the.com/syndicate
a cartel with a PR department: shared risk, shared spoils, plausible deniability.
means a group of individuals or organizations that pool resources and coordinate action to pursue a common commercial or criminal interest.
from from french syndicat, rooted in greek syndikos meaning one who helps in court; originally just meant a committee representing collective interests before it got a reputation for shadier collectives.
comic stripsnewspaper syndicates once distributed peanuts nationwide
crime usagepopularized by prohibition-era bootlegging operations
finance versionbanks syndicate loans too big to hold alone
legal formcan be fully legitimate, registered, and taxed