What will become of The Epoch Times after money laundering scandal?

I'm putting this in Secret Societies because this article is about a religious group and their secret activities; and the fundraising around what is widely considered one of the world's fastest growing cults.

First the news: Link

The arrest of an executive at The Epoch Times in a money-laundering scheme this week has drawn attention to a media outlet that has lived largely in the shadows since its founding in 2000 and a transformation during the Trump administration.

Federal prosecutors in New York charged Weidong “Bill” Guan of Secaucus, N.J., chief financial officer of The Epoch Times, of steering at least $67 million in criminal proceeds, much from fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits, to the company, its affiliates and himself. Guan pleaded not guilty but was suspended by The Epoch Times, which agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Now, a little bit of background, so everyone is on the same page.

The Epoch Times has been around for about two decades. They are the fundraising and the propaganda arm of a religion called the Falun Gong, often called a cult. Falun Gong was started by a Chinese national, Li Hongzhi, in China, during the 1990s. They have since moved their headquarters to New York, and are now based out of a sprawling 500 acre property in NY.

Li Hongzhi wrote all the religious texts for the religion, and they are very, very strict about what people can do, and how they should behave. He is looked at as a semi-deity and his proclamations are cannon. While some things they do, such as daily meditation for good health, are positive and seem normal, others are pretty far out there. They believe each person is divine and we need to get back to that level. They believe they should not distance themselves from society and should have normal jobs that provide for their community. They believe sex is only used for procreation, and has no place in normal lives — it is to be abstained from. Because sex is only for procreation, there can only be sex between a man and a woman. They believe in extraterrestrials and think that everything from airplanes to computers has been given to us by aliens, or has been copied by us. For more details, research Falun Gong, and you can start here.

Many people who quote or read The Epoch Times falsely believe this to be a Christian newspaper, likely due to the very well chosen name to make you believe that. But as much as Christians follow the Bible and the teachings of Jesus, in the same manner the adherents of Falun Gong, and the publishers of The Epoch Times, feel that about Li Hongzhi, the founder of the cult. They are not Christian in any way; it's a religion based on Chinese traditions and history.

________________________________________

So, now that we know the background of The Epoch Times and Falun Gong, and now that we know that The Epoch Times would not exist if its purpose were not to secretly, and illegally, raise funds for the growth of the cult — what do WE do now?

Even if The Epoch Times survives this scandal, and Weidong Guan wins the case for money laundering, do the rest of us want to keep giving any money to such a secret entity? Do we want to assist in any way those who have lied to us? Do we want to keep funding the growth and the expansion of a religious cult that didn't want us to know any of that?

And what about John Tang, the founder of The Epoch Times and a practicing member in Falun Gong; did he know nothing what his right-hand finance man was doing? Hard to believe, right? To be the founder and the CEO, and for 20+ years, and tens of millions of stolen dollars later, not to know what is happening right under your nose.

I think we'll be hearing much more about this. An actual, real-life conspiracy of such proportions, encompassing everything from secret societies and religions, financial scandal and foreign nationals... all the way to aliens — well, that's just bread and butter of ATS, ain't it?

Yikes. What's going on? This guy now, and you have Steve Bannon's right hand man Gou Weingui or Miles Guo, Miles Kwok and Ho Wan Kwok (pick your favorite name) on trial now for defrauding followers who invested in various ventures out of a billion dollars.

ATS has never been interested in who is behind Epoch times. I think most of the public who donate, will still do so as long as Epoch reports the same type of story that scare/anger them. They live for that rush they get from those emotions. Not too concerned about the person pimping the words they like to hear. They can excuse it, or claim it's fake, a directed attack, etc.

Ooh ooh! I think I got this!

THIS is why NYC allows Chinese police to search for Chinese nationals out of secret police stations.

Did I get this right?

originally posted by: frogs453
ATS has never been interested in who is behind Epoch times. I think most of the public who donate, will still do so as long as Epoch reports the same type of story that scare/anger them. They live for that rush they get from those emotions. Not too concerned about the person pimping the words they like to hear. They can excuse it, or claim it's fake, a directed attack, etc.

Yeah, but more and more people are becoming informed now. They can't just wallow in ignorance. Or they could, but at least they know that the publishers don't actually believe any of those things they publish. They are just saying them because they know it will raise funds, and then they turn those funds to their own religious goals.

originally posted by: Mahogani

originally posted by: frogs453
ATS has never been interested in who is behind Epoch times. I think most of the public who donate, will still do so as long as Epoch reports the same type of story that scare/anger them. They live for that rush they get from those emotions. Not too concerned about the person pimping the words they like to hear. They can excuse it, or claim it's fake, a directed attack, etc.

Yeah, but more and more people are becoming informed now. They can't just wallow in ignorance. Or they could, but at least they know that the publishers don't actually believe any of those things they publish. They are just saying them because they know it will raise funds, and then they turn those funds to their own religious goals.

This is kind of a roundabout reply but pertinent.

Because just like ATS, when a story or OP is presented that isn’t favorable, we tend to go after the OP and not the story itself.

I believe this is called Ad Hominem.

So. Is the story here the mishandling of funds and fraud, or a subtle takedown of Epoch Times via the owners and founders or the slander of a cult hunted by the CCP?

a reply to: Mahogani

Are you aware that some of us have been saying this for over a decade?

originally posted by: SteamyAmerican

So. Is the story here the mishandling of funds and fraud, or a subtle takedown of Epoch Times via the owners and founders or the slander of a cult hunted by the CCP?

It's all the same story.

They were 'mishandling' the funds because the true purpose of the newspaper was that it was a finance arm of the religious cult, and they will publish anything that sells because the end result is more money for Falun Gong. They don't have to believe in it, it just has to sell.

You can't separate one from the other when it's all part of the same financial con.

a reply to: SteamyAmerican

I'm not going after the OP at all. I guess I'm not surprised that two people affiliated with bastions of the extreme right, Epoch and Bannon consort with people who defraud every day Americans. And ATS has been very supportive of the Epoch times owner.

They all deserve to burn. What has any media done for humanity? Their sole purpose in today’s times is to manipulate, brainwash and divide us so we don’t become united in any way shape or form. Apparently TPTB are aware that when everyone collectively realizes that they’ve been getting f’d, they know their next.

Bring back the town crier’s outside town hall so we can lynch them on the spot when they get it wrong. 😁

originally posted by: Mahogani

originally posted by: SteamyAmerican

So. Is the story here the mishandling of funds and fraud, or a subtle takedown of Epoch Times via the owners and founders or the slander of a cult hunted by the CCP?

It's all the same story.

They were 'mishandling' the funds because the true purpose of the newspaper was that it was a finance arm of the religious cult, and they will publish anything that sells because the end result is more money for Falun Gong. They don't have to believe in it, it just has to sell.

You can't separate one from the other when it's all part of the same financial con.

It’s a fair assessment

Now then and more to the point

What stories have been published by ET that are false?

originally posted by: frogs453
a reply to: SteamyAmerican

I'm not going after the OP at all. I guess I'm not surprised that two people affiliated with bastions of the extreme right, Epoch and Bannon consort with people who defraud every day Americans. And ATS has been very supportive of the Epoch times owner.

Rather a blanket statement of ATS and their feelings for a dubious newspaper or it’s owner Bannon is a gasbag.

I mean I like reading it because they print factual stories with different tales I don’t see anywhere else in print.

Don’t mean I trust the owners of it, or any other printed matter any farther then I can throw them.

That ship sailed a couple decades ago.

originally posted by: SteamyAmerican
What stories have been published by ET that are false?

I don't read them very much at all. I couldn't give you a list. However, there are those that do this sort of stuff.

I'd start with something like this, they have a few examples:

Link

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Mahogani

Are you aware that some of us have been saying this for over a decade?

When Epoch Times became subscription only, about 2 years ago, that signaled their end.

a reply to: SteamyAmerican

I seem to remember that they were the first, or about the first "news" org to break the story of Hunter's laptop revelation. Could all of this maybe be true, but originating in a reprisal to that oh, so, dastardly deed? After all, don't we know today who carries the big stick that whacks people?3

originally posted by: CosmicFocus
a reply to: SteamyAmerican

I seem to remember that they were the first, or about the first "news" org to break the story of Hunter's laptop revelation. Could all of this maybe be true, but originating in a reprisal to that oh, so, dastardly deed? After all, don't we know today who carries the big stick that whacks people?3

Nope not them. The NY Post broke that story.

a reply to: Mahogani

Ha .. the phrase "and stay free" comes to mind

or maybe they wont.

originally posted by: KrustyKrab

originally posted by: rigel4
a reply to: Mahogani

Ha .. the phrase "and stay free" comes to mind

or maybe they wont.

So does “who cares”

Yuppers

a reply to: hangedman13

As for breaking the story on the internet, it was multiple releases from that quarter from the ET's that got the early, major attention to the story with released videos directly from the laptop.

Falun Gong is a heavy duty anti-CCP anti-Communist org. It's no wonder they may have been infiltrated and set up.

The CCP operating in America (along with MSS China Ministry of State Security) has thousands of active agents working. 💥