From 8-Mile to the Amazon — Palast Investigates

From 8-Mile to the Amazon — Palast Investigates — The Story Without The Censors

Last week, you may have caught the story on "60 Minutes" about Chevron crapping all over the Amazon in Ecuador, poisoning the Indians who live there.

The Palast team is thrilled that a big commercial US Network is picking up our reports from BBC Television and Democracy Now! But if you watched the CBS report, you haven't seen the WHOLE story.

If you want the real thing, the original reports — uncut, uncensored — pick up our new film, Palast Investigates: From 8-Mile to the Amazon — On the Trail of the Financial Marauders.

Donate $40 or more to the Palast Investigative Fund (tax deductible) and I'll send you, with gratitude, a signed copy of the DVD.

The Chicago Tribune says, "these stories bite." Here's what we've sunk our teeth into for this DVD — our 3 latest, biggest stories, for BBC Newsnight:

Investigation #1 — The Vultures

For BBC TV we hunt for the man known as 'Goldfinger' — a vulture "investor" who, through pay-offs and political trickery, was able to pocket foreign aid meant to pay for AIDS medication. Nice guy.

The story takes us from a boutique in Switzerland, where Zambia's President used his booty to buy hundreds of shirts, suits and 72 pairs of "elevator" shoes with extra high heels; then on to Jack Abramoff's former lobbying firm, then right into the Oval Office.

"60 Minutes" asked if they can repeat that story as well. Great! But why wait, when you can get the full Monty right now?

Investigation #2 — Rumble in the Jungle

Here's the Chevron Oil story, no holds barred. CBS re-filmed almost every frame of our original BBC report — but what they left out is the confidential document from inside the oil company ordering field workers to destroy evidence of oil dumping. And they left out the crucial connection of Condi Rice to Chevron. We leave out nothing.

Investigation #3 — Steal back your Vote

Yes, they did monkey with the vote in 2008.

In this report we expose how it was done. If every ballot had been counted, Obama would have had an additional 6 million votes in his column.

It didn't make a difference this time but it sure will when future elections are close.

The report also features my Rolling Stone magazine co-writer, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

"60 Minutes" wanted to repeat that story too. Some day. We've already done it for BBC and Democracy Now! and it's all on this DVD.

For a donation of at least $20 you can download the uncensored hour-long film right now.

Palast Investigates features music by Willie Nelson and Foo Fighters Chris Shiflett.

Donate for the signed DVD and get the bonus material not available on the download version. There's an astonishing interview with the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, the "new Chavez" of Latin America. Plus, my tour of our cheap-rent office, a real journalism boiler room, on New York's Lower East Side.

The Chicago Tribune also said, "Palast's stories are so relevant, they threaten to alter history."

Thanks to your support, we already are "altering history." Just last week, citing our report for BBC Newsnight, Britain's Parliament is about to pass a law to clip the wings of financial vultures like Goldfinger. Congressman John Conyers is preparing to do the same in the USA.

But we cannot alter history without your help. We've got to replace that microphone I dropped in the Amazon river. (To get to their village, the Cofan Indians provided me a dug-out log with a hand-carved paddle. No kidding. Well, I had to get the story, but the microphone dove over the side while I was trying to get my balance and hold onto the $%@^ paddle.)

That's why we turn to your donations to the non-profit, non-partisan foundation, the Palast Investigative Fund.

If you truly believe our work is worthwhile, consider making a donation of $1,000 or more to the foundation and I will be proud to add you to our circle of Producers credited on the film in the next edition of Palast Investigates.

This is ...

Greg Palast, reporting.

GregPalast.com