Conlin writes: "A U.S. government watchdog group has asked two federal oversight agencies to investigate billionaire Sheldon Adelson to determine if any money he donated to political campaigns in the past was illegally laundered in his foreign casinos."
Chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation Sheldon Adelson speaks at the National Israeli-American Conference in Washington, October 19, 2015. (photo: Gary Cameron/Reuters)
Watchdog Group Seeks Probe of Billionaire Sheldon Adelson's US Political Donations
19 November 15
U.S. government watchdog group has asked two federal oversight agencies to investigate billionaire Sheldon Adelson to determine if any money he donated to political campaigns in the past was illegally laundered in his foreign casinos.
Adelson, the single biggest Republican donor in the 2012 presidential election, is the chief executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS.N), which derives the bulk of its revenue from casinos in the global gaming hot spot of Macau, an hour's ferry ride from Hong Kong.
The complaints, drawn up by the Campaign for Accountability, were filed earlier this month with the Federal Election Commission and the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Both agencies declined to comment. The FEC has the ability to launch investigations into campaign finance issues, including ones relating to foreign money, but has historically been mired in partisan gridlock.
Las Vegas Sands spokesman Ron Reese dismissed the complaints by the Campaign for Accountability as �a politically motivated political attack.� The group, which has lodged complaints against both Republicans and Democrats, describes itself as nonpartisan and nonprofit but conservative organizations say it has a left-wing agenda.
The filings refer to internal Las Vegas Sands Corp documents, which have surfaced as part of an ongoing lawsuit brought by the former CEO of Adelson's operation in Macau, Steven Jacobs, who is alleging wrongful termination.
According to the documents, which Reuters has reviewed, the company had a business relationship with Cheung Chi Tai, who U.S. authorities have identified as a leader of a Chinese organized crime ring, or triad. Cheung is awaiting trial in Hong Kong on charges of money laundering.
In its complaint, the group asserts that, given how much Adelson's wealth derives from Macau, "it is quite likely Macau organized crime funds and foreign money have wound up in the coffers of candidates for federal office and/or in the treasuries of dark money groups supporting them."
Reese, the Las Vegas Sands spokesman, acknowledged the company conducted business with Cheung, who guaranteed the debts of gamblers, but said it severed the relationship in 2010 after the company became aware of his background. "The company has not done any business with Cheung Chi Tai in many years," he said.
Adelson, the 15th-richest man in America according Forbes, poured more than $100 million into the 2012 election to support Republican candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. He is expected to be a major donor in the November 2016 presidential election although he has yet to endorse a candidate.
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As to the alleged "value" of certain information, that is irrelevant. The point is not that someone "could" (allegedly) have sold the information in question. The point is that Bradley Manning did nothing of the sort.
The covering up of war crimes is itself a crime. The Bradley Manning court martial is itself a crime.
Not ruling on Manning's guilt or innocence at the moment, it is clear that the military establishment itself is profoundly guilty, and that no judgment by this court can be legitimate in the slightest.
We could start referring to Manning, with Wikileaks, Assange, Snowden and other courageous whistle blowers who will emerge to shine the unwelcome light of truth on the Military-Corpor ate state with it's decades-long violations of human rights and dignity, collectively as the "New White Rose" and their judge(s) as "Friesler the Latter"!
Spread it around folks.
clip Someone attending a pre-trial hearing recorded a plea statement Manning made accepting responsibility for 10 of the 22 charges against him. Lind registered her strong displeasure with that action, a violation of courtroom rules, but did not significantly alter security procedures.
Don't know what else to do. It feels feeble, but I am so let down by the official bias against whistle-blowers / whistle-blowing . I agree with Snowden's father that Attorney General Holder's promising that Snowden wouldn't get the death penalty and wouldn't be tortured if he returns to the U.S. - already shows bias and assumption of guilt. As Snowden's Dad said, Holder should have been voicing "rule of law," and "trial by peers," etc. "Presumption of innocence until proven guilty." Why is Holder so uninformed as to go with the bias he shows? Have we no adults left on the scene? Well, young adults Manning and Snowden certainly earn "adult" label. They've voluntarily put themselves into the scene.
--- umm, is Bradley Manning being charged with releasing for free information that could have been sold (by whom) to a foreign intelligence service? Or, is he charged with releasing for free information which would save the foreign intelligence $1.9 million to acquire via their own efforts? Or, is he charged with releasing for free information that the foreign intelligence could then use to save itself $1.9 million in military efforts? What is the crime and what does the dollar value of the information refer to? How does it relate to the safety of American citizens or residents of the United States? It has never been clear what danger Bradley Manning's releases ever posed to the safety of our country, of our citizens, or of the residents of this United States.
Aye, only to those who are the real traitors, finks and nepotists. Wonder if he's had any information through his hands about the Iraq "missing billions"?
I'll bet my kilted toosh that KBR/Haliburton/ Cheyn-gang/Dimw its/Blair want him shut up!