NYT editorial: In Thrall to Sheldon Adelson

[highplainsdem]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/17/opinion/in-thrall-to-sheldon-adelson.html

Three days after Paul Ryan became the presumptive Republican vice presidential candidate, he made a pilgrimage on Tuesday to the Las Vegas gambling palace of Sheldon Adelson, the casino tycoon who is spending more than any other donor to try to send Mr. Ryan and Mitt Romney to the White House. No reporters were allowed, perhaps because the campaign didn’t want them asking uncomfortable questions about the multiple federal investigations into the company behind Mr. Adelson’s wealth.

Those questions, though, aren’t going away, and neither are the ones about the judgment of Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan in drawing ever closer to a man whose business background should lead them to back away — fast. By not repudiating Mr. Adelson’s vow to spend as much as $100 million on their behalf, the two candidates seem more eager to keep the “super PAC” dollars flowing than to preserve the integrity of their campaign.

The issues swirling about Mr. Adelson’s business practices are not new and can hardly come as a surprise to the Romney campaign. Last year, his company, the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, announced that it was under investigation by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act — specifically, that it bribed Chinese officials for help in expanding its casino empire in Macau. Later, the F.B.I. became involved, and even Chinese regulators looked askance at the company’s conduct, fining it $1.6 million for violating foreign exchange rules, The Times reported on Monday.

Then there’s an unrelated investigation by the United States attorney’s office in Los Angeles into whether the Sands Corporation violated federal money-laundering laws by accepting millions from high-rolling gamblers accused of drug trafficking and embezzlement. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that federal authorities are examining whether the casino should have reported the suspicious funds to the government. Instead, the company accepted $100 million from one of the gamblers and gave him free hotel rooms, plane rides and large lines of credit.

-snip-

[DonCoquixote]

1. When treason doth prosper

None dare call it treason." But the Chinese sure might if Adelson is undermining their rule on Macau, especially if he is buying Romney for protection. There are many bad places to pick a fight with the Chinese, and this is one of the worst, as Macau is very, very shakily under Chinese control.

[spanone]

2. ryan went out to kiss adelson's ring and ass

fuck these fucking politicians that don't work for the people

[nanabugg]

3. Yeah and the media that Sheldon probably owns along with Murdock is not doing even a reasonable

job in reporting on this. It is more important than one might think because Romney accepted campaign donations on foreign soil (Israel and the UK). Had Obama ventured to Saudi Arabia and accepted donations for his campaign impeachment would be underway.