Political Corruption

A former bodyguard for Charles Taylor gave an insider's view Wednesday of the former Liberian president's rule, testifying that he funneled arms, fighters, communications equipment and cash to rebels in Sierra Leone who were notorious for their brutality.

Four of the seven public agencies that voluntarily participate in Orange County's investment portfolio have withdrawn almost all their cash in recent months amid concerns over Treasurer Chriss Street, and others are reviewing whether to keep their money in the pool, according to public finance managers. Voluntary investors in the pool make up a small fraction of the total, and the amount withdrawn -- just under $4 million -- is a pittance in the county's overall $6.95-billion investment fund.

Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Roseville), who has been under scrutiny for his ties to a corrupt lobbyist, announced Thursday that he would not seek reelection in November. A top Democratic target for defeat, Doolittle was under pressure to bow out of the race from GOP colleagues who have sought to get out from under an ethics cloud that contributed to the party's loss of its congressional majority in the 2006 elections.

The illiterate farmer has hardly slept for weeks, and when he does he has nightmares. His breathing is irregular; his brow heavy. The source of his anxiety? A tower of cardboard boxes in the next room. Filled with ants. After more than four decades of backbreaking work tilling the soil, Li Fanghai, 62, and his wife had managed to save $11,000, which they invested in ant farming. These ants were far more than uninvited picnic guests, the couple were told.

Stepping up their defense of former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona, attorneys on Friday asked a federal judge to exclude as evidence secret recordings of conversations between a top aide and Carona in the weeks before he was indicted on corruption charges. One of the seven charges against Carona alleges that he tried to persuade Donald Haidl, his former assistant sheriff and close friend, to withhold information from a federal grand jury.

As former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona prepares for trial on criminal charges that he sold access to his office for cash, favors and gifts, he has retained the best lawyers money can buy. And he's getting them nearly free of charge. Jones Day, the fourth-largest law firm in the United States, with 2,300 lawyers worldwide and estimated annual revenue of $1.3 billion, has agreed to represent Carona on a pro bono basis.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, who drew heavy criticism last fall for using campaign funds for world travel and luxury purchases, continued to spend thousands of dollars on airfare and gifts in the last six months, according to financial reports made public Thursday.

In his inaugural address this week, President Lee Myung-bak used the story of his own escape from poverty to urge fellow South Koreans to "work hard to realize their dreams." He recalled how, as "a boy from the countryside who could not even eat regular meals," he rose to become a successful businessman and eventually won the top job in the land. But in recent years there has been a quicker way to get rich in South Korea: real estate speculation.

Deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned today from 17 months in exile, and police immediately took him into custody on corruption charges at an airport where thousands of supporters awaited his arrival. Thaksin, a 58-year-old billionaire ousted in September 2006, could face a maximum of 15 years in prison on corruption charges in two cases that date to his time in office. "I have to restore my reputation, which has been tarnished by the coup," he said.

Lawyers for former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona made one of the most pivotal arguments in his corruption case Friday, asking a judge to prohibit jurors from hearing secret recordings in which Carona reportedly discussed hiding evidence that he illegally received cash and gifts. Carona's lawyers said the recordings should be excluded because federal law prohibits prosecutors from contacting a target who has an attorney, even through a third party.