We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
Have you ever heard of the Cobb County GOP chairmanship race? Probably not, unless you’re deeply involved in local Georgia politics. But trust us, this is a story that deserves your attention.
Sophia Farooq, one of the candidates, has been making waves, endorsed by Veterans for America First as a "MAGA candidate." On the surface, she seems like a conservative dream, but our investigation reveals a much more complex picture.
Who is Sophia Farooq? Why is her online presence so limited? What’s the truth behind her claims of executive roles at Delta and Walmart? And what about her ties to controversial financial institutions and her family’s deep connections to extremist ideologies?
In this thread continuation, we’ll uncover the truth about Sophia Farooq, her background, and the web of influence that surrounds her. It’s a story of predatory lending, global finance, and ideological extremism that could have far-reaching implications for our political system.
Let’s dive in.
The Candidate with No Footprint
Sophia Farooq’s candidacy raised eyebrows from the start. For someone running for a high-profile position like the Cobb County GOP chair, her online presence was surprisingly sparse. No LinkedIn profile, no social media accounts—nothing that could verify her claimed executive roles at Delta Airlines and Walmart.
Our team dug deeper, and what we found was alarming. Farooq’s employment history led us to Skylight Financial, where she served as Vice President of Marketing. Skylight, later acquired by Netspend, was embroiled in controversy for its predatory lending practices, targeting minorities and lower-income groups with high-interest loans and high-interest credit cards. Both companies faced sanctions from the Federal Trade Commission for their unethical practices.
As noted earlier in our group investigation thread, “Concerns were raised about Sophia Farooq's background, prompting a deeper investigation. Initial findings revealed an unusually limited online presence, particularly odd given her public claims.”
But that’s just the beginning.
Family Ties to Extremism
Sophia Farooq’s family background is equally concerning. Her grandfather, Abul A'la Maududi, was not just any Islamic scholar; he was the founder of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), a group designated as a terrorist organization in several countries, including the UAE. JI was instrumental in recruiting figures like Osama bin Laden into the Mujahideen and acted as a CIA liaison during the U.S.-backed operations in Afghanistan.
Her father, Dr. Syed Ahmad Farooq (who lost his medical license), was the first elected secretary of the organization now known as ICNA (The Islamic Circle of North America), which is connected to JI and promotes a rigid interpretation of Islam. Her uncles are also prominent figures: one leads a publishing house distributing JI-aligned works, and was also a distinguished guest of the Al Khidmat Foundation. Another is a public figure in Pakistan with ties to human rights activism but critical of some JI teachings.
Maududi’s ideology is starkly outlined in his own words:
“Wherever you are, in whichever country you live, you must strive to change the wrong basis of government, and seize all powers to the rule and make laws from those who do not fear God... The name of this striving is Jihad.”
Financial and Political Networks
Farooq’s connections extend beyond her family. Her campaign and supporters include major corporations such as the law firm of Rod Rosenstein, Christopher Wray, and Gina Haspel (King & Spalding) and Lockheed Martin, as well as figures tied to global finance and technology, such as APAX Partners, ThoughtWorks, and Grameen Bank.
1 of 2
🇺🇸 #Oklahoma high school principal (Kirk Moore) seen charging at and disarming a school shooter.
The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Victor Hawkins, was a former student who said he wanted to shoot up the school “like the Columbine shooters did.” While taking down the shooter, Moore was shot in the leg. He is expected to recover.
When the Principal woke up that day, he never thought he would be tackling a gunman.
Follow us -> LiveLeak
🇨🇳🛢 How much strategic oil does the world actually have in reserve?
Global strategic crude oil inventories stood at ~2.5 BILLION barrels as of December 2025, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
China holds by far the largest stockpile at 1,397 million barrels, more than 3 times the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve of 413 million barrels, which itself sits at only 58% of its full storage capacity of 714 million barrels.
China added an average of 1.1 million barrels per day to its strategic inventories throughout 2025, with preliminary data suggesting it continued building stockpiles in early 2026 ahead of the Iran War.
Japan holds the 3rd-largest reserve at 263 million barrels, followed by OECD European countries at 179 million barrels.
Meanwhile, the US is releasing 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to suppress oil prices, part of a broader 400 million barrel coordinated release agreed by 32 IEA member nations in March.
🔗 ...
🛢 JP Morgan Warns Oil Market Out of Balance, Prices Must Rise
🔸The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil flows, has removed 13.7 million barrels per day from global supply in April alone. A JP Morgan research note warns the market has no good way to replace it.
🔸Normally, spare production capacity in Saudi Arabia and the UAE acts as the market’s shock absorber. But that buffer has effectively been removed, eliminating the system’s first line of defense.
🔸With spare capacity unavailable, markets turned to inventories
➤ Global stockpiles are now being drained at ~7.1 mbd in April, an extraordinary pace, according to the note.
🔸Meanwhile, demand is collapsing because supply simply isn’t reaching users — “forced demand destruction.”The hardest hit sectors include:
▪️ Petrochemical plants across Asia are shutting down or slashing output as LPG, ethane, and naphtha flows from the Gulf collapse
▪️ Airline jet fuel ...
🛢⛽️ Global oil inventories are heading toward RECORD LOWS:
Global visible oil inventories have fallen -255 million barrels since the start of the conflict on February 27, to 7,864 million barrels.
Total estimated oil draws, including non-OECD refined products storage, have accelerated to 10.9 million barrels per day in April, the largest monthly draws on record since 2017.
Cumulative estimated draws since the start of the war now stand at 474 million barrels, with Hormuz flows holding at ~10% of normal, or 2.0 million barrels per day.
Meanwhile, even in an optimistic scenario where Strait of Hormuz flows begin recovering by late April, it is unlikely to prevent global visible inventories from reaching all-time lows, according to Goldman Sachs.
As inventories keep falling, physical oil markets are likely to require sharply higher prices for immediate delivery, since buyers cannot wait months for cheaper futures delivery when stocks are running critically low.
Goldman also warns...
