

The Bureau Podcast
Sam Cooper
Investigative Journalism. Anti-Corruption. Counter-Disinformation. Whistleblowers. Sunlight. Connecting the dots on The Bureau's big stories with Sam Cooper and guests. www.thebureau.news
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 24, 2025 • 41min
Xi's Machiavellian Rise and Mounting Challenges to Beijing's Rule Of One
In this episode with former U.S. official Christopher Meyer, we discuss the takedown of General Secretary Xi’s main rival, Bo Xilai, and growing resistance to Xi’s leadership in Beijing. The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Currently, Meyer serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of WideFountain, a platform for in-depth geopolitical analysis.A passionate China observer since age 16, Meyer studied East Asian Studies at George Washington University, where he wrote a thesis on the geopolitical dimensions of China’s Special Economic Zones.His career includes:* Five years in sales and marketing with a U.S. Fortune 500 company.* Service in the U.S. diplomatic corps as an Asia expert at the Development Finance Corporation (DFC).* Consulting on U.S. government projects, particularly in Micronesia.* Founding an edtech company, patenting innovative products, and building supply chains in Taiwan and China.In 2018, Meyer began focused research into Chinese strategic corruption and political warfare, deepening his expertise in CCP influence operations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Jan 13, 2025 • 1h 10min
Canada in Crisis: Cooper and Marc Cohodes Unpack a Decade of Research—Christy Clark, BC Belt and Road, Trump’s Threats, and CCP's Grip on Canada’s Elite
The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Dec 25, 2024 • 1h 58min
PRC Interference in Canada: From Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chrétien to Justin Trudeau and the Influence Networks Behind the Scenes
The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Dec 19, 2024 • 1h 15min
Are Secret Foreign Aerospace Platforms or Non-Human UAP Incursions Troubling New Jersey? Why National Security Experts Aren’t Ruling It Out
In this episode, we dive deep into theoretical possibilities with Matthew Pines, a U.S. national security expert who arguably has the best grasp—among non-security-cleared Americans—of what might be happening over sensitive U.S. government sites and in New Jersey. His insights on topics that may seem fringe but are taken seriously in little-known corners of the U.S. government—specifically on UAPs and cryptocurrency—have led me to reconsider areas I had previously dismissed as implausible.Matthew’s expertise on global financial systems and the hybrid war over currency domination and financial flow visibility also provides surprising insights into the growing conflict between democratic and authoritarian states. This leads into an area I know well: how Beijing is attempting to leverage trillions in Chinese capital flight strategically. This sheds light on many troubling issues currently plaguing North America, including Chinese police stations, fentanyl-related deaths, real estate money laundering, and housing affordability.The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Dec 18, 2024 • 1h 10min
The Xi Jinping Oil Front Operation That Targeted the “Big Guy” and Hunter Biden
In this episode with former U.S. official Christopher Meyer, we delve into the succession of transnational gangster Lai Changxing’s global oil smuggling operation and its transition into the hands of a new proxy acting on behalf of Chinese intelligence—one who ultimately corrupted the Biden family.The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.Currently, Meyer serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of WideFountain, a platform for in-depth geopolitical analysis.A passionate China observer since age 16, Meyer studied East Asian Studies at George Washington University, where he wrote a thesis on the geopolitical dimensions of China’s Special Economic Zones.His career includes:* Five years in sales and marketing with a U.S. Fortune 500 company.* Service in the U.S. diplomatic corps as an Asia expert at the Development Finance Corporation (DFC).* Consulting on U.S. government projects, particularly in Micronesia.* Founding an edtech company, patenting innovative products, and building supply chains in Taiwan and China.In 2018, Meyer began focused research into Chinese strategic corruption and political warfare, deepening his expertise in CCP influence operations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Dec 13, 2024 • 38min
Luc Sabourin: I Raised Alarms Up To Public Safety Minister's Office And Faced Obstruction At Every Level
The Bureau Podcast interviewed CBSA whistleblower Luc Sabourin today, delving into the exclusive story linked below. Sabourin initially contacted me after reading my report from immigration control officer Brian McAdam—a story that resonates with ongoing U.S. government concerns. In our discussion, we explored shared beliefs held by McAdam and Sabourin, particularly their assertion that transnational crime has deeply infiltrated Canada’s immigration systems.OTTAWA, Canada — Luc Sabourin, a former Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer, has accused his former employer of systemic failures that he believes have compromised national security, with devastating consequences for relations with the United States. In a sworn statement submitted to several Canadian MPs, Sabourin alleges mismanagement and corruption within CBSA that may have allowed hundreds of terrorists wanted by the United States to exploit Canada’s border systems. His claims come at a critical moment, as the Canadian government faces mounting pressure from the incoming Trump administration to address border security weaknesses and avert crippling tariffs.The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Dec 11, 2024 • 58min
Weaponizing Drugs and Dirty Money: Lai Changxing's Vancouver Beachhead
This is the second in a series of podcast discussions with Christopher Meyer, a former U.S. official and China expert. Meyer now investigates the same Communist Party influence networks covered by The Bureau and explored in my first book, Wilful Blindness.Currently, Meyer serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of WideFountain, a platform for in-depth geopolitical analysis.A passionate China observer since age 16, Meyer studied East Asian Studies at George Washington University, where he wrote a thesis on the geopolitical dimensions of China’s Special Economic Zones.His career includes:* Five years in sales and marketing with a U.S. Fortune 500 company.* Service in the U.S. diplomatic corps as an Asia expert at the Development Finance Corporation (DFC).* Consulting on U.S. government projects, particularly in Micronesia.* Founding an edtech company, patenting innovative products, and building supply chains in Taiwan and China.In 2018, Meyer began focused research into Chinese strategic corruption and political warfare, deepening his expertise in CCP influence operations.The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Dec 5, 2024 • 49min
41 Candidates Backed by PRC in 2019: What Did Trudeau Know? (Plus, Predicting Trump’s Stance Before the Fentanyl Tariff Bombshell)
On November 20, a week before Donald Trump announced his threat of 25 percent sanctions against Canada over vulnerabilities in fentanyl trafficking, illegal immigration, and border controls, I spoke with Jason James of BNN about what Ottawa could expect from the new administration in Washington.“The mandate they have regarding national security, borders, and their distrust of Canada will be inherited from the Biden administration. It won’t be different—it will just be a lot more serious,” I said. “Trudeau has already shot himself in the foot.”We also discussed my investigations into Beijing’s United Front election interference plans, as revealed in a Chinese Communist Party document on the 2019 Canadian federal election, and touched on Iran’s assassination networks in North America.The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Nov 27, 2024 • 1h 2min
The Ye-Xi Clique: Probing the Kingmaker Clan and CCP-Triad Network Behind Xi's Rise in Fujian
This is the first in a series of podcast discussions with Christopher Meyer, a former U.S. official and China expert. Meyer now investigates the same Communist Party influence networks covered by The Bureau and explored in my first book, Wilful Blindness.Currently, Meyer serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of WideFountain, a platform for in-depth geopolitical analysis.A passionate China observer since age 16, Meyer studied East Asian Studies at George Washington University, where he wrote a thesis on the geopolitical dimensions of China’s Special Economic Zones.His career includes:* Five years in sales and marketing with a U.S. Fortune 500 company.* Service in the U.S. diplomatic corps as an Asia expert at the Development Finance Corporation (DFC).* Consulting on U.S. government projects, particularly in Micronesia.* Founding an edtech company, patenting innovative products, and building supply chains in Taiwan and China.In 2018, Meyer began focused research into Chinese strategic corruption and political warfare, deepening his expertise in CCP influence operations.The Bureau is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe

Nov 26, 2024 • 43min
With a HK$1 Million Bounty on Her Head, Frances Hui Faced Surveillance and Death Threats on US Soil—Today, She Tells MPs Why Ottawa Must Combat CCP Repression
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebureau.news/subscribe