David Szakonyi
Associate Professor at George Washington University
Co-Founder, Anti-Corruption Data Collective (@acdatacollective.bsky.social)
Researching corruption, kleptocracy and authoritarianism in Russia and the West
- Reposted by David SzakonyiThis story we helped DW uncover last week highlights just one of many contradictions in the nascent deep sea mining industry. From bluewashing to regulation with a USA-sized gap, the risk of corporate capture that threatens the global environment run deep. acdatacollective.org/work/deep-se...
- "Like refusing to finance an oil drilling site but still buying shares in the drilling company." Over 20 financial institutions have pledged not to finance deep sea mining, but several of the same banks invest in companies preparing to mine the seabed for minerals. 🤔 www.dw.com/en/the-hidde...
- Reposted by David Szakonyi📣 Online seminar Join us 2pm to 3pm (GMT) tomorrow for a #GIACE seminar on using leaked and sensitive data to research illicit finance with @szakonyi.bsky.social and Tom Mayne, chaired by @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social. Held in collaboration with the Illicit Finance Data Lab. Register now 👇
- Reposted by David SzakonyiVery happy to have had the chance to present our work (w. @mattcollin.bsky.social & @szakonyi.bsky.social) on the effects of the Economic Crime Bill and its beneficial ownership transparency on secretive real estate ownership in the UK.
- How effective are transparency innovations in curbing offshore tax evasion? We’re spending the next two days examining the latest evidence on illicit financial flows. 🎙️ Opening remarks by @gabrielzucman.bsky.social. Can’t make it? Catch the full recording on our YouTube later this week!
- Reposted by David Szakonyi🧵 New version of our paper (@bcegerod.bsky.social) is finally online: "How Many is Enough? Sample Size in Staggered Difference-in-Differences Designs" We show that even well-identified DiD studies are often underpowered; sample sizes needed are surprisingly large Paper: osf.io/preprints/os... 1/6
- Reposted by David Szakonyi"Like refusing to finance an oil drilling site but still buying shares in the drilling company." Over 20 financial institutions have pledged not to finance deep sea mining, but several of the same banks invest in companies preparing to mine the seabed for minerals. 🤔 www.dw.com/en/the-hidde...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiAmid the furore over US claims to Greenland, a close Trump ally has quietly gained control over a significant part of Germany’s energy infrastructure, including a pipeline company supplying military airfields.
- Ausgerechnet zum Höhepunkt der Trumpschen Grönland-Krise hat das Bundeswirtschaftsministerium grünes Licht für eine brisante Übernahme gegeben: Ein Trump-Buddy übernimmt die Kontrolle über wichtige Teile der deutschen Energieinfrastruktur #Tanquid www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiOn 5 February join @szakonyi.bsky.social @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social & Tom Mayne for a deep dive into the potential for leaked data to underpin illicit finance research. David will present a new ACDC study into the effectiveness of de-risking as an AML tool, based on data from the #CongoHoldUp.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiRecently published in @itaxjournal.bsky.social "Safely opening Pandora’s box: a guide for researchers working with leaked data" by Annette Alstadsæter, Matthew Collin ( @mattcollin.bsky.social ) & Andreas Økland (@andokl.bsky.social) Available at: rdcu.be/eZfQl
- Reposted by David SzakonyiNicolás Maduro Charged With Felony Oil Possession
- Reposted by David SzakonyiAbsolute lawlessness
- Greatest cover-up in history?
- Standard trolling by the admin, meant to distract. Challenge the move without letting it drown the news cycle!
- Reposted by David SzakonyiI am hiring a post-doctoral fellow (2 years) to work on all things political finance in Africa. There are no teaching obligations, and lots of opportunities for fieldwork. A PhD in Political Science is a requirement. Please spread the word! Happy to answer questions - send them to my LSE email.
- 🚨We're #hiring! We're looking for a #Research #Fellow to join our team. The successful candidate will be part of the research project "Political #Finance in #Africa" led by Associate Professor @sarahbrierley.bsky.social for 2 years. 🗓️Apply by Monday 12 January 👇🏽 jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
- Further obvious evidence that allowing your cryptocurrency exchange to be used for money laundering is a really really bad idea decrypt.co/350490/coinb...
- And just in time for the holidays! The perfect present for all your criminal and kleptocrat loved ones living abroad. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
- Epstein had kompromat on Trump and was prepared to take advantage of it
- Reposted by David Szakonyi🤔unusual indeed
- Reposted by David Szakonyi🤦♂️😈 "Thiel said that international financial bodies, which make it more difficult for people to shelter their wealth in tax havens, are one sign the antichrist may be amassing power & hastening Armageddon,saying: “It’s become quite difficult to hide one’s money.”" www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
- Come work with us!
- Are you interested in research on corruption/illicit finance/kleptocracy? We are hiring a Research Fellow at @acdatacollective.bsky.social: acdatacollective.org/wp-content/u... Please share in your networks, this could be a great gig.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiAre you interested in research on corruption/illicit finance/kleptocracy? We are hiring a Research Fellow at @acdatacollective.bsky.social: acdatacollective.org/wp-content/u... Please share in your networks, this could be a great gig.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiAcademic friends, what is the best place to run representative surveys in the US that is reasonably affordable? Recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiI have given in and started a Substack to write about illicit finance, development and data In my first post, I explain why we should be careful about citing the $312 billion statistic on the size of Chinese money laundering datadarkly.substack.com/p/exactly-ho...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiThe choice facing Switzerland is clear. It can cling to an outdated model of banking secrecy that represses press freedom, or it can align its laws with democratic standards, write Delphine Halgand-Mishra and @frederikobermaier.com. bit.ly/4p85SHj
- Happy ERC Announcement Day, everyone! And huge huge congrats to Jacob. So well deserved.
- I am honored to have been awarded an ERC Starting Grant towards my project "Governing elites since the dawn of modern democracy" (GETGOV). It allows me to continue to advance this research agenda; the goal is to build a database on governing elites from 1789 and up to today + much more. #ERCStG
- Reposted by David SzakonyiGreat to have @szakonyi.bsky.social present his new book project in the keynote speech at the WhoGov 2025 workshop at @statsvitenskap.bsky.social ! The last two days have been full of exciting presentations on elite research by a great group of researchers!
- Reposted by David Szakonyispeechless
- Reposted by David SzakonyiToday, @catiebailard.bsky.social and I take the reins at GW's Institute for Data, Democracy + Politics! We'll work to make IDDP a one-stop shop for research on misinfo, platform manipulation, and threats to democratic ideals. To follow our work + learn about opportunities, visit: bit.ly/45GLggi
- Reposted by David SzakonyiWe are really excited to welcome so many excellent scholars to Oslo for our WhoGov workshop/mini conference on political elites on September 1-2. If you are in or around Oslo and want to join for a session or a day, please reach out. You can find the program here: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wp9m6...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiNew @publiccitizen.bsky.social report: The Trump admin is deleting enforcement against Big Tech lawbreaking amidst the industry's BILLION-dollar influence efforts. Turns out in Trump's techno-swamp, tech insiders are immune & "tough on crime" rhetoric is just for punishing the poor.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiVery happy to announce the publication of Workplace Politics, with @szakonyi.bsky.social and Ora John Reuter. Drawing on data from 8 countries with a deep-dive on Russia, we examine when, why, and how politicians and employers pressure their workers to vote in elections. academic.oup.com/book/60445
- Reposted by David Szakonyi#DRC🇨🇩: A new @pplaaf.bsky.social investigation reveals construction subcontracts worth $70M were awarded to a company linked to Minister Guy Loando."Fighting against impunity is essential to defend the public services that have been denied to the 🇨🇩 population." said PPLAAF. 🔗 👉: pplaaf.pro/4kQQBr5
- Reposted by David SzakonyiGreat article from @szakonyi.bsky.social on what is being lost with the closure of Russian election monitor Golos: www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/11/w...
- It was painful to write an obituary, from an academic's perspective, for one of Russia's most important civil society organizations @themoscowtimes.com www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/11/w...
- Our new report is out today!
- 🔴 How can a captured bank become an engine of grand corruption❓ Our new briefing dives deep into the Congo Hold-Up investigation to reveal the tactics used to embezzle and launder funds through BGFIBank in the Democratic Republic of Congo. acdatacollective.org/work/inside-...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiFinancial institutions are the arteries of modern economies—but when captured, they become pipelines for illicit wealth. @acdatacollective.bsky.social's new brief "Inside the Congo Hold-Up" shows how BGFIBank DRC was hijacked by the Kabila regime to launder public funds. 🔗 bit.ly/ACDCPolicyBr...
- Reposted by David Szakonyi🚨New working paper🚨 w/ @jeannebomare.bsky.social We use data leaked from the Isle of Man to understand how well international agreements meant to provide tax authorities with info on foreign accounts actually work We find that tax authorities probably receive a lot less than they would desire 🧵👇
- Reposted by David SzakonyiJoin @szakonyi.bsky.social presenting our new paper on the schemes and tricks deployed at BGFIBank DRC to embezzle and launder public funds, as revealed by the #CongoHoldUp investigations.
- 🚨 Upcoming ACE Seminar Inside the Congo Hold-Up: How a Captured Bank Enabled Grand Corruption 🗓️ 10 July 2025 🕓 4–5 PM UK Time 💻 Online 🔗 Register: bit.ly/aceseminar8 @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social @sussexscsc.bsky.social @szakonyi.bsky.social @acdatacollective.bsky.social
- What’s even more puzzling is that the media will cease to exist if they choose not to hold this current regime accountable and cover it for what it is
- Reposted by David SzakonyiIf I'm reading this correctly, then Yarvin wants the role of führer to be awarded via a Wings of Voice-style competition www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiGood work here from my friend and colleague Andrei Yakovlev www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/putin...
- Reposted by David Szakonyi10/🧵 Read my full analysis in my latest:
- In retrospect, insanity
- Investigate and make this a story about today. Especially if and when the SEC refuses to.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiThe surviving types of studio movies: - Brutal horror-comedy shot in Australia - Ordinary Man Has Awesome Kill Skills - Authorized musician biopic - Christian film that looks like Skyrizi ad - Arch auteurist bit from 31yo A24 guy - Christopher Nolan (biennial) - 2010-style raunch comedy (biennial)
- Incredible line-up at this year's Russia Program event at GWU, April 18 here in DC I'll be there debuting work from my new book on technocrats Details and RSVP here 👇 therussiaprogram.org/conference_2...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiBut wait, there is more Great reporting by Der Spiegel, Full story: www.spiegel.de/internationa...
- Reposted by David Szakonyi🚨 Developed by Transparency International and the @acdatacollective.bsky.social, the new Opacity in Real Estate Ownership (OREO) Index exposes major vulnerabilities in how countries prevent dirty money from entering property markets. Check it out! ➡️ anticorru.pt/3aq
- Over 2 million people in the US have access to classified information, and would be punished immediately for divulging “attack plans”. Same goes for all those in uniform Trump letting his team get off creates huge electoral vulnerabilities
- Transparency works, but only with enforcement and public access! Check out our brand new OREO Index that launched today from @acdatacollective.bsky.social and @anticorruption.bsky.social : www.transparency.org/en/news/unve...
- @mattcollin.bsky.social discussing the impact of Beneficial Ownership reporting on real estate at Knowledge Partner Sessions. 🇺🇸 BO reporting directly to government didn't deter high-risk investments 🇬🇧 public BO data had a positive impact, due to transparency for civil society & journalists
- But we were told that appeasing dictators would deter them from further abusing their power?
- 🚨New paper alert! 🚨 What happens when the opposition takes power under authoritarian regimes? What can Putin-era Russia teach us about how to challenge dictators? tl/dr: create a credible alternative and fight corruption onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.... @ajpseditor.bsky.social 1/
- Most dictatorships allow some form of opposition to contest power. What happens when the opposition actually wins elections, say at lower levels? We often assume limited power means little change. 2/
- In 2017, a new “Political Uber” strategy helped opposition candidates surprise the regime and take control of a quarter of municipal councils in Moscow. They even swept all the seats in Putin’s "home" district. Check out @ygorokho.bsky.social 's amazing work for how they did it. 3/
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View full threadRead the full study to see how local victories can reshape power under authoritarianism. 📖💡 And a special thanks to the Declarator Project (declarator.org) for their collaboration! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.... /end
- instead of offering grants to local newspapers, why not just buy thousands (millions) of print subscriptions and send them directly to people's mailboxes?
- Reposted by David SzakonyiWe're proud to join this call for greater transparency & integrity at #COP30 + other critical climate conferences. Our report on COP29 showed how ambitious climate action is threatened by corruption & undue influence. Brazil & UNFCC must set a new standard. acdatacollective.org/work/cop-co-...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiIf you live in one of the 50 states, you have an important political power that I (a resident of DC) do not: you have a senator. And I'm asking you to take 5 minutes today to use that power to speak up for my family, my city, and our county by calling your senators and asking them to oppose the CR
- It turns out implementing decent laws can deter dirty money in real estate (ahem US!) Check out our updated working paper on how the effects of transparency on offshore investment in Londongrad
- 1/ 📊 The UK’s beneficial ownership transparency law for offshore-owned real estate is a significant step forward in tackling illicit investment. Our research shows that it’s working by reducing investment from tax havens. But there’s more to the story... 👇 taxobservatory.eu/publication/...
- Reposted by David Szakonyi[This post could not be retrieved]
- Reposted by David SzakonyiCoinbase Chief Legal Officer: the critics who think we’ve bought out the government are refusing to engage with the nuanced and complicated fact that Trump used to be anti-crypto before we started spending hundreds of millions of dollars on politics
- Reposted by David SzakonyiLet's call this what it is—the selling off of the collective assets of the United States to private investors—a massive transfer of wealth from the public sector to (some wealthy) private individuals. (and the GSA will likely lease a significant portion back, reinforcing the wealth transfer).
- Reposted by David SzakonyiLooking forward to this today. The book has gone from Harvard to Columbia and now GWU. Last seen in New York. Thanks for hosting us @szakonyi.bsky.social
- 🏛️ DC area followers - don't miss this book talk at GWU, 2.27.25 📖 Indulging Kleptocracy: British Service Providers, Postcommunist Elites, and the Enabling of Corruption @jheathershaw.bsky.social, @tenaprelec.bsky.social & Tom Mayne. Mod. @szakonyi.bsky.social calendar.gwu.edu/event/indulg...
- they are playing him like a fool www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
- What if government isn't the problem, very rich people are
- Reposted by David SzakonyiFact Checking Russia's Invasion of Ukraine with PONARS Ukraine Task Force: www.ponarseurasia.org/task-forces/...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiGreat initiative by @ponarseurasia.bsky.social. Journalists, please note the easy links to experts available for commentary.
- The Russians sense that Trump just cares about making money and deals, and are trotting out the man with the most Western experience along those lines There's a quote from me in here as well www.economist.com/europe/2025/...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiCoinbase says that the SEC has agreed to drop the enforcement case against the company. It only cost them $75 million in political contributions.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiHow many federal workers would DOGE need to fire to make up for Musk not paying his fair share of taxes? Answer: 677,000. That's 44% of the entire non-DoD federal workforce. Again, this power grab is not about the budget. It’s about politics.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiThe DOGE firings have nothing to do with “efficiency” or “cutting waste.” They’re a direct push to weaken federal agencies perceived as liberal. This was evident from the start, and now the data confirms it: targeted agencies overwhelmingly those seen as more left-leaning. 🧵⬇️
- Reposted by David Szakonyi🏛️ DC area followers - don't miss this book talk at GWU, 2.27.25 📖 Indulging Kleptocracy: British Service Providers, Postcommunist Elites, and the Enabling of Corruption @jheathershaw.bsky.social, @tenaprelec.bsky.social & Tom Mayne. Mod. @szakonyi.bsky.social calendar.gwu.edu/event/indulg...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiThe failure of sanctions against Russia's oligarch class, in one graph One year after the invasion of Ukraine, net worth (as measured by Forbes) of Russian billionaires had *mostly* recovered
- Great story revealing German prosecutors’ investigation of Roman Abramovich Very encouraging that sanctions and anti-corruption enforcement not dead in the water worldwide.
- Im Visier deutscher Ermittler: Die Staatsanwaltschaft geht gegen den sanktionierten russischen Milliardär Roman Abramowitsch vor. Im Mittelpunkt stehen offenbar eine Villa in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, zwei Bugattis, ein Mercedes und ein Lamborghini. www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/r...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiFor years, the US has led the pack on the investigation and enforcement of foreign bribery. Wednesday’s memo by AG Pam Bondi shifting DoJ focus away from cases that aren’t linked to drug cartels puts that in jeopardy. 📊 From @anticorruption.bsky.social's 2022 Exporting Corruption report.
- Seems like a good time to re-up a piece of mine from December where I argue that American oligarchs won't nearly be as constrained as their counterparts in 1990s Russia www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/12/13/a...
- I argue much depends on public perceptions Russian oligarchs also controlled media, but were despised by the public for how they grew rich. That made them vulnerable under Putin. Just as dependent on political connections, American oligarchs are still seen by many as self-made heroes of capitalism
- Second, American oligarchs’ policy goal of limiting the state sadly aligns with much rhetoric in conservative circles. So far their attacks on institutions have been met with shrugs, and even enthusiasm On the other hand, Russians saw their oligarchs’ goals more clearly: naked, self-serving greed.
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View full threadRather than focusing on which agencies and regulations are being targeted, campaigns should hammer home how rich people running the government almost inevitably makes the poor worse off.
- Reposted by David SzakonyiCase studies from around the world have shown sovereign wealth funds to be highly susceptible to corruption, including embezzlement, fraud, and political exploitation. As @szakonyi.bsky.social recently wrote, data disclosure is critical for mitigating risks. acdatacollective.org/blog/a-veil-...
- Reposted by David SzakonyiHaving watched with growing alarm the developments of the last 24 and 36 hours in Washington, I thought I’d take a stab at how the US media would cover this story if it was happening in a foreign country. Here’s that story that should be written this weekend: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/musk-s-jun...
