Thanks for sharing this, Andy. This appears to be a major governance failure on the part of ICANN (sadly, not for the first time). I'm glad Wikimedia is among the first orgs on this list.
I don't think it's too late to stop this, especially as all evidence points to corrupt inside wheeling-and-dealing. I would normally not link to El Reg, but the connections Kieren has dug up deserve further investigation by more reputable outlets.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/11/20/org_registry_sale_shambles/
Utterly unacceptable attempt to enclose the commons. Please do help continue direct attention to this.
Warmly,
Erik