Why the Feds are eyeing Chinas grifter oligarchs and how theyre shedding light on corruption at every level

The unclassified report from US spy agencies is only seven pages long.But it surely struck fear into the hearts of China’s Communist overlords when Tulsi Gabbard released it last month.It was supposed to.The report from Gabbard’s Office of the Director of National Intelligence is entitled “Wealth and Corrupt Activities of the Leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.” It highlights the defining characteristic of Chinese Communism: The corruption of party officials at all levels of government. And it starts at the very top, singling out Chinese leader Xi Jinping himself. “Xi’s siblings, nieces, and nephews held assets worth over $1 billion in business investments and real estate,” the report notes, going on to suggest that the Chinese premier’s immediate family is managing these holdings on his behalf.The rest of the senior Chinese leadership is equally addicted to graft and insider trading, the report suggests.

It highlights the case of former premier Wen Jiabao, whose family amassed a fortune of almost $3 billion during his years in office.The Biden Crime Family were pikers by comparison, raking in only a little more than the average provincial party secretary would in China.When news of Wen’s fortune was first published in 2012 — amassed on a meager monthly salary of some $5,000 — Beijing was furious.It tightened its censorship regime and told foreign news organizations that the personal finances of senior party officials were strictly off limits and grounds for expulsion.

Even today, it continues to deny that senior leaders are corrupt or that they have significant personal wealth.Still, the evidence of massive official corruption is undeniable.Studies suggest that one out of every six dollars spent in China — some $2 trillion a year — winds up in the pockets of party officials one way or another.Crime may not pay, it seems, but Communism certainly does.So why would Tulsi Gabbard’s shop publish a study that seems purposefully des...