January 17, 2025 

With President Trump’s inauguration coming up soon and Beijing already levying new export restrictions and sanctions, 2025 promises to be an eventful year for the U.S.-China trade war. And while the impact is likely to be widespread, Beijing is explicitly targeting the American defense sector.

The actions by China are forcing a reckoning with the uncomfortable reality that America has outsourced large parts of its military supply chain to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party. Breaking this dependency will require incentivizing the private sector to find and create alternatives.

Successfully infiltrating an adversary’s supply chain presents opportunities to conduct devastating acts of sabotage. Last September’s detonation of thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies by Israel is a prime example. It also enables exceptionally effective espionage. After covertly acquiring a company that sold cryptography machines, American and West German intelligence were able to read the classified communications of dozens of countries for the next half century.

Such coups typically require significant effort and no small amount of luck. Sometimes nations inadvertently compromise themselves. Germany and Japan’s widespread use of forced labor during World War II gave their prisoners ample opportunity to sabotage the production of everything from munitions to aircraft and warships.

But the U.S. may be the first country to deliberately outsource its military supply chain to an adversary in exchange for cost savings.

The scale of the U.S. military’s dependence on China is staggering. Carriers, missiles, aircraft, missile defenses and tanks all rely on components or materials sourced from the People’s Republic. China is the largest foreign supplier of critical technologies for the Department of Defense, ahead of even close allies like the U.K. and Japan. Greg Hayes, the CEO of Raytheon, has stated that it would be impossible for him to decouple from China, as his company relies on thousands of suppliers there.

This dependency gives China unprecedented leverage. It leaves critical military equipment vulnerable not only to sabotage, but also to the risk that Beijing decides to simply close the spigot, depriving American companies of the inputs they rely on. And President Xi makes no secret of his intention to wield foreign dependency as a weapon.

Washington is attempting to unwind this risk. In 2022 the Defense Department released recommendations for securing critical supply chains and recently followed up with a National Defense Industrial Strategy. Initiatives like the CHIPS Act and Pentagon contracts awarded to American and Australian rare earth mining companies will help rebuild capacity.

These are steps in the right direction, but truly solving the problem will require more than central management from Washington. It will require incentivizing the private sector to do what it does best — develop innovative solutions in response to market


The defense industry relies on Chinese suppliers for the same reason other U.S. companies do. They are frequently cheaper and, after decades of offshoring, domestic alternatives may no longer exist. When Hayes describes decoupling as “impossible,” what he really means is that it would be expensive and take time.

Congress and the Pentagon need to make it clear that a failure to decouple will be even more costly. Legislation should set a target date by which all weapons and equipment are free from Chinese inputs. It should include annual reduction milestones and heavy fines for failure to meet them. Sufficient pressure on their bottom line will undoubtedly inspire solutions to this “impossible” problem. Knowing that defense companies are required to purchase from domestic and allied suppliers will also incentivize investment by firms eager to compete for their business.

To understand the true scope of this problem, Congress should also pass the Taiwan Protection and National Resilience Act. This bipartisan legislation directs the secretary of Defense to submit reports identifying military procurement dependencies on China and plans to reduce them. Public hearings should be held. The American people deserve to know the extent of their military’s dependence on China, as well as how much of the U.S. defense budget is subsidizing Chinese industry.

By sabotaging just pagers and radios, Israel was able to inflict thousands of casualties on Hezbollah and shatter the terrorist group’s ability to coordinate. Meanwhile, China has been handed indirect access to much of what the U.S. military uses. It is inconceivable that Beijing has not taken advantage of this opening to compromise the integrity of American military hardware. Nor do we have to wonder what the impact would be if President Xi follows through with his threat to halt exports. In October he fired a warning shot, sanctioning Skydio, an American drone maker whose customers include the U.S. military. The downstream impact was immediate. Within days Skydio started rationing batteries, which it sources from China.

As long as Beijing has the ability to manipulate or shut down exports upon which the American military depends, it has the power to disarm the U.S. As Trump and his national security team prepare to take office, removing this leverage must be a top priority. China must not be allowed to hold America’s national security hostage.

Dan Nidess is a former Marine captain, veteran of the war in Iraq, and former product manager at the Defense Innovation Unit. He currently works in the tech sector.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Attorney general pick Pam Bondi earned millions from Donald Trump-related groups: filing

Bart Jansen, USA TODAY
Fri, January 17, 2025

WASHINGTON – Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to become attorney general, made at least $3 million from the creation of the parent company of Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, according to her personal financial disclosure form.

The form filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and obtained by USA TODAY detailed her financial links to Trump through organizations he owns or that supported him.

Bondi, “like all other shareholders,” received $3 million in shares and warrants of Digital World Acquisition Corp. from Renatus LLC "on the morning of a merger" between Digital World and Trump Media & Technology Group, according to the disclosure form. The shares and warrants were then converted to stock in Trump Media, the filing said.

Bondi was listed as a “consultant” for the merger. She owned another $2 million to $10 million in shares and warrants in Trump Media, the filing said. She is a former Florida attorney general and local prosecutor who represented Trump during his first impeachment.

The form filed as part of her Senate confirmation process also listed her nearly $1.1 million salary last year from Ballard Partners, where she performed government and public affairs consulting.

Some of her lobbying, such as for the government of Qatar and a private prison company called GEO Group, prompted questions at her confirmation hearing Wednesday.

President Donald Trump makes a point about gun safety in schools while Attorney General Pam Bondi, R-Fla., listens during a meeting with local and state officials about improving school safety at the White House in Washington, on Feb. 22, 2018.
Independence from Trump?

Several Senate Democrats, who said Bondi is likely to be confirmed, questioned at the hearing whether she could be independent of Trump.

Trump has named at least four personal lawyers to top posts at the Justice Department, which legal experts said raises questions about whether those appointees would represent Trump or the national interest. Besides Bondi, he named his criminal defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove as deputy attorney general and principal associate deputy attorney general, respectively. Trump chose John Sauer, who represented him at the Supreme Court in personal criminal appeals, as solicitor general.


Pam Bondi delivers opening remarks during a Senate Judiciary committee hearing on her nomination to be Attorney General of the United States on Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Bondi testified she would not let politics play a role in her leadership of the Justice Department.

"I believe that the Justice Department must be independent and must act independently,” Bondi said. “The No. 1 job is to enforce the law fairly and evenhandedly, and that’s what will be done if I am confirmed as the attorney general.”

“Politics will not play a part,” Bondi added. “I’ve demonstrated that my entire career as a prosecutor, as attorney general and I will continue to do that.”

Trump's transition team didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about Bondi's filing.

Bondi also earned $520,000 last year from consulting for the America First Policy Institute, a think tank of former Trump administration officials. She earned $203,738 from providing legal serves to Pfizer through the law firm Panza, Maurer, & Maynard, P.A., according to the filing.

Bondi earned between $110,003 and $1 million from renting out commercial real estate properties in Florida. She earned $27,600 in contributor fees from Newsmax and a $20,000 speaking fee from a conference last year hosted by bitnile.com, an online gaming company.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY