Kibbe on Liberty Ep. 373: "Government Corruption Runs Even Deeper Than We Thought"
Guest: Mike Benz | Host: Matt Kibbe | Date: February 18, 2026

Overview

This episode delves into revelations from the latest Epstein files, focusing not only on Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes but also on systemic corruption across governments, banks, and intelligence networks. Mike Benz, an expert on institutional corruption and former State Department official, joins Matt Kibbe to dissect the intricate web of influence peddling, revolving doors between public office and private profit, and how these networks affected major global events—especially the COVID-19 pandemic response. The discussion highlights alarming new evidence of collusion among financial institutions, government agencies, intelligence services, and "fixers" like Epstein, drawing lines from historic government abuses all the way up to pandemic policy and censorship today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Epstein Files: New Confirmations and the Depth of Corruption

[02:00–10:06]

• The new files provide “100% confirmation” of many long-suspected ties between Epstein and high-ranking officials, particularly within Israeli intelligence (Ehud Barak) and global finance (Rothschild Bank, Goldman Sachs).
• Example: Epstein’s covertly recorded 3-hour conversation with Ehud Barak, coaching him on how to monetize connections from his military career.
• Analogies are drawn with U.S. officials taking lucrative board seats after public service (e.g., Nikki Haley, Lloyd Austin).
• Hard evidence links Epstein as a fixer/broker for the world’s elite, facilitating favor-trading and financial deals for officials transitioning into the private sector.
• "It really shows you how this apparatus works... this overhang of outside organizations and fixers at events who basically try to seduce you into serving some outside interest rather than serving your own country." — Mike Benz [06:36]

2. The "Favor Bank": Deep State, Fixers, and Public Policy

[10:06–13:37]

• The corruption isn’t just "the revolving door," but a second, hidden economy—an "ecosystem" of influence where public service becomes "puppets of private enterprise."
• The laws aimed at curbing such corruption, like the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, were spurred by scandals exposed by fixers similar to Epstein.
• Benz: "We're getting a look behind the funhouse mirror... every major celebrity, every elected president, that person, either directly or their immediate network, is wrapped up in it." [11:55]

3. How the System is Protected & Why Accountability Fails

[20:27–28:55]

• Attempts to prosecute Epstein repeatedly failed, likely due to national security agencies intervening to prevent political embarrassment and exposure of covert activities.
• Benz maps Epstein’s shady dealings from the 1970s (Bear Stearns) through Iran Contra, Ponzi schemes, fake passports, and support for Mujahideen, suggesting that intelligence agencies shield key operators to protect ongoing operations and secrets.
• He likens understanding these files to JFK declassification, offering a rare, forensic look at how U.S. power actually works.
• Detailed discussion of Operation Northwoods as an example of government willingness to stage atrocities for policy aims.

4. The Military, Intelligence, and Big Finance Nexus

[42:48–52:29]

• Epstein’s career progression from arms deals (via BCCI, Bear Stearns, Khashoggi) to biotech finance (including pandemic response) is unpacked with money trails leading directly into both public health and defense sectors.
• "There's this overlap in my view between the military and medicine... Why is so much of the medical profession funded by DARPA?" — Mike Benz [46:24]
• The line between bioweapons and legitimate medical research is disturbingly thin—often defined only by whether programs sit within DOD or civilian agencies.

5. Censorship Industrial Complex: The Role of the Military and Intelligence in COVID-19 Information Control

[52:29–57:44]

• Early COVID-19 social media narrative suppression was orchestrated by U.S. military contractors (e.g., Graphika, Minerva Initiative) and NATO, not public health officials.
• The episode outlines the rapid pivot from tracking ISIS to censoring COVID “disinformation,” with entire influencer networks mapped and targeted before the virus even had a name.
• "The very first organizations that were flagging trending narratives about COVID before it was even called Covid... were military contractors." — Mike Benz [53:14]

6. Convergence of Power: Big Finance at the Center

[57:17–59:36]

• Benz argues that, if drawn as a Venn diagram, the pandemic, military, and censorship-industrial complexes all overlap around big finance, hedge funds, and private equity—those pushing global policy through government action to enable lucrative "special opportunities."
• "It's insider trading on national security secrets. And that's what you see with the Epstein story time and again." — Mike Benz [59:22]

7. Epstein, Scientific Patronage, and Bioweapons Research

[59:36–66:03]

• Epstein’s funding of scientists (e.g., Nathan Wolfe, EcoHealth Alliance) was likely not altruistic but aimed at gaining early access to cutting-edge innovations for leverage in finance or intelligence operations.
• Wolfe, deeply embedded in virus-harvesting and pandemic research, gives direct thanks to Epstein in published works, indicating deeper links.
• Benz loops in Ghislaine Maxwell’s father, Robert Maxwell, and his scientific publishing monopoly as another means of controlling early knowledge and profit opportunities.

8. Pathways to Reform: Transparency, Legislators & Civic Power

[66:03–71:19]

• Benz offers an optimistic view on replicating the legislative gamble by Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, whose push for document declassification forced near-unanimous congressional support once brought to a vote.
• "The mere act of sponsoring the bill put the establishment in a bind... our elected representatives at the end of the day feared the base more than they feared the top of the pyramid on this." — Mike Benz [67:54]
• The strategy: force transparency votes on other national security scandals (COVID, Fast & Furious, covered-up assassinations) to put pressure on all sides of the establishment.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It converts public service into puppets of private enterprise." — Mike Benz [10:45]
• "Every major celebrity you’ve seen, every elected president—either directly or through their immediate network—is wrapped up in this system." — Mike Benz [11:55]
• "This is really about systemic corruption. It's not just child trafficking. It's about the entire system being captured by that negative incentive process." — Matt Kibbe [19:08]
• "It's insider trading on national security secrets. And that's what you see with the Epstein story time and again." — Mike Benz [59:22]
• "The more transparent the government is, the more we can reclaim our democracy." — Paraphrased from Benz, urging for legislative action [66:03–67:54]

Key Timestamps

• Epstein’s Deep Networks & State Capture: [02:00–10:06]
• Favor Bank/Secret Economy Explained: [10:06–13:37]
• Systemic Corruption & Revolving Doors: [19:08–28:55]
• Operation Northwoods & JFK Files: [29:14–39:29]
• Pandemic Response as Military Operation: [40:42–52:29]
• Military-Censored COVID Narratives: [52:29–57:44]
• Finance at the Center of Power: [57:17–59:36]
• Epstein’s Science/EcoHealth Ties: [59:36–66:03]
• Opportunity for Reform & Massie’s Bill: [66:03–71:19]

Resources & Where to Find Mike Benz

• X/Twitter, Rumble, YouTube: @MikeBenzCyber [71:47]
• Primary document receipts for claims available via Benz’s social feeds.

Tone & Final Thoughts

The episode’s tone is meticulous, skeptical, and often alarmed. Benz weaves a narrative suggesting that rooted, decades-old alliances between military, intelligence, finance, and fixers create structural incentives for corruption, secrecy, and suppression. Yet, both Kibbe and Benz close on a note of cautious optimism—encouraging greater transparency and legislative action as the truest path to restoring public trust and reclaiming agency.

For more, see the full video or follow the next Kibbe on Liberty episode focused on pandemic industrial complex revelations.