For those who aren’t aware, the 1MDB corruption case is touted as the world’s largest financial scandal. Global in scope, it involves not just the Malaysian government, it encompasses banks such as Goldman Sachs, various private Swiss banks, American celebrities. (And connections to some major players in New York and London, but that’s for another time.)

For a short summary (though this article does no justice to the scale and scope of the scandal): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33447456

A longer version here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/28/1mdb-inside-story-worlds-biggest-financial-scandal-malaysia

Here are a couple of Hollywood connections with 1MDB (there are many others). I’m highlighting the Hollyweird angle because of the proliferation of various celebrity led ‘charities’ and ‘foundations’.

• Leonardo DiCaprio Leo, a missing $3bn and the real-life Great Gatsby: How Wolf of Wall Street star's glitzy eco-foundation become embroiled in a shady international money laundering scam that casts a VERY unflattering light on his environmental crusading

• Robert De Niro Robert De Niro on His Connection to the Malaysian Corruption Scandal: "I Don't Give a Shit"

Back to Washington:

Malaysia pays lobbyists to influence US politicians says report

The report said, to boost their nation’s visibility, governments often paid lobbyists to get the media and bloggers to write positive stories about them.

It said between 2008 and 2011, US-based blogger Joshua Trevino was reportedly paid almost USD400,000 to write opinion articles extolling the Malaysian Government and attacking the country’s political opposition, particularly Anwar Ibrahim. Trevino was not paid directly by the Malaysian Government but by APCO worldwide, which, the report said, had been hired by Putrajaya for an alleged USD20 million to manage its international image.

[APCO and the Clinton Global Initiative](https://www.rt.com/usa/365394-clinton-cgi-diplomatic-post-wikileaks/))

Beth Jones is Executive VP at the public relations firm APCO Worldwide, which happens to be a Clinton Global Initiative partner and donor. APCO, which gives free PR for the Clinton Global Initiative, according to the Daily Caller, has multiple ties to the Democratic presidential candidate. APCO has reportedly contributed up to $50,000 to the Clinton Foundation, and has worked alongside it for more than eight years.

Here’s an article that, though not well sourced in terms of allegations, makes some interesting connections for consideration:

Trump should drop 1MDB Corruption Bombshell, which linked Obama and Clinton http://www.financetwitter.com/2016/10/trump-should-drop-1mdb-corruption-bombshell-which-linked-obama-clinton.html

Human trafficking in Malaysia: wikileaks email: https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/55998

The Obama administration will remove Malaysia from its official list of the world's worst human trafficking offenders, according to Reuters.

The maneuver would allow the administration to continue negotiating a controversial trade agreement with Malaysia and 10 other Pacific nations. Legislation authored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) effectively bars the U.S. from enacting trade deals with countries deemed "Tier 3" violators of human trafficking standards -- the worst of the worst in the State Department's formal reckoning of governments that facilitate modern-day slavery.

This story is set to run and run...