The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 6.6 I’M DONE! I QUIT! Corey Harris is a Liar, Stupid, Or Maybe He Doesn’t Even Exist, & Todays News

Episode Date: June 6, 2024

Sign up and upgrade to Grammarly Premium to level up your productivity: http://grammarly.com/defranco06. Visit  https://www.cozyearth.com/defranco and use my code DEFRANCO to get 30% off your purchase! New 3-Packs & Cyber Lime Collections NOW LIVE @ https://BeautifulBastard.com ==== ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩- – 00:00 - The Corey Harris Saga: Man in Viral Clip Never Even Had Driver’s License 05:37 - Dad Charges Wisconsin HS Graduation Stage, Pushes Black Superintendent  08:43 - Sponsored by Grammarly 09:48 - Colorado GOP Under Fire for Pride Comments 13:32 - Nancy Pelosi Made 20 Times Her Salary in One Stock Trade 16:04 - Sponsored by CozyEarth 17:09 - A Billionaire’s Mining Operation Is Exposing the Dark Side of Green Energy ——————————   Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxwell Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks, Matthew Henry Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Brian Espinoza, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Chris Tolve, Jared Paolino Associate Producer on DRC: Jared Paolino ———————————— #DeFranco #MsRachel #CoreyHarris ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm done. I quit. I'm so over this. No more Corey Harris after today. He makes a fool of himself. The internet laughs at him. Then he comes back with a, well, actually makes us all feel bad because, oh, apparently we got it wrong. Turns out he's either the dumbest or like the most pathological lying man on the planet. You know, we got a lot of news to talk about today, but I just, I want to knock this out first. This man got me showcasing emotions, which is nearly impossible because I died inside seven years ago. So yes, there's been another twist to this story, but we need to start, of course, at the beginning.

Because there was that video that went viral of Harris doing what seemed to be one of the dumbest things a human being could possibly do. He joined a legal Zoom hearing regarding his suspended driving license while driving. This is a driving license suspended? That is correct, Your Honor. And he was just driving. This is a driving license suspended. That is correct, Your Honor. And he was just driving.

And he didn't have a license. Oh, right. So with that, Harris ends up spending two nights in jail and the video goes viral. But then you've got Harris saying, well, actually, I never knew I was driving on a suspended license back when I was ticketed. It's saying the suspension, which had been tied to unpaid child support, had been lifted two years ago. And in fact, court records appeared to back him up with him showing that a judge had actually ordered the suspension lifted way back in January of 2022. But the secretary of state was never notified of the suspension being lifted. And as it turns out, that's because Harris didn't pay the license clearance fee to the court clerk's office. But still, at this point, you had Harris essentially claiming that he had been a victim. You know,

things can be complicated, botched. It's the government. It's all a mess. Harris saying he hadn't been told about a fee and that all they said was that they would be sending me some paperwork in the mail. And with that saying, he only received that paperwork in the mail this year, two years after this all happened. You know, with all this, he even spoke to a local Detroit TV station to talk about the toll this whole ordeal has taken on him. It has literally been pure OD hell. I've been assaulted. I've been followed. I've been laughed at.

I've been ridiculed. I have been disrespected. I don't even go on the internet anymore. I deleted my Facebook, my Instagram, Twitter. I deleted my Facebook, my Instagram, Twitter. I deleted everything. Right. And I think most of us on the internet were like, oh, fuck, I feel so bad for this guy. But then Harris finds himself back in court yesterday in front of Judge Cedric Simpson, who apparently is not one to be fucked with, with him explaining in a much nicer and professional

way than Harris is deserving that Harris's public statements about the suspended license were absolutely incorrect, starting with him dropping a pretty important piece of information about the defendant. He has never had a license in the other 49 states and commonwealths that fall off the screen. Corey Harris has never had a license. You fucking schmuck. Right, but that statement might have you looking like Corey Harris, a man who seemingly is perpetually perplexed by everything. You might be wondering, how can you have a license suspended

if you never had a license at all? But Judge Simpson cleared that up as well. When they suspended his license in Saginaw, they don't suspend the license, they suspend the privilege to drive in the state. Right, so for example, if Harris had a license in Kentucky, he'd still be able to drive in Kentucky.

He just wouldn't be able to drive in Michigan where the suspension was in effect. But again, that doesn't even apply here. Right, because again, Harris has never had a license anywhere ever. And so with that, Judge Simpson further clarified that there were no clerical errors made by anyone, including the Secretary of State's office,

saying that the only failure here was by Harris to take the steps to get his privileges back. And with that, Judge Simpson came prepared with receipts. Right, for example, one of Harris's office, saying that the only failure here was by Harris to take the steps to get his privileges back. And with that, Judge Simpson came prepared with receipts. For example, one of Harris's other claims was that he was unable to go through the process of getting a license because, quote, he was laid up from an accident. Saying on TV, he was bedridden. He wasn't able to resolve this. And Judge Simpson said that was so disturbing to him because it just wasn't true. And he says, Mr. Harris, the reason I know that, where were you on December 28th, 2023? And this is Harris's initial reaction. December 28th, 2023.

2023. 2023. I know I was laid, I was laid up from up from my accident. You were at the Secretary of State's office. George Simpson was like, I'm going to just stop you from lying right there. And he revealed not only was he at the Secretary of State's office, which is notable on its own, but specifically he was there renewing his state ID. And that's actually a very key thing with this story,

because in Michigan, you can only have a state ID or a driver's license. But they're two separate things. A state ID doesn't give you the permission to drive and a driver's license still works as an ID. And in fact, since Corey was 19 years old, Simpson said that Harris had quote, religiously every year gotten a new ID. And so he knows that he doesn't have a license. And as if all of that wasn't enough on its own, going back to that accident in October of 2023, the prosecution said they just reviewed body cam footage from the accident where reportedly Corey Harris admitted to police twice that he did not have a valid license. When I was at the police department yesterday, we watched the body cam video at least twice during this traffic stop.

He acknowledged to the officer that he did not have a valid license. Quote, actually, I don't have a valid license. With him then also in that courtroom being taken into police custody because it turned out he had an outstanding bench warrant for his arrest. Though notably there, Simpson did say that he would be released on bond. And so Harris's next court date is August 7th, which Judge Simpson said should give him plenty of time to get a license. And so while it remains to be seen exactly what consequences Harris will face, the main thing here is I'm done with this man. I never want to see your stupid,

confused face ever again. The fact that even for a little bit, I felt bad for you makes me feel bad about myself. I just can't decide if you're our dummy or douchebag of the day. And so I'll just leave that up to you watching right now. And then, okay, so we got to talk about this graduation ceremony at Baraboo High School in Wisconsin. And you might've already seen the video of this because it's gone absolutely viral, but I want to get into the details, though, of course, we have to start with the video. Because in the video, you see a student go on stage to grab her diploma and shake hands

with the school's leaders. That is until a man who reports have identified as her father, Matthew, rushes the stage to push aside district superintendent, Rainey Briggs, so that he can't shake her hand. Where's Brendan? You better get away from me, man. Get away from me, bro.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You. Don't leave. Hey, no, no, no. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Get off. You gotta go. I don't want to get off. Right now. I don't care. I don't care. Get off the street.

Get off. Right, and so you have this poor girl who's just trying to graduate. She's clearly upset. The crowd's erupting in booze and general shock. With many noting that the dad pushed aside the black school leader, right? Saying that this was racist, that he didn't want his daughter touching a black man. Reports saying that a resource officer and two off-duty officers in the room had to respond to the incident.

Adding that the dad was issued a criminal citation for disorderly conduct and that Superintendent Briggs filed a restraining order against him, right? And, you know, so with this, we saw the Baraboo School District responding to the incident, saying it doesn't condone engaging in threatening, intimidating or physically harming behaviors against anyone in our school district community, adding that they know that there are many people in the community with different ideas about education and that they value civil discourse and conversation about those ideas. But as we prepare our students to engage as citizens and community members, the adults in their lives should provide models on how to engage in productive

civil dialogue and adding that this adult felt emboldened to behave this way in front of hundreds of students and other adults should deeply trouble us all. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. And as far as why this dad definitively charges stage, well, no official reason has actually been given, but the race element, of course, has dominated the discussion. People saying things like when being anti-black is more important than being a good parent, shake my head, disgraceful. Congratulations, you ruined your daughter's graduation because you're a racist piece of shit. Politicians also chiming in with Wisconsin State Representative Francesca Hong writing, Dr. Briggs is an excellent superintendent who cares deeply about the well-being of all students in the Baraboo District. No one should have to endure this type of gross and racist

conduct. Though at the same time, you did have some local outlets noting that there are other potential motives floating around, right, with people pointing to speculation that the dad was upset about the way the district handled bullying incidents involving his daughter, though notably there's no confirmation there yet. The Journal Sentinel adding

that there are other tensions in the district right now, saying, for example, the school board's president is facing a recall effort as some have accused him of misusing taxpayer money by increasing salaries for district administrators, which includes Superintendent Briggs. With Wisconsin News adding that there have been complaints regarding Briggs and other administrators. So of course, I have to add here, nothing has actually been confirmed. And of course,

it still stands out to many that of all the leaders standing on stage, he charges the only black man. And as it turns out, race there is already a historically fraught topic at the school. Because you might actually remember this. There was a controversy from back in 2018 where high schoolers were pictured making an apparent Nazi salute. Well, that was also in Baraboo, right? That image showed current and former students, but the superintendent at the times, who notably wasn't Briggs, they said that the district wasn't in a position to punish the students for those actions because it was their First Amendment right. And also saying some context details were unclear, and that situation, of course, made national news. But yeah, while we wait for more details on this new incident, I gotta ask

you, what are your thoughts here? And then, you know, impactful writing can make your life so much easier. Like, trust me. In fact, 96% of Grammarly users report that Grammarly helps them craft more impactful writing. And it's not just spelling and grammar people, right? Grammarly, who's a fantastic sponsor of today's PDS, is unlike other AI tools out there. And you know, the free version of Grammarly gives you access to their amazing AI features. For example, you want help brainstorming that one idea or maybe rework your writing to be shorter, more formal. The game changer is upgrading to Grammarly Premium, which has saved me hours on my work. Their premium tone suggestions help to match the tone that you're going for, making sure your writing isn't too formal for friends or too friendly for work. It gives advanced suggestions to personalize your writing

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but someone who's in the crosshairs right now is Miss Rachel. She's the preschool teacher turned huge YouTube educator. And that's because she posted a video to Instagram giving an extremely normal, extremely unprovocative nod to Pride Month. I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad you're exactly who you are. To those who are going to comment they can't watch the show anymore because of the support, no worries and much love your way. God bless. I am not chasing fame or views. I'm standing strong in love. And she was right. There was a group of people out there that got furious. People calling her in the video disturbing, saying we won't be turning you on anymore, saying keep this drag queen away from my kids at all costs. People telling her to keep it about the rabbits numbers and learning Miss Rachel. Notably, you also saw plenty of supportive

comments rolling in. Apparently, that video got so much attention and so much hate miss rachel released a follow-up video of course because it was her it still had that same happy hate-free energy there are very few things that you can be certain of in life but you can always be sure the sun will rise each morning you can bet your bottom dollar that you'll always need air to breathe and water to drink and of course you can rest assured that with Public Mobile's 5G subscription phone plans, you'll pay the same thing every month. With all of the mysteries that life has to offer, a few certainties can really go a long way. Subscribe today for the peace of mind you've been searching for.

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off-road package with a 2-inch factory suspension lift, you get both on-road confidence and off-road capability. Dirt road ahead? Let's go! Truck month is awesome! Ask your Chevrolet dealer for details. In Matthew 22, a religious teacher asked Jesus, what's the most important commandment? And Jesus says to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. There's no greater commandments than these. I believe it's mentioned eight times,

love your neighbor. It doesn't say love every neighbor except. With that, I'll say one, I love the notion of love thy neighbor. And also two, it is actually extremely easy to talk about this with your kids. Also, just generally, I want to say letting your kids know

that there are other kids out there that are different than them and that's okay. Or if they are different from other kids, that's okay, that is also a great message. But then also with this and our current fun world, we should talk about the Colorado Republican Party. And that, because they're getting attention because they took it upon themselves to celebrate Pride Month in their own way. Namely, by sending out an email to its members with the subject line, God hates pride. With them opening with the announcement, the month of June has arrived again and once again, the godless groomers in our society want to attack what is decent,

holy, and righteous so they can ultimately harm our children. With them going on to call LGBTQ people evil and woke creeps. With them then linking to a video of a pastor explaining that the rainbow flag represents the demonic realm and human indecency. And that email signed by the Colorado GOP chair and congressional candidate Dave Williams. And since apparently that wasn't enough, the party also posted on X, burn all the pride flags this June. All of which was stand out not only because Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, is the first openly gay governor in the country, but also because Colorado's GOP itself is home to several openly gay Republicans.

Like, for example, Douglas County Commissioner Abe Layden, who called the email absolutely atrocious and antithetical to his religious and party values. He also had Valdemir Archuleta, a gay man running to be the GOP's candidate for US Congress in Denver. I have had conversations with Dave. I do not think Dave hates me because I'm gay. I don't think that Dave is a homophobic person.

He's trying to get a reaction, but the approach and the method in which he went about doing it was really bad. It has really bad optics. It looks bad. Does it just look bad or is it bad? It is bad. It is bad. With him also renouncing the endorsement he got from his own party just a day earlier. But that party has only doubled down since the backlash, with Dave Williams telling The Hill,

The only backlash we see is coming from radical Democrats, the fake news media, and weak Republicans who bow down at the feet of leftist cancel culture. You know, with all that said, Colorado voters just started receiving their primary ballots in the mail this week. So, I mean, we'll see if any of this influences their choices. And then when I was a kid, our generation had a mantra. It came from a commercial because, of course, it did. But it was be like Mike, right? That's the way to be great, because Michael Jordan was the best basketball player in the world, the best at what he did. But all those kids now, including myself, we don't want to be like Mike. We want to invest like Nancy, specifically Pelosi.

And that makes sense because, as it turns out, she is the Michael Jordan of what she does, though not politic and investing. With the account Unusual Wales, which publishes news about famous stock traders reporting that the former House Speaker made 20 times her congressional salary in a single trade. And she did it by investing in the microchip maker, NVIDIA. In fact, she is up 200% in 200 days on her stock options in the company, netting her $4 million, and she still hasn't sold them yet. So according to the account, her overall portfolio is up 93% near all-time highs. You know, underlying this, we saw NVIDIA's values soar past $3 trillion for the first time yesterday, which notably is just one of three companies in that club, just above Apple and just below Microsoft. And it's also gotten there mind-numbingly fast, right? I mean,

for some perspective, it took Apple almost three years to climb from $2 to $3 trillion, and Microsoft about two and a half years to do the same. But NVIDIA, they did it in three fucking months. You know, all of this seemingly driven by AI. But with the gold rush that is AI right now, a lot of people see Nvidia as the people selling the shovels. And there is a lot of demand. I mean, Nvidia reported a 262% year-on-year rise in revenue last quarter, which is also why other tech titans like Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Meta are scrambling to invest in AI so they don't fall behind. But notably with Pelosi, Nvidia is only part of the reason she's so rich. But the other part possibly being

some people allege being insider trading, right? With places like NPR noting that industry analysts began to notice several years ago that certain federal lawmakers were beating the market with their investment strategies. So naturally what happened is that some stock traders just copied their investments and pretty soon financial service companies began offering funds that tracked congressional portfolios, which also ironically was only made possible by the Stock Act, which is a law passed in 2012, mandating that lawmakers disclose any transaction over a thousand dollars. But that initially meant create more transparency around politicians' investments. But instead, we saw it spawn a financial cottage industry looking to

piggyback off of their believed insider knowledge. And actually, Unusual Whales is a part of that, being a startup offering an exchange traded fund that tracks Democratic lawmakers' investment portfolios called Nance, named after Nancy Pelosiosi and then there's also another one for republicans but the funny thing is that all of this is kind of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy because now any stock a politician touches suddenly attracts a bunch of investment right politicians now in addition to being able to control policy that literally fucking affects so many of these companies they've now to at least some degree become financial influencers. And then, you know, I already run hot, especially when I sleep. And with summer approaching, this brings running hot to another

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That's promo code DeFranco for 30% off. Just one survey. Be sure to write in Philip DeFranco in the post-purchase survey after ordering. Thank you and happy sleeping. And then we need to talk about Dan Gertler. Because he's an Israeli billionaire that's been accused of looting Congo at the expense of its people. And he stands to make millions out of a deal with the U.S. government. And notably, this is a guy who in 2017, he was sanctioned by the U.S. government for corrupt business practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now, the Biden administration has pitched Gertler a plan

to ease sanctions on him in exchange for a permanent exit from the country, with that exit being facilitated through the sale of Gertler's remaining assets in the DRC, asset sales that could potentially hand him tens of millions of dollars. But this whole story is also more than it seems on the surface, and it really raises real questions about if and how compromises should be made when efforts to hold individuals accountable for wrongdoing collide with the political and economic interests of a country or the people of that country. So with that, buckle in and let's start at the beginning. So here's what you need to know about Dan Gertler. For one, mining is a

family business, right? He is the grandson of a man who has been considered one of the founding fathers of the Israeli diamond industry. And in 1997, in his early 20s, Gertler went to the Congo to make his own name in the diamond trade. It was there that he struck up a friendship with Joseph Kabila, the son of the man who, in that same year, overthrew the country's previous leader, ending a civil war and becoming the leader

of the newly formed Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC. And when a second war soon broke out, Gertler placed his bet on another Kabila victory, with him in the year 2000 allegedly promising the family millions of dollars as well as access to weapons in exchange for a monopoly on the DRC's diamond exports.

And from there, that deal and Gertler's close ties to the regime, it helped him single-handedly become one of the biggest holders of mining rights in the country. But also, crucially, Gertler didn't make his wealth from diamonds alone. Because the DRC is also home to around 50% of the world's cobalt reserves. Cobalt, I mean, that's one of the most important materials in the world, right? And that's because it's used to make lithium-ion batteries found in items such as electric vehicles, computers, smartphones, even e-cigs. So with that, the cobalt industry is linked to widespread human rights abuses, including child labor. And I'll get more into that in a bit, but for now, just know that the growth of the cobalt industry, it almost perfectly coincided with Gertler's entry into

the DRC. From 2000 through 2020, cobalt demand specifically for the manufacturing of batteries grew 26-fold. And notably, 82% of this growth occurred in China. So with that, Chinese companies own or have a major stake in the majority of cobalt-producing sites in Congo. On the other hand, the last large American mining company in the DRC pulled out of the country in 2020, just as electric vehicles were really taking off. So with all this, Gertler's mines are the biggest non-Chinese sources of cobalt on Earth. In total, they produce nearly 30% of the world's supply of cobalt, or also major sources of copper, and notably, demand for both of these materials, it's not going anywhere.

Although it is hoped that cobalt-free batteries could power cars of the future, with Tesla already using cobalt-free batteries in many of its vehicles. And all of that, it brings us back to Gertler. Because it was in 2017 that the US government hit Gertler with sanctions, placing him on a list of human rights abusers and corrupt actors across the globe. Though notably, it didn't actually have to do with his blood diamonds in the Second Congo War, a conflict which, by the way, resulted in an estimated three million deaths, making it far and away the deadliest war of the 21st century. Similarly, it didn't have to do with the allegations of human rights abuses at the

mining sites linked to companies that Gertler had a stake in. Instead, specifically, the Treasury Department targeted Gertler for amassing, quote, his fortune through hundreds of millions of dollars worth of opaque and corrupt mining and oil deals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with all of that having to do with his friendship with Joseph Kabila, with Treasury explaining that Gertler acted as a middleman for mining asset sales in the DRC. So basically, if you wanted to do business in the Congo, you had to go through Gertler. And with that, between 2010 and 2012 alone, the DRC reportedly lost over $1.36 billion in revenues from the underpricing of mining assets that were sold to offshore companies linked to Gertler. With that, I should note that Gertler has never been charged with a crime and denies any wrongdoing. So after the sanctions that he hired a legal and lobbying

team to make his case to the Trump administration, with them, interestingly enough, hiring Alan Dershowitz, the infamous lawyer who served on the legal teams of OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, and Donald Trump himself. And that's in addition to hiring the same lawyer used by Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu to fight off corruption charges that he faced in Israel. Actually, with that, Israeli officials were among those who argued to the Trump administration on Gertler's behalf, with them reportedly claiming he was a, quote, vital national security asset, and it paid off. In Trump's final week of office, his administration quietly eased the sanctions on Gertler with almost no public notice. But notably there, a Times investigation found that the decision defied Treasury Department norms. One former high-ranking official saying it appeared to be an abuse of the process. But in any case, it ended up being no surprise when

Biden came in and almost immediately reimposed sanctions on Gertler. With the State Department issuing a statement saying the previous decision was inconsistent with America's strong foreign policy interests in combating corruption around the world. Which then brings us to the big question of, well, what has changed? Why is Biden now prepared to go back on that? Well, the first thing to keep in mind is that Biden has not yet actually eased sanctions. At this point, it is just an offer. Unlike what happened under Trump, there are strings attached. Basically, the proposed deal would give Gertler a license to sell off his remaining stakes in his three major copper and cobalt mining operations in Congo. But as mentioned, he would also still make money off those sales.

With that, he would also be required to release a detailed statement of any remaining holdings in Congo, which would then be examined by an independent auditor. And eventually, Gertler could get a license to allow him access to the U.S. financial system. And all of this, while technically he wouldn't be dropped from the list of sanctioned individuals, but he would remain on that list even though he could operate with a waiver. The banks would be allowed to do business with him, but there would be some extra steps. And if Gertler violated any of the conditions, if undisclosed assets were found,

or if he continued to operate in Congo, the waiver would be dropped right away. So with all that said, the hope from the Biden administration is that this deal would make Western-leaning companies more willing to invest in Congo. And in turn, that would increase the supply of cobalt to the United States as automakers race

to increase domestic production of batteries. And to that point, two senior Biden administration officials reportedly told the New York Times that Western firms would continue to avoid investing in the Congo mining sector as long as Gertler remained involved. And actually, as of now, no major American mining company has publicly disclosed a plan to reinvest in Congo. And this is the government has been stepping up its own involvement in the region. I mean, last year, for example, the U.S. signed an agreement to, quote, facilitate the development of an integrated value chain for the production of electric vehicle batteries in the DRC in Zambia.

With all of this, of course, being not only about keeping in line with the administration's policy positions that embrace alternative energy solutions to fossil fuels, but also about addressing what it sees as a competitive disadvantage with China, especially when it comes to electric vehicles, which is also the justification for the new tariffs

going into effect on imports of Chinese goods, including EVs. And on that front, the U.S. is also helping finance the $2.3 billion Libido Corridor Rail Project, which is a big deal because it'll link Congo and Zambia to the Atlantic Ocean. And the aim being to allow cobalt and copper mines in those countries to more directly supply battery manufacturing plants in the U.S. or allied countries. And this, while at the same time, China is now announcing plans to spend $1 billion on its own railway project to connect the DRC to a port on the other side of the continent. Though, of course, with all of this, there are many that feel that the competition with China, it doesn't justify letting Gertler off the hook. And in fact, some state and treasury department

officials reportedly opposed the decision, with them arguing that Gertler shouldn't be allowed to keep profiting off of his wrongdoing. And a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including one Democrat and one Republican from both the House and Senate, have also denounced the plan, with them claiming that the conditions for lifting sanctions haven't been met, and also writing, We fear that if sanctions are removed, Mr. Gertler will profit massively off his ill-gotten assets to the detriment of the Congolese people. Such an event would significantly undermine efforts to combat transnational corruption and U.S. foreign policy and national security interests.

And then finally, human rights groups have, of course, opposed the decision as well. The letter from more than a dozen Congolese and international civil society organizations, again, claiming any agreement that would allow Mr. Gertler to continue to profit from the corrupt activity for which he was sanctioned in the first place would undermine the credibility and integrity of U.S. sanctions. Further warning that this would set a precedent of rewarding actors who have not shown a significant change in behavior while continuing to harm the people that the sanctions were intended to help. But also with all of that, no one is opposed to having Gertler get rid of his remaining financial stakes in Congo. It's just that they think that he should be forced to simply forfeit them. But the Biden

administration says that expectation is just unrealistic. Because Gertler, I mean, he's already earning royalty payments, so he wouldn't be willing to just walk away from his investments without compensation. It's not like a little money. 2021, a Congolese group estimated that Gertler earns an average of more than $254,000 per day from the royalty payments, with them projecting that he'll have netted nearly $2 billion by 2039. So the reality of the situation at the end of the day is that Gertler is making money either way. So that's why there's actually support for the deal from within the DRC as well, including the DRC's current president, who said in a letter to Biden, the Democratic Republic of Congo no longer has any grievances against Mr. Gertler and his group.

Going further to say that the sanctions have the potential to lead to the disappearance of foreign direct investment in Congo. Though also notably, he only agreed to lobby for Gertler after reaching his own deal with a billionaire in 2022. Which we saw Gertler agree to return to Congo an estimated $2 billion worth of mining and oil drilling rights secured over the past two decades. But even with that said, you know, several Congo-based civil society groups have supported the easing of sanctions as well, with one group that actually called for sanctions against Gertler in the past, saying in a letter now that the sanctions have served their purpose, claiming that they helped create the conditions for the first peaceful transition of power in the country's history, but that now the sanctions have created a vacuum being filled by authoritarian states like China and Russia. Notably, the group says have contributed to the broader regression

of labor rights and free enterprise. And so with that, the U.S. and DRC reportedly both hope that this deal, by getting Gertler out of the country, would improve labor and environmental standards, as well as, you know, allow Congo to root out corruption and benefit more from its mining industry. And to that point, the Biden administration has invested millions of dollars in grants and technical assistance to help enforce labor laws in the country. But notably, at the same time, the West doesn't exactly have a great track record in the DRC either. With that, including Western companies linked to Gertler. And again, Gertler hasn't been found guilty of any crimes. It's just, let's say, it's hard to imagine someone building a mining empire in the DRC

without having blood on their hands. Like for example, much of Gertler's business has been with a Swiss company by the name of Glencore. They first partnered in 2007, and now Glencore is the primary owner of two of the three mining operations that Gertler is still cashing in on. The Business and Human Rights Center, which tracks human rights abuses related to the global energy transition, reporting that Glencore has the worst human rights record of any company it follows. Also in 2022, Glencore actually pleaded guilty in the U.S. to bribery, corruption, and market manipulation, paying $1.1 billion in fines to settle the charges. Glencore also named it a lawsuit that's against Apple, Alphabet, Dell, Microsoft, and Tesla,

without accusing the tech companies of knowingly benefiting from and aiding and abetting the cruel and brutal use of young children in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mine cobalt. With that lawsuit detailing allegations of forced child labor at Glencore-owned cobalt sites in the DRC. And again, it includes those linked to Gertler. Now, in the end there, a U.S. court effectively absolved the tech companies of responsibility, with the court decision saying that they do not have anything more than an ordinary buyer-seller transaction with suppliers in the DRC. But Glencore was not the defendant in that specific case, and there notably was no denial from the judge in his ruling that child labor had occurred. So while individuals like Gertler and companies like Glencore continue to avoid any real justice, the question unfortunately becomes whether the

people of the DRC will pay more or less of a price by these sanctions remaining in place or not. We're kind of just left hoping that one day, maybe real justice can be served. But that is where your big Thursday, evening, Friday dive into the news is gonna end. And we won't have to miss each other too long because we'll see you right back here on Monday.