Empire of Deceit, Vol. 2: An Investigation of the Gülen Charter Schools

For years, one of the largest charter school networks operating in the United States has secretly concealed their affiliation with the controversial Turkish imam Fethullah G len. Now, their activity has come under greater public attention. A pattern of hidden agendas, phony real estate practices, self-dealing among their own vendors, inflated kickbacks, and rampant abuse of visa programs are just some of the practices uncovered by following investigation into the G len schools operating in 28 different states. The Republic of Turkey engaged Amsterdam & Partners LLP to conduct a comprehensive accounting of all G lenist-controlled charter schools within the U.S. to document the breadth and scope of the G lenist network. Through this investigation, Amsterdam & Partners ultimately uncovered an extensive nationwide network of G lenists, charter schools, charter management corporations, educational foundations, real estate companies, school vendors, and G lenist cultural associations working together to exploit the American charter school model to orchestrate large-scale private profit at the public's expense. This abuse negatively impacts the quality of education delivered to some of the country's most vulnerable communities, and creates a poisonous political environment. What follows are the results of a rigorous examination of public records. These are the facts we must consider, with the hope that a much-needed debate will follow.