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17 Most Corrupt Industries

Want to retain your honor? Don't get into these professions

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted May 2, 2010 5:17 AM CDT

(Newser) – Goldman Sachs got you convinced Wall Street is the most corrupt place to work? Not quite: The Daily Beast worked with an anti-corruption research organization to determine the 17 most corrupt industries in America. The top five, along with representative examples:

  1. Utilities: FirstEnergy allegedly covered up a reactor head that was ready to blow, then spent more than $33 million to avoid criminal charges.
  2. Wall Street/Securities: Two words: Bernie Madoff.

  1. Telecommunications: WorldCom was once at the top of the telecom game, but when things started going downhill, it claimed $11 billion it didn’t have, and later filed for bankruptcy.
  2. Construction: Three former employees of a Texas-based construction company were indicted for fraudulently charging $560,000 in goods and services on a work-related credit card.
  3. Media: In 2001, Salon exposed major radio companies that were playing songs because a record label paid them to—and not disclosing it on the air. Ultimately, four major chains agreed to play 4000 hours of independent label music to make up for it.
For the complete list, click here.

140,000 petition signatures asking Attorney General Eric Holder for a criminal investigation of Goldman Sachs are displayed at the Justice Department in Washington, Wednesday, April 28, 2010.
140,000 petition signatures asking Attorney General Eric Holder for a criminal investigation of Goldman Sachs are displayed at the Justice Department in Washington, Wednesday, April 28, 2010.   (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
A protester holds a sign after marching from Goldman Sachs office to a rally in Federal Plaza demanding Wall Street reform, Wednesday, April 28, 2010, in Chicago.
A protester holds a sign after marching from Goldman Sachs office to a rally in Federal Plaza demanding Wall Street reform, Wednesday, April 28, 2010, in Chicago.   (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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Movie example no. 1: Erin Brockovich   (BomChickaWummWumm)
Movie example no. 2: Wall Street 2   (vmano91)
Movie example no. 3: Fun With Dick and Jane   (youaremybeautiful)
Movie example no. 4: The Towering Inferno   (MoviesOnTCM)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 18 comments
Face-Of-RNC
May 3, 2010 1:25 PM CDT
By the way, First Energy did not allegedly cover-up a reactor vessel head that was about to blow. What they allegedly covered up was they didn't do the inspection in a timely manner, and use due diligence, to ensure the reactor vessel head still had good integrity. The NRC was somewhat complicit in this because when they were asked for a continuance on the inspection until an outage took place six months later, they granted the continuance, meaning the inspection did not occur on time. During the outage, the inspection was again put off, after someone signed off that it was done. This saved down-time and made it possible for the plant managers to enjoy a larger bonus. Finally the corrosion products were noticed and an inspection was performed revealing a large corrosion hole in the head, and when it was discovered, the plant was shut down. The state of Ohio can thank it's lucky stars. And they can thank the republican administrations of Bush Sr, and Jr, and Clinton wasn't much less guilty of removing the teeth from the bite of the NRC, and requiring the NRC to give utilities more slack in the operation of their nuclear plants. Twenty years ago the utility wouldn't have even asked for the continuance because the answer would have been not just no, but hell no.
sirgil
May 2, 2010 1:35 PM CDT
Did the Beast leave any industry not corrupt???
thejoint00
May 2, 2010 12:47 PM CDT
it seems to me that the government has it's hands in every issue on this list. why 17 but not 20? real estate? immigration? transportation?
 

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