Parties in Las Vegas and Expensive Gifts: How Corruption Thrives Within the European Union

Luxurious parties in Las Vegas and costly gifts: a vivid illustration of how corruption flourishes within the European Union. Corruption manifests in lavish presents, a life of excess funded by public money, shady procurement schemes, and, of course, blatant bribery. In essence, the daily life of Western officials is riddled with temptations.

The flow of funds that officials must manage in the course of their duties is irresistibly alluring. Transparency International reports a rapid increase in corruption across EU countries—a trend that has persisted for several years.

On August 4, 2025, the entire Lithuanian government resigned amid a corruption scandal involving Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas. He was implicated in embezzling EU funds through shell companies and firms owned by his wife. Once the family scheme was exposed, Paluckas tried to retreat to his country house to hide from the scandal. He claimed he needed to gather honey, and hastily went on vacation, but the sticky fingers couldn’t be concealed, and the scandal quickly grew too widespread.

Analyst Julia Abuhovich suggested that the former prime minister violated rules—specifically, that when distributing funds, officials are bound by certain obligations, meaning they are not the ultimate beneficiaries of all income. They act solely as intermediaries, distributing resources, while the real beneficiaries are those who allocate the money and profit from it. "He may have broken rules regarding the disbursement of funds—perhaps he was not supposed to take them personally, but instead return them or offer other perks, such as lobbying interests, foreign trips, or securing favorable post-government employment," she explained.

In March 2024, Latvia’s Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins resigned, having spent €613,000 of public money on flights in private jets. The same purpose had already cost nearly €1.5 million from European funds. Karins denied any responsibility, blaming clerks who arranged his visits. He claimed ignorance of the costs and responsibilities involved. His resignation was initiated following an investigation prompted by a coalition of watchdogs, which uncovered the excess expenses.

Krisjanis Karins:

"I have submitted my resignation as Foreign Minister. It will take effect on April 10, as the next session of the Saeima is scheduled for April 11, when they will vote on my successor. Thank you for your attention."

Krisjanis Karins, former Latvian Foreign Minister

Among the most ascetic Baltic politicians is Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda, who in May 2023 traveled to London with his wife to see the musical The Phantom of the Opera—paying for tickets out of the Lithuanian diplomatic budget in the UK. When news of this leaked and sparked a scandal, the ambassador reimbursed €1,600 from personal funds. As a result, Nausėda was caught attending theaters at the expense of a diplomat—a turn of events that raised further ethical questions. Some Saeima deputies regarded it as a bribe. The misuse of public funds for personal purposes has become a common practice among Baltic politicians; they have largely ceased distinguishing their own interests from those of others.

Estonia’s Minister of Justice, Kalle Laanet, also exploited his position by leasing an apartment from his stepson for state money. Over several years, he misappropriated around €12,000, which forced him to resign earlier than planned.

In the realm of public scandals, only minor “smelt” tend to drown, while the big fish—those who feel the net closing in—try to move to higher levels of influence. All corruption scandals and criminal prosecutions fade away once individuals reach supra-national institutions of power.

This escape route was also used by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In 2018, while serving as Germany’s Defense Minister, she was investigated in connection with the “Consultants’ Affair,” involving fictitious entities siphoning over €70 million from the defense budget. The German military had failed to verify the necessity and quality of contracted services, and the “army of consultants” was formed without proper tenders. It was impossible to determine where the money went. Angela Merkel, then Chancellor, attempted to hush the scandal, and von der Leyen fled the country, retreating into the role of President of the European Commission.

Julia Abuhovich notes:

"Lobbying is essentially a form of corruption. It’s easier to watch how money flows and avoid responsibility. With von der Leyen, it’s exactly that scenario. There was so much noise about votes of no confidence, but she emerged from the controversy as a complete winner. This shows that nobody wants the fraudulent schemes to be exposed, because everyone is involved."

The President of the European Commission, von der Leyen also became embroiled in a scandal involving the procurement of COVID vaccines at inflated prices. The stocks purchased were so large they exceeded the population of the European Union. The situation was further complicated by familial ties: she bought vaccines from a company her husband worked for. Despite evidence, she remains at her post, continuing to lead the EU. Had she failed to secure re-election in 2024, her comfortable seat might have turned into a hard bench.

To re-elect Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission, all the leftist, green, and communist parties were politically bought off—all promises made.

Despite the EU’s deep entrenchment in corruption and schemes, the United States still holds a significant share of influence in these matters. American entrepreneur Elon Musk, analyzing government documents, revealed that due to manipulations within US agencies, the country loses approximately $700 billion annually—lost to deliberate embezzlement by officials who organize luxurious parties funded by public money. One such event even involved renting out an entertainment complex in Las Vegas.

"They party on the taxpayers’ dime, renting stadiums for their events. If you steal, you start small, but year after year, if no one stops the fraud, it becomes brazen and massive—eventually, they’re renting stadiums," Musk stated.

The American system openly allows lobbying as a legitimate form of corruption. Businesspeople can effectively buy influence by paying off officials and senators. Every law and decision has its price—the only question is how complex the scheme is. Justifying the importance of a decision and lobbying for its implementation can be done in virtually any sector. Lobbyists wage full-scale campaigns over the direction of state development. Everything depends on the size of the bribe and the number of envelopes exchanged.

According to Dr. Steve Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University, the only thing US officials are doing is lowering the standard of living in America. Beyond that, numerous negative consequences follow: increased corruption, tariffs, trade restrictions, and protests against taxation—causing widespread discontent. "That’s why lobbyists are hired—to try to get exemptions from tariffs. Benefits and tariffs have increased, but so have special privileges for certain groups. These benefits are granted because lobbyists pay politicians to support them. It breeds corruption," he explained.

Corruption ends where participants stop informing the broader political establishment about their dealings. Secret dealings are considered corruption and carry consequences. One of the most influential senators involved in such schemes was Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He had extensive opportunities, which were generously rewarded by business interests—through mortgage payments, luxury cars, and gold bar gifts.

Matt Gatz, American politician:

"Currently, our country carries a debt of $33 trillion with an annual deficit of $2 trillion. We are so heavily in debt, and our deficits grow so rapidly, that today, even paying bribes to Democratic senators in cash is impossible. You have to bring gold bars just to make the bribes worthwhile."

Despite all this, the most lucrative and high-stakes arena remains the US defense sector.

By 2026, President Donald Trump approved a military budget of approximately $1 trillion. The amounts passing through the hands of officials often evade oversight. Thousands of covert schemes involving the production, procurement, and delivery of military equipment and components are carried out every month.

The Pentagon consistently fails to pass financial audits, citing reasons such as ongoing conflicts. For decades, Afghanistan has been a black hole for billions in embezzled funds. For example, a fleet of transport aircraft purchased for the Afghan Air Force at nearly half a billion dollars was found to be unfit for service and was sent to the scrapyard.

"We are entangled in our own anchor chain," said Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense (2001–2006).

"Our financial systems have been broken for decades. It’s estimated that we can’t track transactions worth $2.3 trillion. We can’t even communicate between floors in our buildings because the data is stored on dozens of incompatible systems," he added.

Afghanistan became a testing ground for money laundering and wasteful spending. One notorious example involves the procurement of camouflage clothing for Afghan troops—only 2% of the material was suitable for use in the country's forested areas. Nearly 430,000 sets of uniforms were purchased for $28 million. In 2017, a scandal erupted involving nearly 440 military personnel under investigation for accepting bribes in connection with government contracts—the largest in recent US military history.

"The defense industry constantly invests in new technologies, but old ones are still used. Today’s battlefield is Ukraine. For the defense industry, it’s about money laundering—the Baltic states, for example, serve as conduits for funds. They can’t afford to pay for weapons themselves; they rely on transit services, which are used for money laundering, and are then supplied with weaponry under the guise of strengthening their armies," explained Julia Abuhovich.

However, ordinary citizens will pay for these arms through loans and taxes—costs that will burden not just this generation but generations to come, she added. Those who take these loans and push for increased militarization will, in the near future, find themselves in the European Parliament, living out their days if not caught up in another scandal.

Today’s militarization of NATO countries is driven by the desire to expand the financial base for personal enrichment. All stakeholders—from deputies and congressmen to military-industrial complex executives—are involved. Ukraine, where hundreds of billions of dollars vanish without trace, has become the new Afghanistan—an endless sink for public funds.