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Subscribe to RSSIn a wrongful termination lawsuit, the former head of Sands operations in Macau has accused billionaire gambling mogul and Republican supporter Sheldon Adelson of links to organized crime, approving prostitution in his casinos, and making questionable payments to Chinese government officials. Adelson strongly denies any wrongdoing. NBC News' Ian Williams reports.
Updated at 2:51 a.m. ET on Nov. 13: MACAU -- There is a scene in the 1952 black-and-white movie "Macao" where Robert Mitchum is welcomed by a border guard as he enters the then-Portuguese colony. The guard tells him: "It is our fine hope that all visitors to Macau should feel as untroubled here as Adam in the Garden of Eden." To which Mitchum replies gruffly, "'Untroubled’ -- that ain't the way I heard it."
While billionaire Sheldon Adelson is no Robert Mitchum, he is now discovering that a city that has been a goldmine for his gaming company can quickly become a source of unwelcome problems.
In the 2012 campaign, Adelson was the Republican Party's biggest contributor -- by some estimates the largest political donor ever. He donated millions to Mitt Romney’s campaign -- a political gamble that did not pay off.
Money can't buy happiness, or an election
One side effect, Adelson himself believes, has been to put Macau, the "Casablanca of the East", under sharp scrutiny.
The election may be over, having cost Adelson tens of millions of dollars, but his business activities here continue to face serious allegations of wrongdoing.
‘Without casinos, Macau is nothing’
Tiny Macau (population 555,000) has tended to be overshadowed by Hong Kong, its bigger, brasher neighbor an hour's ferry ride away across the mouth of the Pearl River. But over the last few years it has overtaken Las Vegas as the gaming capital of the world, and its revenues are now five times those of Sin City.
"Without casinos, Macau is nothing," a taxi driver said. "Casinos are everything here."
Joao Pinto, the news and program controller at local television station TDM , added: "Casinos are the blood of this city. They are a huge machine printing money, every hour, every minute, every second."
Adelson's Las Vegas Sands owns three vast casinos here, including a gargantuan version of his flagship Las Vegas Venetian.
Paul Ryan meets with Vegas casino mogul as hundreds protest
He was in Macau in April for the opening of the first phase of his latest venture, Sands Cotai Central, which the company has described as "arguably the largest and most ambitious development in the history of the hospitality and gaming industry."
Macau accounts for more than half of Sands' revenues and profits.
Before Macau was returned to China in 1999 after 400 years of Portuguese rule, gaming had been a monopoly run by a Hong Kong-based billionaire named Stanley Ho.
One of the first things the Chinese did was to break that monopoly, and Sands led the charge through the newly opened door, though several U.S. casinos are now here too, including Wynn Resorts and MGM.
Takings before the handover were a paltry $2 billion; last year Macau's casinos took in $33.5 billion.
A different atmosphere - and culture
Most of that is Chinese money. Macau is the only place in China were gambling is legal, and the American gaming companies quickly concluded that the market was potentially enormous.
"Gambling is part of Chinese culture," Pinto said. "It always has been."
But the atmosphere is very different from Las Vegas.
Walk across the vast casino floor of the Venetian in Macau -- the biggest gaming floor in the world -- and there is a hushed intensity, even when it is crowded. The stillness is only punctuated by the occasional cheering of a lucky winner, who will immediately attract a host of followers, looking to emulate his or her luck.
Luck and fatalism play a big role.
"People don't come to Macau to enjoy themselves," David Green, who advises the Macau government on gaming regulation, said. "People seriously see it as a potential way of changing their lives."
Yet most of the action takes place away from the casino floor in what are called "VIP rooms," the private spaces for the really high rollers who account for most the takings and the profits.
How would Pinto, the Macau journalist, define a Chinese VIP?
"People with (a) huge amount of cash, who don't mind gambling it away," he said.
In China, that usually means rich businessmen and government officials -- which are frequently one and the same thing.
PhotoBlog: Macau set to be fastest growing economy
"To my understanding from having monitored the situation carefully, the bulk -- 60 percent -- of the profits of the western casinos appears to be associated with the VIP room operations," said Steve Vickers, who once headed Hong Kong's Criminal Intelligence Bureau and now runs his own corporate intelligence company, Steve Vickers & Associates.
"Macau is a complicated place, a very complicated place," he said.
Part of the reason for that are tight controls -- in theory -- on the amount of money that can be taken out of mainland China, and no official system for collecting gambling debts in the country. Companies known as junkets fill this void, organizing trips to Macau, extending credit and enforcing the collection of debts.
Many of the junkets are reputable companies, but others are heavily influenced by organized Chinese crime groups, the triads.
China's next leaders might curb Macau's fortunes
"I'm not saying that all the junket operators are triad-related," Vickers said. "But I would say that nearly all the Chinese junket operators that I have had a look at, while they may not themselves by owned and controlled by triad societies, have some connection with them. That's the nature of the beast."
Amid the uncertainly ahead of the 1999 handover, Macau was gripped by a triad war, with gangster-like executions and bombings, as rival gangs fought for control of the junket trade and the VIP rooms.
More recently, there has been relative peace, possibly because the size of the economic cake has been growing so fast -- up to 40 per cent a year. (It has showed signs of slowing, however.)
A recent spate of violence has raised fears, as has the expected release from prison later this year of a man knows as "Broken Tooth" Wan, a notorious triad leader who was at the center of the earlier wars.
Complete Asia-Pacific coverage on NBCNews.com
Lurid accusations
Adelson's problems began with the sacking in July 2010 of Steve Jacobs, the head of Sands' Macau operations. He launched an unfair termination lawsuit in October that year, alleging that he was asked to do improper things.
That in turn seems to have triggered in early 2011 the SEC and Justice Department investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
As Jacobs’ case has ground its way through Nevada courts, his allegations have become increasingly lurid -- claiming that Adelson personally approved a "prostitution strategy" for his casinos, had triad links, and made questionable payments to Chinese government officials. The latter accusation related to the employment by Sands of a well-connected local official.
Adelson has strongly denied the claims.
"When the smoke clears, I am absolutely-- not 100 percent, but 1,000 percent -- positive that there won't be any fire below it," he said at an industry conference last year. He has also described Jacobs' suit as "pure threatening, blackmail and extortion."
Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com
When I contacted Ron Reese, Sands vice president for public relations, he told me that the company takes the SEC and Justice Department investigation very seriously.
"We cooperate fully, but others are exploiting the situation for political or personal gain. We are looking to find a resolution of these issues," he said.
Sen. John McCain hardly helped matters when he suggested in an interview that Adelson's reliance on profits from foreign (and in particular Chinese) casinos provided a route for foreign money to enter the election campaign.
"Obviously, maybe in a roundabout way, foreign money is coming into an American campaign," he told PBS.
Sands clearly feels that in an election year the whole thing has become highly politicized, but that was probably inevitable once Adelson emerged as the Republican Party's biggest contributor.
He is clearly hoping that attention now moves elsewhere and he can continue unhindered with what he believes is a perfectly legitimate business
But there is no doubt that America's most expensive election ever has put tiny Macau under the spotlight like never before.
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- Computer expert spared prison in Vatileaks affair
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Leave a Comment:
This should put to rest the unfounded notion that casino owners only bet on sure things.
Good one! More proof that some of these billionaires have more money than brains. One the most satisfying things about this election was seeing all that dirty money for Mitt being flushed down the porcelain facility with nothing to show for it.
Does Adelson not fit the description of one of the "job creators"? He's creating plenty of jobs in China and donating tens of millions to a campaign. Why isn't he using his money to create jobs like the Republicans expect him to as part of their paradigm for reinvigorating the economy? Because wealthy people are not "job creators", they are wealthy people trying to stay wealthy. They don't care about the middle class as long as the can hoard their millions.
We need to tax them more, all of the suggested increases being virtually painless relative to their wealth, and reallocate those revenues into job creation through infrastructure improvements. Put the construction industry back to work. Put more teachers, firefighters, police officers back to work.
Hey tried to buy the election. He failed... so far.
Senator McCain should be able to place "Campaign Finance Reform" on the table. I think both parties have seen a disaster unfold in the last campaign. Foreign money is only one problem. The other is Defense contractors and foreign ownership of media outlets that disguise their agenda as news.
I think this goes a little deeper than that!!!
Amen to that.....An Australian billionaire now controls the thoughts of so many weak minded Americans.
Hey MURDOCH....@!$%#U!
Gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson gives ten$ of million$, first to Newt Gingrich (for Newt's use in stopping Mitt Romney) and then to Mitt Romney (after Newt failed) attempting to buy the presidency; and twice fails
WWF/WWE mogul Linda McMahon spends almost $100 Million of her own money attempting to buy a Connecticut US Senate seat; and twice fails.
While it is gratifying that, from time-to-time, the voters reject these attempts to buy American political power and influence, eventually we Americans need to ask the pertinent question ... "For what purpose do these individuals spend such obscene sums of money attempting to buy positions of power?"
We know it isn't patriotism or philanthropy. If their intentions were benevolent, they would be easing the pain and suffering of their fellow human beings with this money they are willing to dispose of rather than using it attempting to buy power for themselves.
Once Americans, by rote, recognize this dichotomy (money & political influence vs. benevolent patriotism) it will be the beginning of the end in our electoral process for the prospect of money successfully buying our government, and purchasing power and influence.
The voters need to say to these candidates "You take questionable money, or spend sums out of all proportion to your competition, and we will reject you simply on principal. Our government is not for sale."
It's just that simple, folks. We the people can put an end to this by simply withholding our votes from any and all of those who participate in this naked abuse of the process.
And the majority of those weak-minded amerikkkans will be screaming, "liberal bias" at the mention of bringing this crook to justice because he plays for their chosen team. Whether the driving force is racism, greed or just general scorn for those less fortunate, they will support anyone from this mob blindly. These are the kinds of bloodthirsty goons who hang with vulture capitalists like Rmoney - and Adelson was the first person Paul Ryan ran to for money the day after he was picked by Rmoney to be his mate - for an alleged $10million donation. I read where two reporters had sources who couldn't or wouldn't be named who attended Mittwitt's big BBQ bash at one of his estates in Massachusetts where Charles Koch offered $10 mill himself if Rmoney picked Ryan. Until then, mittens wanted Chris Christie for VP. It's too bad mittwitt wasn't in charge of his own party - the lobbyists are - and that should tell you something about the depth of corruption within the Gestapo On Parade (GOP). And you've got about 2/3 of the GOP in Congress who are pledged to lobbyist Grover Norquist, who controls tons of campaign money. They are the ones who refuse to raise taxes or even let the temporary bush tax cuts expire for fear of losing campaign cash from Norquist. This party is controlled by lobbyists from oil who force them to retain oil subsidies in the billions that were created to help them with research and development when oil was $25 a barrel, and by pharmaceutical and insurance lobbyists who prevent us from having universal health care, the only feasible way to deliver health care for your citizens, and the military-industrial complex that provides us with endless war in places we have no business being and the residual thousands of military bases around the world, as we spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined; and they get huge $$$ from the NRA and prison for profit systems, as both parties do, to keep assault weapons legal and pot illegal and with it the most incarcerated country in the (formerly free) world. And that doesn't even touch on the criminality of the banking system and how they own both parties. Still, it would have been interesting to see Christie's response to O'bomber's help during Sandy while they were running against each other. I think we have enough criminals here to replace all the victimless pot possession criminals so that we could make an even swap and really clean up society.
so how do we accomplish this robert, when all the candidates on the ballot are party hacks on the take? Or nearly all of them, the ones that aren't get shut out by the corporate media. Did you know that until ross perot came along the debates were run by the league of women voters who did a credible job. But the two parties in charge got scared so they formed the commission on pres. debates to take over for the league and immediately instituted rules to prevent third-party candidates from attending, allowed both sides to screen the questions before the debate, allowed them to choose the moderators - the first year they passed this rule the league still ran the debates, sort of, and more than 80 potential moderators were rejected to ensure they'd get softball questions at the debate. Hell, in 2004 Dennis Kucinich placed third in Iowa I believe it was and MSNBC, who was holding the next debate had decided beforehand that the top three finishers would be invited to the next debate. At the last minute they "uninvited" Kucinich, a pol who is well known for exposing the truth and holding everyone accountable, including his own party members. Which is why the GOP-led state house in Ohio gerrymandered, or re-districted DK out of office. Our elections are anything but free, and neither by proxy, are we. It's like the Soviet Union in the 50s and 60s - you get government-approved candidates to choose from, none who represent your interests and they call it a free election. I'm surprised O'bomber was elected considering that Bain Capital punishment owned the voting machines widely used in Ohio.
Just terrible that he donated so much to Romney, unlike the billions unions spent to get Obama elected-twice. Hypocrites. Now Obama has to pay back the latinos and unions who both think they got him elected.
http://news.msn.com/politics/what-labor-wants-for-helping-obama-win
Let's watch California- totally democrat- just see what they do to their economy. NO BAILOUTS
Crystal-569996 ( or just 666) how much Crystal has Crystal been snorting? O has to "pay back " the latinos 2 funny. You just have to wait until a president gets elected & has to pay back the retards. That will be your lucky day.
I think we all realize that Sheldon Adelson is a criminal and that he has contributed millions of dollars to support his favorite criminal organization, the Republican Party.
Well I say let fools like Adelson spend as much money as they want. As soon as we pass a law that states: for every 1 dollar over $5000.00 you contribute to any political campaign or PAC you must also send 10 dollars to the United States Treasury to be used for public financing of political candidates. It should also say: EVEN IF IT’S YOUR OWN MONEY………. Oh yeah one more thing; NO MORE ANONYMOUS MONEY....... We want a full accounting of every dime that is spent on every campaign..... Period.
And now for a second opinion, he is UGLY and so is his wife, money better spent on plastic surgery.
The DOJ might consider checking Mr. Obama's campaign website which (apparently) received donations from folks overseas using only cash transactions and just below the cut off for campaign donation reporting.
NAH, never happen.
Ah, the Liberal journalists seem to continue their love for the Progressives.
BigAl Las Vegas....."NO MORE ANONYMOUS MONEY....... We want a full accounting of every dime that is spent on every campaign..... Period."
Yeah, and we should start with the Obama campaign.
A corrupt casino owner who ships jobs to China and owns republican politicians is having a tough time?
However will I get over this tragedy?
OK....I'm over it.
@Ido,
Not even a good try...get over it.
Crystal
The VAST majority of Obama's campaign money came from PEOPLE LIKE ME who knew we had to match the billionaires donations in order to see the economy grow over the next four years.
We (my family) can not afford to support a campaign. Yet, the alternative is unthinkable- repeal everything Obama has done in the last four years that has saved this economy.
1) Jobs went from 500,000-800,000 PER MONTH being LOST when Obama took office, to 100,000+ jobs per month being added.
2) Our country will tank against China, et al, if we don't keep up technologically, but our youth cannot afford college. Obama, working toward the FUTURE as well as the present, recognizes this and has made college affordable for many millions more youth.
3) Ending the wars= more moey to pay down deficit/create jobs.
4) We HAVE TO GET OFF of OIL DEPENDENCY, not subsidize it.
5) Women are now paid equally.
6) OBAMACARE ELIMINATED THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR BANKRUPCIES- a catastrophic illness in the family where insurance drops them/doesn't cover illness. NOTICE- BANKRUPTCIES ARE IN DECLINE.
7) Auto industry saved- 50,000 auto jobs and 1,000,000 jobs associated with the industry SAVED.
We, THE PEOPLE, paid for Obama's campaign. We, THE PEOPLE, talked to voters and got out the vote. We, THE PEOPLE, had to fight corporations and millionaires to prevent them from BUYING OUR GOVERNMENT to advance their own interests (which is THEMSELVES and no one else)
Crystal
Not billions...millions
Although quite a few of those millions I agree.
But, what would you rather see, millions spent to benefit millions or millions spent to benefit one man!
This article is continuing propaganda. The communist won. You should all be very proud. Now excuse me while I clean my guns and get ready for the coming war.
We need a 75% tax on these rich @!$%#s.
Talk about sore winners...Invetigate this investigate that about GOP contributors. But OH NO mention of all the secret contributors that payed for those millions of comercials of Obama's campaign. You all seem to be living in the socialist Salem, Massachusetts society. "A witch hunt anyone?!" Now your going to tell me that Santa Clause does exist, and the tooth fairy is real. Im seriously dissillusioned by the other side of the aisle, and can they really be trusted with the free worlds responsbility, with all your fairy tales you try to make into news these days. Liberals?, do you really have the intention of keeping your campaign promise, and bieng bipartisian to work together to strengthen the Economy. Truly, you are making yourselves look bad, with all your negative attitude towards none issue news. The real issue is how do we get this Economy going again? How do find a job for my brother and cousin that helps their family survive? How do we get everyone back on the fiscally sound track again so we can move this country into the future? To a more enviromentaly sound future, where more people have a JOB so they can afford greener more expensive energy technology? Or do your sad little concerns take more of a precidence? Lets get on track, prove you have the ability to have the Americans people best interest at hearts. Make us conservatives believe that your way is the right way, and you will have the support of the whole nation, and not just 51% of it!
Looks like Wrongme is an amateur when it comes to foreign profits, money laundering and concealing wealth.
Lets see Adelson gets money off of Communist Chinese. He then uses that money to try and buy the Presidency and Congressional Seats...
Looks bad for the Citizens United Supreme Court Ruling... or is it Comrades United?
You have a point there. Now the republicons are butt buddies to the Communists.
So we know the republican congress is not going after him, that's their buddy, but if the AG, IRS, or any other federal law department goes after him, republicans are going to scream; democratic witch hunt....LOL
Adelson thought he could buy himself a war. Get Romney elected, he and Israel invades and starts a war with Iran, Adelson makes hundreds of millions more supplying war material to our Military for the war he wants.
Romney absolutely got his ass kicked in this election. He told the Latino lady at debate #3, join our Military to speed up your citizenship in America, all while none of his 5 sons, or he, ever served in the Military. For that dumb statement he made, he received 27% of the Latino vote while Obama got somewhere around 71%.
Romney, Limbaugh, Hannity, the republican party, and all the other race haters need to learn how to talk to ALL Americans, not just WHITE Americans. That really might help them.
If Romney would have won, those two above, Limbaugh, and Hannity would be screaming from the mountain top...now they are mostly quiet, trying to come up with all types of ignorant @!$%# since he lost, like now they are talking "cessation." LOL
Hey Lamgaugh, Hannity, and the rest of your ilk, what are you guys now in the last two Presidential elections, 0-2...LOL I'm 2-0!!!
All very good points Brainwashedsince birth, I also made several small contributions to do what I could to stem the inbalance.
Crystal-569996, you do realize that my state's problems were significantly exacerbated by the 8 years of Republican rule by our governor and house? Let's do see where the new Democratic leaders will take us...FINALLY.
Maybe you can buy some people´s opinion, but most educated American´s care more about policies than pretty promises and money, especially when money comes from a smeary fellow like Adelson. Forward with Obama!
hahahaha. which policies are these? the "what's gubment gonna do for me"? people could care less about "policy", they care about what's in it for them, screw everyone else...
It is only the Republicans that have that attitude, BD, not Democrats.
Yes, people like BD are more than willing to accept obscene amounts of money from gangster slimeballs like Adelson to get their guy elected.
But let one hard-working American take food stamps to get his family through the month, and he's just a lazy good-for-nothing.
Strange "family values". But what was that the Godfather said? "We're all family here." Right?
your assumption that i am a romney supporter, or even a republican, are wrong. i'm just not as willfully ignorant to the fact that BOTH of these parties and candidates are well funded by rich donors giving millions to their candidate of choice. while this adelson guy gives a considerably larger amount, obama received more than his share of million dollar plus donations too...
or you can believe that obama got elected from donations from all those contributions from "hard-working americans on food stamps"
My personal belief is that anyone who says "there's no difference between the two parties" is willfully blind and deaf.
As far as your hyperbole is concerned, BD-540164, yes, a very large amount of Obama's money came from small donations.
byron, have you bothered to do any research of where the money comes from? opensecrets has a lot of info. nytimes and washington post both reported on it. the fact is, both of the major political parties (dems and repubs) are well funded and supported by their rich donors and special interest groups. or you can continue to believe the hype that the wheels of the obama campaign machine were greased and fueled by the power of the people. since governments were formed, where there is political influence and favor to gain, money always follows...
True, but so did Romney's.
I'm an Obama supporter, and I'm certainly not a fan of BD's opinions above (or, for that matter, his means of presenting them), but he's not wrong.
There is so much money pouring into our political system now. It's been a problem for a very, very long time, but, thanks to Citizens United, it's turned into a crisis. I think it's difficult to overstate the threat this flood of cash represents to our democracy.
Adelson may well be the most odious example of a gangster dumping his own dirty money into the process, as well as providing a conduit for corrupt foreign money to join the influence-buying, but he's not the only example. There are PLENTY on both sides of the aisle.
Why isn't there more outrage over Citizens United? Why aren't we all Occupiers? Never before has the average voter had LESS influence over our government than right now. Why aren't we aren't we doing anything about it?
Geez, man. It's time to get angry. Why aren't we?
thanks for your support, i think? haha. time to vote these clowns out of office, both parties, each and every time, until they get the message. time to support 3rd party candidates. outrage and sit ins do nothing. we have to give our "leadership", used very loosely, a bath and wash all the dirt and grime away...
To see that both sides are on the take look no further than the banksters' bailout. Engineered by Henry Paulson, former CEO of goldbrick sacks and treasury secretary to both Bush and O'bomber, this group gave them billions in tarp money after they created the housing bubble and crashed the economy and were never investigated or issued any indictments for their criminal behavior, which has been reported on extensively outside the corporate-owned press. I think Matt Taibbi exposed a bunch of crimes in his work, mostly reported in the rolling stone. And GS was also caught buying huge quantities of oil futures, driving up prices with their massive buys until the price was high enough to give them a huge profit and then they unloaded their stock, resetting the cycle all over again for them to profit from. While we suffered through artificially inflated gas and oil prices during the height of the recession. The two parties are a lot closer than you think they are. Remember how GHW bush and billybob clinton traveled the world on humanitarian missions together? Enemies who became close buddies who no doubt shared their big $$$ influence.
Agreed, both parties, but this just makes Romney look more hypocritical. After all, who was campaigning about China cheat and gain a foothold here?
Yet, WE are looking at Chinese money if the new report can be believed.
BD, both candidates had wealthy donars. Romney's campaign was the one you would considered well supported. If you pulled out all of the wealthy contributors from both sides Romney would be left with a big disadvantage. Even beyond that though, it doesn't look very good for Romney and so many of his big name supporters to make so much of Chinese investments and inject that money into politics. Romney didn't even pull his money out of a Chinese oil company doing business with Iran until he was sure he had the republican nomination. This is the guy who would be tough on China? Not by his track record, not even his recent track record.
Mike, Bush gave the banks money. Obama made a loan that was repaid with interest. Yet when crafting that deal republicans blocked stipulations to keep that bailout money from going to corporate bonuses. And after securing billions to line the pockets of the ones most at fault, they travel around the country and get on tv trying to criticize the bailout. The same way they pocket stimulus money and go on about how much they were against it.
What about the donated propaganda that has no money trail that MSNBC produces ? That has to be worth absolutely hundreds of millions of dollars, but is not trackable.
The People now understand what Mitt Romney agenda was. He was running to protect the money of his Fat Cat Millionaire and Billionaire Buddies. This was his only agenda. Abelson's and Mitt, along with all the other Fat Cats tried to buy this election to take over the White House for their filthy lucre This is real ugly. Thank God we are now going to get some understanding why Mitt Romney was running for President, not for the good of the people but for his big Millionaire Fat Cat Buddies.
Adelson's primary goal -- other than have a Republican goverment with more tax breaks for people like him -- was to get the AG replaced by a right-leaning one, so all charges can be dropped against him. What's a $53 million investment vs. jail time and mega-sized fines?
I live here, and I refuse to step foot into any of his or Steve Wynn's properties and give them any of my money. They've turned their backs on Vegas... the place that made them uber-wealthy.
I'm right there with you Vegas2005
Check into a documentary called "Koch Brothers Exposed." I only saw 10 minutes of it and just from that I wanted to see charles koch hurt real bad. according to the story, he was in all kinds of trouble, facing long prison terms, but bought off politicians and judges and more pols to replace judges he couldn't buy off to get cases thrown out without a hearing, get grand jury indictments dropped without allowing the jury to even see the contents, while crushing foes with his money along the way. The Koch bros. for those who don't know, inherited their fortune from their daddy Fred Koch who earned his billions working alongside Josef Stalin in Russia during the 30s and 40s. These are the kinds of people who have control over the Gestapo On Parade, ladies and gentlemen, your republikkkan party. Go suck a teabag, you foxbot fools.
How hard would it be for a casino owner in China to forward money from the state of China to the GOP complex?
A guy who has made billions in the gambling industry has connections to prostitution, organized crime, and corrupt governments? And he's trying to buy influence for himself and his "business partners" by contributing huge sums of money to political candidates?
I am shocked...SHOCKED...it is even being suggested (for those of you following at home, that's a play on a quote from Casablanca used here to convey dripping sarcasm).
How would we be feeling today if Mittens had won last week? You think this has a chance of blowing up into a scandal? I sure do.
I'm not saying the Dems and their big funders are squeaky clean - they aren't. But Adelson is Don Corleone without the charm. And how do we feel about the GOP's relationship with him after reading this? I don't know about you, but I'm ready to throw up.
Round-up the usual suspects.
phe
Nicely put, first Sheldon bought the Newt and when that failed he bought Romney. Between Sheldon and the Koch brothers almost Half a Billion was spent to buy the US government. When will the RWNJs wake up and realize the republican party is not their friend, more like a Jim Jones figure. Remember how Romney wanted to " Get Tough On China" just how was he going to do that when Sheldon Adelson was making Billions from China.
phe: "Don Corleone without the charm" LOL!
Spotlight on Macau?? I thought the spotlight was on Jewish money and influence in US elections... no? Republicans like Gingrich and Romney sold out their own country's interests to benefit Israel, thanks to traitors like Adelson.
No, it wasn't about "Jewish money", only Adelson's who just happens to be Jewish. I started following this story months ago and wasn't surprised that Adelson tried to buy his way out of this load of crap. I have no problem with men or women who do well. The only problem I have is how some of the bastards do it, by cheating and stealing and other underhanded BS they get away with.
hmmm, blaming the rich jews. where have i heard that one? let me think....
Are you trying to tell me that Adelson was not supporting Gingrich and Romney in order to benefit Israel? WTF are you folks smoking?
Gingrich: Adelson supports me because of Israel
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/01/gingrich-adelson-supports-me-because-of-israel-112665.html
"Sheldon Adelson's passion in life is (the security of) Israel."
He (Gingrich) added that Adelson is very concerned about Iran posing the threat of a "second Holocaust" to Israel.
no max, i'm comparing your paranoid populist argument of america being sold out to the jews as the same nonsense that hitler used to rally the masses...couldn't give a damn about the rest of yoursupposed argument, could care less about israel
BD - looks like you know nothing about the past, and not much about the present. The article tries to spin the truth, like it is all about Macau, when it is all about Israel. You are being fed lies and you think that people who don't buy these lies are somehow paranoid. That is a classic sheeple syndrome.
Max^108
Exactly right Max. When will BD and others understand "for the support of Israel" is a whole lot better slogan for politics than " I'm a crook and the republicans I bought will protect me form the law".
BD When will McCain apologize for Killing 134 US Navy Sailors?
who cares about mccain?!?! just another career politician who needs to go. there are crooks buying influence on both sides of the aisle, and crooks on both sides occupying seats in our legislature. what's your point? or do we just comment on it when its in support of repubs, but ignore it when its a dem?
BD
Are you that blind to your own party and what they have done in the recent past? From changing laws to keep one of their own from going to jail to flat out treason. Clean your own house before you come after me.
I have to agree with BD on this one. Adelson is a greedy, criminal slime-ball that just so happens to be Jewish.
This is not about "Jewish" money for Israel - deep inside, I seriously doubt if Adelson gives a crap about Israel either (it was a good, philanthropic cover, but I don't even think Newt was dumb enough to fall for it). This is all about money from Chinese organized crime influencing U.S. elections.
Did Adelson, or which ever super-pac he may have been involved with, contribute directly to Mittsy's campaign? Did Adelson contribute to the campaigns of any House Reps or Senators? Any elected official now sitting in our government that has benefited from Adelson's money needs to answer for it.
Regardless - it is beautiful to know that Adelson spent millions and has absolutely nothing to show for it.
Joethelib, my own party? I'm a libertarian, so what did they do this time that i need to be aware of? all i've done is point out the BOTH the repubs and dems are financed by rich people peddling influence, a fact most seem to want to ignore. but i can understand your need to counterattack me as if i was a repub because i pointed out that the dems are dirty too, its confusing when you militantly choose sides between only two major parties...
I can agree that both parties are criminal beyond belief and need to be abolished, but libertarian views are whackjob politics to the core as well. You need a strong central government to provide necessities like health care, infrastructure, management, etc. You absolutely need strong restraints on business to prevent the kinds of corruption that are poisoning our society today and limiting opportunity by the will of those empowered by wealth. It is absurd that education and health care be a matter of choice to purchase, when both are unaffordable to so many, it would be a move that would eliminate opportunity for poor people to ever escape their economic strata. They would be left to die or stay sick until they did. Allowing free reign in business would crush wage earning opportunities for many as well. This philosophy comes very close to the republikkkan mantra of, "I've got mine, so screw everyone else."
BD-540164
So who said "LIBERTARIAN" is not a party? I've only Libertarian's that picked and choose what parts they wanted to follow. Seams your no different, Believe that NO drug should be government controlled? Believe that any woman can have an abortion any time she wants? Believe the federal government should pass NO laws restricting any business? Believe that when a disaster strikes a State the federal government should say Your on your own. Well then your a Libertarian. If you don't believe all this then your not a Libertarian.
Frankly, I hope Adelson and the Koch Brothers spent more than the $400 million they promised to spend in this election. It also surprises me how that coal baron and Papa John's owner was FORCED to lay off those workers and cut the hours of others a mere 3 days after Obama's election....guess they followed Romney's suggestion of letting their workers know how to vote or the consequences. I only had that pizza once and it really, really, really wasn't take good.
WHAT! Murray owns Papa John's?
Has anyone ever followed the Murray Coal Saga? Murray bought up the long ago deemed unsafe coal mines that had the room and pillar style left so mine subsidence would not be as likely. I live in W. PA and had many kith and kin who worked in the mines. None of the old timers woul dhav entered a mine to take out these pillars as Murray did, a serious accident waiting to happen. And, Murray's Utah mine! Is he not facing some serious fines and lawsuits about mine safety and the fact that he waited before attempting a rescue of the trapped miners?
PapaJohn, as I traveled, I couldn't always find a decent local pizza, so after trying them, lat year for example, I purchased enough PapaJohn pizzas to end up with enough PapaPoints to get 7 free pizzas.
Unless be makes a public declaration of a turnaround, I will buy local or even microwavable pizzas, regardless the taste, when I crave one.
I doubt boycotts will work on a pizza shop, but maybe we should do some cashmobs at the local mom and pop pie houses. http://cashmobs.wordpress.com/
They weren't forced. They are hypocrites who had a choice to keep their employees or make a statement on the backs of a few thousand Americans. They choose the later. So who is really to blame?
"Papa John's owner was FORCED to lay off those workers"
Just the same way Pappa John was FORCED to give away 2 million pizzas. Just like he was FORCED to pay Manning to do his advertising. It was all Johns Choice to make BIGGER PROFIT over a few people keeping their job.
OMG! a business owner in business to make profit?!?! say it isn't so! he probably should have just been a nice guy and kept unneeded labor on payroll, just like all other businesses do...
If they were unneeded then he shouldn't have pretended it was political. Instead he was a coward and blamed it on someone else.
I boycott Papa John's, but it ain't at all hard to do--their pizza is atrocious. I think the cheese is fortified with plastic!
Look, we have to take the money out of politics altogether. Demand fully taxpayer-funded elections. Ban Congressional members from trading, insider or otherwise, while in office, and ban Supreme Court members from trading for life. Make all lobbying gifts and funding the felony bribes they truly are--overturn Citizens United for protecting corporate profits as free speech and inviting corporations to sue the fed any time regulations threaten their bottom line--in making law from whole cloth, the Court treasonously violated Separation of Powers and is clearly trying to dismantle the Commerce Clause to give Congressional authority to regulate interstate commerce to: the Chamber of Commerce! I would impeach the Supreme Court 5 who took an oath to uphold the Constitution yet have so utterly and ruinously betrayed it.
Now that the election's over, we the people need to come together, no matter what party or ideology, to clean our house!
Go to democracyisforpeople.org and sign the petition to overturn Citizens United v. FEC. The conservatives on the Supreme Court committed treason by making law "out of whole cloth," a legal term meaning there's no precedent for it--courts are banned from going beyond the issues presented by the parties in any lawsuit, and in this case both parties were focused on a single, narrowly drawn statute. The Court blew right past that to give money the protections of the very heart of our constitution--the 1st Amendment. Any 6-year old knows money isn't free speech--it's property, personal property, according to hundreds of years of statutory and case law.
Courts are barred from making law because it violates the Separation of Powers Clause of the Constitution--the basis for our nation's system of checks and balances. You learned this in 4th grade. Legislatures are supposed to make law, and courts judge whether those laws pass muster under the Constitution. We need a constitutional amendment now because there is no authority higher than the Supreme Court--they're not to make law because there is no check against them except the Constitution itself.
Citizens United violates the Constitution even further, as it is obviously designed to dismantle the Commerce Clause, which gives Congress authority to regulate interstate commerce, by inviting corporations to sue the federal government any time a regulation threatens a corporation's profit margin--real or imagined.
For example, tobacco companies joined up to sue against the feds' graphic warning labels on cigarette packages, arguing Citizens United by claiming those labels would undercut their profits. Now, cigarettes are the only legally marketed product that--when used as directed--kills its consumers. But the Federal Court had to agree with them, and the government was forced to discontinue use of graphics in warning labels because of Citizens United.
When the Supreme court invites corporations to sue our government to deregulate based on intended future profits, our very lives are at stake, as are: our water and food supplies, our environment, and everything else humans need to survive and thrive.
Hydro-fracking companies use all kinds of chemicals, including carcinogenic benzene, in breaking oil shale to access natural gas. So far, they're not even required to say what chemicals they use! And there are 18,000 chemicals in our foods, only 200 of which have been investigated by the FDA, whose funding keeps getting cut.
Before corporations like these sue us to prevent the regulations that might protect us, let's roll up our sleeves and take this powerful tool, Citizens United, away.
Join Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer rights group, at citizen.org.
The system won't change unless we the people, understanding that GOVERNMENT IS US (or it's supposed to be)--change it!
Then we can begin impeachment proceedings for treason against the Court members who supported Citizens United, and begin proceedings against House obstructionists who treasonously refused to raise taxes during a time of war "for the general welfare" as required by the Constitution, instead signing an agreement with private citizen Grover Norquist that they would refuse to do the job required of them by that great document.
Time to put some politicians and their appointees behind bars.
Throw a party, invite your friends to discuss these issues together, and form yourselves into action groups. Volunteer, or donate $5/month, to get our nation in order again, no matter what party affiliation you may have--these issues go far beyond ideology, to our foundation's core.
BD-540164
Do you comprehend anything you read? Johns own numbers indicate he would have to raise the price of a pizza 11 to 14 cents to pay for medical coverage for all of his employees. I don't begrudge any person a good income but what he makes in profit is absurd. When the math is put to the test reality is about 4 to 7 cents a pie. John just can't stand the thought of having healthy employees I guess. Next time you order that Papa Johns Pizza, these people go to work sick or not. With no medical insurance they can't see a doctor so enjoy that next pizza with all the germs of a sick worker.
Who knew? The real losers in the U.S. election? The Chinese mafia...
Oh, that is funny, LOL
Yep, now the dirt will fly! And while were looking at the dirty money that flowed into Mitt's attempt to buy the US Government, we need to cast an eye ball at a few other billionaires (Koch bro's, aspirin between the knees guy, etc, and even MITT himself) and get to the bottom of it all!! I am predicting that in the very near future, the entanglement will reach back to the "Citizens United" SCOTUS ruling- and you will see some REALLY low down dealings with the justices..... IT is just starting folks...
Oh well. He was really hoping Mittens would help him not have to pay about 2 billion in taxes.
What a nice rich man Sheldon Adelson is. Helps support prostitution, corruption, the Chinese mafia...oh, and that Republican guy that ran for president! A very nice moral man, indeed!
Romney thought all the big donations would win him the Presidency and he did not care where it came from. The American voters have once again shown people like Romney and Adelson what it cannot buy. While Adelson has the right to spend his money where he wants, he could have spent that money trying to help people and organizations that really need help yet he chose to spend it on a political campaign. No sympathy here if he loses everything.
Boycott Papa John's. Do it for your health as well as to put that smug jerk in his place.
I am sure that if it turns out that Adelson was pumping Chinese money into the Romney campaign, the Governor will be happy to return it and replace it with his own money.
Hahahahahaha.
And Murray? I knew there was a reason for keeping Gitmo open.
well it's not like the dems have ever gotten funny chinese money either...total non-story. well, unless there is a big moral difference between the chinese government money going to the DNC in the late 90s, or private chinesse money going to the GOP now...
I don't know about you, but I'm ready to throw up.
Papa John's pizza for lunch will do that!
Strange there are no Republicans supporting the right of Adelson and the Koch's to pump millions of dollars into the elections. Perhaps, they too feel that these corporate deities are destroying their voice in the election system.
The dems are on the take with corporate, union (where DO they get all that money?!?! from dues? hahaha yeah right...) and foreign entities, too. both these parties are well funded through outside interests, unfortunately most posting here either don't realize that, or just chose to deny that their benevolent dems would take money from personal and corporate special interests too. there are plenty of multi-million dollar donations going to both candidates. according to the nytimes and washington post, both candidates had approximately 25 donors each giving over $1M, although this adelson guy gives the most by far...
or you can keep believing obama won because of all the $5 contributions he got from his loyal "base" lol
Actually, Obama won because all of the $5 contributions he got from his loyal base also meant that they voted that way. There is a very significant difference between Obama and Romney as far as business is concerned. He is reviled as a Socialist and anti-business exactly because they don't have influence on him.
obama's reviled as a socialist because of his more government policies, his "make the rich pay", his "residistribution" and "class warfare" populist platform he's always spouting off with, not because no one has influence on him. obama has recieved plenty of contributions from business, particularly in the finance, insurance, and medical industries. gee, where'd obamacare come from again? and the insurance mandate? the wheels of politics are always greased with money from those who will benefit. no one gets in office without it...
Our government grew a lot faster under Bush, than it did under Obama. Bush came up with Homeland Security, headed by Jews, as were most of the other positions in Defense and foreign policy.
Addleson was a Zionist Jew, trying to buy another war for Israel by electing Romney. Romney's claim that Iran is the greatest threat facing America, was an indication of what we would have faced, were he elected.
Thank goodness the war mongers lost the election. No more wars for Israel.
wow RalphH, lots of evil jews running around mucking things up, aren't there? perhaps we should round those dirty bastards up and exterminte them before they doom us all?
John Magnusson
WOW!!!!!!!!!! John if you voted for a republican, then you support exactly that. Republicans put the balance of SCOTUS so far right they said corporations are People.
BD, it looks like I'm agreeing with you again.
Hey Ralph, it's a good thing for all of us poor fools out here that smart guys like you are keeping an eye on all those Jews. I'm sure your uncle Adolf would be proud of you too, keeping up the family business, as it were.
I'm just curious how you feel about that black guy in the White House. Anti-Semites are usually pretty equal-opportunity when it comes to passing out the hate. Got any terms of endearment for our President?
Oh, and by the way, what did your comment have to do with Macau? Or was it just a serendipitous opportunity for you to spout off your Nazi opinions?
Well, whatever. Keep up the good work. Say hello to the Imperial Wizard next time you see him.
Here is a list of Jews that worked in the Bush administration, many of which were behind our 2 wars for Israel. Those wars will cost America more than 5 trillion dollars. Maybe, you can understand my dislike of the people who cost our country it's soldiers and treasure.
Zionist
warmongers like Ken Adelman and the Zionist Washington Post pushed the war in
an editorial titled, “Cakewalk in Iraq.” Jewish supremacists Richard Perle and
Paul Wolfowitz told you that Iraq would “Welcome us as liberators.” Iraq became
the longest war in American history. Here is a report from USA Today: “Pentagon
officials estimated for the first time Wednesday that up to 360,000 Iraq and
Afghanistan veterans may have suffered traumatic brain injuries.” Now that’s
not counting tens of thousands who have suffered maiming, amputations, or death
in this war based on lies.
See list below:
American / Israeli Dual Citizens in the American Government
Attorney
General - Michael Mukasey
Head
of Homeland Security - Michael Chertoff
Chairman
Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board - Richard Perle
Deputy
Defense Secretary (Former) - Paul Wolfowitz
Under
Secretary of Defense - Douglas Feith
National
Security Council Advisor - Elliott Abrams
Vice
President Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff (Former) - “Scooter” Libby
White
House Deputy Chief of Staff - Joshua Bolten
Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs - Marc Grossman
Director
of Policy Planning at the State Department - Richard Haass
U.S.
Trade
Representative (Cabinet-level Position) - Robert Zoellick
Pentagon’s
Defense Policy Board - James Schlesinger
UN
Representative (Former) - John Bolton
Under
Secretary for Arms Control - David Wurmser
Pentagon’s
Defense Policy Board - Eliot Cohen
Senior
Advisor to the President - Steve Goldsmith
Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary - Christopher Gersten
Assistant
Secretary of State - Lincoln Bloomfield
Deputy
Assistant to the President - Jay Lefkowitz
White
House Political Director - Ken Melman
National
Security Study Group - Edward Luttwak
Pentagon’s
Defense Policy Board - Kenneth Adelman
Defense
Intelligence Agency Analyst (Former) - Lawrence (Larry) Franklin
National
Security Council Advisor - Robert Satloff
President
Export-Import Bank U.S.
-
Mel Semble
Deputy
Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families -
Christopher Gersten
Assistant
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Public Affairs
-
Mark Weinberger
White
House Speechwriter - David Frum
White
House Spokesman (Former) - Ari Fleischer
Pentagon’s
Defense Policy Board - Henry Kissinger
Deputy
Secretary of Commerce - Samuel Bodman
Under
Secretary of State for Management - Bonnie Cohen
Director
of Foreign Service Institute - Ruth Davis
BD-540164
If you only had facts to back up what you say. In the 1980s the top 1% controlled 7% of this country's wealth, today they control over 24%. Re-distribution and class warfare started 30 years ago and the 99% lost.
Not sure what your point is, Ralph. There are a lot of Jews in a lot of Federal agencies? Is that it? Maybe you can provide a similar list of Hindus in those same agencies. Or atheists. Or Buddhists. I don't think any of those lists would prove much of anything, other than the Federal government, a lot like the rest of the country, is pretty diverse.
Do you have a similar dislike for the Vietnamese or Koreans? Because those are "...people who cost our country it's soldiers and treasure...", a lot more directly. I mean, lots of Americans died, and lots of American money got spent, defending those people from the Commies, right?
And just how did the Jews "...cost our country it's soldiers and treasure..."? They silently, secretly manipulated events to draw the US into Iraq and Afghanistan? Oh, wait. I bet you're one of those "The Jews Did 9/11" guys, aren't you? You know, even the 9/11 Truthers have distanced from that line of delusional idiocy.
John Bolton is not a Jew, btw. That one I know for an absolute fact. There are a few other names on your "list" that I'm not so sure about as well. If you're going to accuse someone of something so vile as being Jewish, Ralphie, you need to get your facts right.
Sorry, Ralphie. You can claim to be a "True American", or think yourself somehow smarter than the average bear, or whatever it is you tell yourself. You're a nothing more than an ignorant, willfully stupid bigot. You ought to be off raising the rabble in Gaza or Cairo, or desecrating cemeteries in Bavaria. You have no place in the United States in 2012.
I'll take Socialism over Fascism in a heartbeat. You fascists got into power with Reagan and your voodoo economics. What have you done? The top 20% has done better, many of you doing much much better while 80% of us are worse of than before. Some of us are 30% worse than before you started your class warfare with yuor tinkle uponeconomics. And that does not include your Great Recession.
inequality-p25_averagehouseholdincom.png (PNG Image, 631x346 pixels)
Now that the election is over - Adelson is donating missles for Israel to lob into Syria....he's adamant he'll get the War started with Iran one way or the other!
He was hoping Romney could have our boots on the ground by the end of January....now on to plan B!
Good ole' Sheldon, using money from prostitution and gambling to buy an election for the family values party. I guess he figured that was the only way to make the SEC and Justice investigations go away.
Las Vegas and Adelson were the first stop by Lying Ryan after his VP selection by Romney. He was immediately dispatched to "kiss" Adelson's ass and pick up another 250,000 or so. Heady stuff for Janesville's little hero and it will not be forgotten come '16. Adelson is not only interested in foreign money but as a newspaper owner in Israel and a major supporter of Netanyahu he has pushed for an attack on Iran and further destruction of any hope for a two state solution in the M/East.
It would appear Adelson was not simply trying to purchase "influence", but, more likely, a "get out of jail" card.
I look forward to hearing of his indictment, trial and (hopefully) his conviction.
I tried to tell people long before the election was over about how corrupt Mitt and his biggest contributors were, but no one wanted to listen. Maybe now more stuff will come out that citizens of this country should have known before they voted. I surely hope so. When David Stockman's book comes out in March people will be able to read what kind of a man could be running our country in January. Thank God, he lost! Now matter what happens in the future, at least we have a man running our country that isn't corrupt! Best of luck, Obama. With those House Republicans, it looks like you may need it. Hopefully, we can get rid of some of them in a couple of years. Then we can get bills passed that will help everyone in this country!
Can we put this guy in jail yet?
Can the Koch brothers be next?
LoneWolf-YellowDog
It is only the Republicans that have that attitude, BD, not Democrats.
If that is the case loneWolf, why are there so many Democrats in the inner cities on food stamps and welfare while the Democrats have had control of most everything in the inner cities across America for the last 20 or 30 years? The reason: The only way Democrats can win elections is to promise what they can't provide. Of course, they also need Hollywood, the Unions and the Trial Lawyers.
By the way, look what gambling has done for the Native Americans. When you gamble in an Indian casino, it's like a donation to their cause. Without gambling Las Vegas and Atlantic City would not exist.
Isn't it wonderful how things we would not have know about are coming to light - all because of President Obama winning this election against a very wealthy Republican with very wealthy supporters. Who would have ever heard about this Macau connection! I love it. The American voters are getting smarter and smarter.
the american voters are getting dumber and dumber. they have already chosen their gang colors crypts-dems, bloods-repubs, and will vote as their church, union, community organizer, employer, media outlet or whoever tells them. those that are un-decided will watch the jerry springer campaign commercials and chose whoever wins the fight...
BD - At least we cast out the best friend of Netanyahu and Israel. It is a start. Now if we could only end our "special reationship" with those parasites in Israel and stop all aid.
How does it feel to be begging the US for money and weapons, like some kind of welfare case? You Zionists either have no pride or you take pleasure in ripping off the gentiles in the US. Which is it?
BD-540164
BD do you stand for anything or do you just post to show your lack of understanding of the world. I can see why you and Romney go hand in hand, neither of you have a position to stand on. After 5 years of Romney saying to each audience what they wanted to hear, I conclude he has no position unless there is money involved.