New Charges for Zelensky’s Corrupt Regime

Andriy Yermak and Volodymyr Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky’s top aide Andriy Yermak is now charged with criminal corruption in Ukraine. Yermak was so close with Zelensky that he has been known as his “shadow” and widely regarded as the co-president, who often dictated strategy, more than Zelensky himself.

Now, the “shadow president” looks at years in prison for laundering money through a dirty real estate scheme . These new charges flow from the Operation Midas scandal, so named because the oligarchs, who stole over $100 million from the public wartime treasury of Ukraine, used some of their ill-gotten loot to purchase a toilet made of gold .

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These mafia-like figures formed the inner circle of Zelensky’s team, both inside government and within the business realm of connected Ukrainian oligarchs. They have nicknames like “Sugarman” and “Che Guevara.” The opulent housing development which implicates Yermak is called “Dynasty” after the 1980’s U.S. hit TV show.

But unlike Blake Carrington, these thieves did not earn their fortunes, they stole their bounty.

Even the ardently pro-Zelensky US legacy media platforms recognize the tragic comic absurdity of the criminal culture all around Zelensky. The New York Times even posted a headline: “Move Over, Netflix: Ukraine’s Corruption Investigators Bring the Drama.”

Yermak at Davos

That grand larceny has been perpetrated against the Ukrainian people, of course – and at a time of war and privation. For example, the Midas criminals led by indicted fugitive Timur Mindich stole from the Ministry of Energy, even as Ukrainians endured a brutally cold winter season, often without power, and always in fear of losing their heat – or losing their lives – during nightly Russian air attacks via drones.

Impervious to the wartime seriousness of leading Ukraine at the present moment, Zelensky and his team have focused on two major tasks. First, he and Yermak constantly toured the capitals of the West, hats in hand, demanding ever more financial largesse from indebted nations like the United States.

These public relations tours include plenty of adoring crowds of ruling class elites in places like Davos and the salons of Georgetown in Washington, where think tank “tough guys” and Defense Contractors lust for ever more escalation in this Black Sea war. Second, Zelensky’s team then pillaged the foreign billions like hungry dogs on a bone, figuring out countless ways to fleece the good intentions of regular Americans, Frenchmen, Englishmen, etc.

Clearly, none of this criticism justifies Putin’s abuse of Ukraine, especially regarding the ongoing targeting of innocent civilians. Concurrently, America must also recognize that there is no “white hat” leader in this meatgrinder war. Instead, there are simply shades of black and grey, born of the systemic corruption that dominates both Moscow and Kyiv.

So, instead of continuing to finance this Slavic slaughter, President Trump rightly works diligently for a peaceful, negotiated settlement. Right now, both Putin and Zelensky see continued war as serving their selfish interests. But the citizens of each nation suffer from a conflict that should end. In fact, the war will end once we in the West stop listening the chattering “experts” who pine always for more fighting.

Zelensky argues in the Oval Office with President Trump and Vice President Vance

For years, I have been warning Americans about the intense, systemic corruption of the Zelensky regime. For instance, last summer I wrote for Newsweek about the complete lack of scrutiny upon Yermak , who was then wielding tyrannical power from within the presidential offices of Kyiv. From that July 2025 piece:

“Zelensky and his effective co-president, Andriy Yermak, act in very authoritarian ways themselves – and increasingly reveal to the world that they are not transparent, reliable partners for the United States.”

Those prescient words have now been validated by diligent investigators inside Ukraine. These honest cops deserve tremendous admiration, taking real risks to uncover and prosecute to misdeeds of unscrupulous, powerful politicians in Ukraine. Once more is learned about the depths of these scandals, it seems certain that U.S. indictments will flow as well, because stealing American aid is a U.S. crime, no matter where the offense takes place.

For the near term, it is time for a peaceful resolution to this war. Then, long-delayed Ukrainian elections must be held. Let the people of Ukraine act as the first “jury” to judge the actions of Zelensky and his cabal. In time, we Americans also need a full accounting of exactly what happened to the hundreds of billions of dollars we borrowed to send to Zelensky.

Steve Cortes is president of the League of American Workers and advisor to Catholic Vote.

He directs political campaigns on media, polling, and Hispanic outreach, including Trump 2016/2020 and Vance 2022 US Senate.

He is a former broadcaster for Fox News and CNN.

Cortes Investigates is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.