Hillary loves fugitive moneymen Plus: Norman Hsu speaks!
Say sleaze! Hillary with former fugitive donor Rehman Jinnah in 2000.
Sweetness and Light recalls yet another fugitive moneyman who shelled out big bucks to Hillary Clinton. Via the LATimes from last year noted by Rantburg:
Clinton donor wanted by FBI in scheme to funnel money
Robin Fields and Chuck Neubauer,
Los Angeles Times, March 3, 2007
A Pakistani immigrant who hosted fundraisers in Southern California for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is being sought by the FBI on charges that he funneled illegal contributions to Clinton’s political action committee and Sen. Barbara Boxer’s 2004 reelection campaign. Authorities say Northridge businessman Abdul Rehman Jinnah, 56, fled the country after an indictment accused him of engineering more than $50,000 in illegal donations to the Democratic committees. A business associate charged as a co-conspirator has entered a guilty plea and is scheduled to be sentenced in Los Angeles next week…
The case has transformed Jinnah from a political point man on Pakistani issues, a man often photographed next to foreign dignitaries and U.S. leaders, into a fugitive with his mug shot on the FBI’s “featured fugitives” wanted list. Jinnah’s profile peaked in 2004 and 2005 as he wooed members of Congress to join a caucus advancing Pakistani concerns and brought Clinton to speak to prominent Pakistani Americans, lauding their homeland’s contributions to the war on terrorism and calling relations with Pakistan beneficial to U.S. interests.
Jinnah and his family donated more than $100,000 to the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates. Now friends say they believe Jinnah has returned to Pakistan. Attempts to reach him and his relatives were unsuccessful. A “For Sale” sign stood in his yard on Thursday, and a neighbor said the family had not lived there for months.
Maybe he was hanging with Norman Hsu.
Update: Jinnah surrendered to the FBI in late May, according to this Pakistan newspaper (hat tip – Noblesse Oblige):
A Pakistani businessman accused of illegally funnelling tens of thousands of dollars to the political campaigns of US senators Hillary Clinton and Barbara Boxer surrendered to the FBI on a year-old indictment on Tuesday, then collapsed in Los Angeles federal court, Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday.
Looking tired and disoriented, Abdul Rehman Jinnah, 56, complained of chest pains and began shaking an hour into a contentious bond hearing before US Magistrate Judge Patrick J Walsh. The judge interrupted the hearing for nearly 30 minutes while paramedics attended to Jinnah. After Jinnah’s condition was stabilised and he was taken to a local hospital for an examination, Walsh set bond at $300,000.
The drama unfolded shortly after Jinnah, who has a history of heart problems and diabetes, flew back to the US from Pakistan to answer charges by a grand jury that he engineered illicit donations to Ms Clinton’s political action committee and Ms Boxer’s 2004 re-election campaign. Officials from both campaigns have said they were unaware of the alleged wrongdoing and returned the contributions.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Assistant US Attorney Dennis Mitchell urged the judge to deny Jinnah bond, arguing that he was a “tremendous flight risk” with a long history of financial misconduct that included five bankruptcy filings that had been dismissed by the courts.
Mitchell said authorities suspected that Jinnah returned to the US to face federal charges only because the government had initiated travel restrictions that made it increasingly difficult for the businessman to travel overseas. He could flee again if he believes he will be imprisoned, Mitchell said.
But Jinnah’s attorney, former federal prosecutor Douglas Fuchs, said that was “absurd,” noting that his client had voluntarily surrendered and faced only one to two years in prison if convicted.
Born in Pakistan, Jinnah immigrated to the US in the late 1980s and settled in Northridge. Over the next decade, he tried his hand at a string of businesses and left a trail of angry creditors and former business partners. But by 2004, Jinnah had positioned himself as a point man who could help the Democratic Party tap the increasingly affluent Pakistani American community for campaign funds. He and his family personally contributed $122,000 to Democratic candidates and organisations that year and held events for Ms Clinton and Ms Boxer at his home.
Stuart Schoenburg, 76, a Tarzana television producer charged as Jinnah’s co-conspirator, has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour count and is awaiting sentencing.
***
Here’s the NYPost’s coverage of Hill and Jinnah from earlier this spring.
Gateway Pundit Jim Hoft has the FBI Wanted poster of Jinnah and much more.
Left-leaning SourceWatch compiled Jinnah’s Dem donor data.
***
New from the LATimes today, Norman Hsu speaks:
Democratic donor Norman Hsu said Wednesday that he would “refrain from all fundraising activities” until he resolved an outstanding warrant for his arrest stemming from a 1991 criminal case in San Mateo County. Hsu, a major fundraiser over the last three years for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and other Democrats, issued the statement through his attorney after the Los Angeles Times reported that he had been a fugitive for 15 years.
Prosecutors in California said Hsu disappeared in 1992 after pleading no contest and agreeing to serve up to three years in prison for defrauding investors in a Ponzi scheme.
Meanwhile, Clinton’s campaign said Wednesday that it would donate to charity $23,000 in direct donations from Hsu, a New York apparel executive. And other recipients of his donations distanced themselves from the businessman.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California and Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry of Massachusetts; Reps. Michael M. Honda of San Jose, Doris Matsui of Sacramento and Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania; and Al Franken, a Senate candidate in Minnesota, said they would divest their campaigns of Hsu’s donations. Clinton campaign aides had said earlier that the candidate had no plans to return money donated by Hsu, but the campaign reversed itself after The Times’ disclosure. “In light of the new information regarding Mr. Hsu’s outstanding warrant in California, we will be giving his contributions to charity,” Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said.
The campaign has not determined whether to return money Hsu raised, but Singer said it regularly reviews donations. “Should we have the basis to return one, we shall do so,” Singer said.
Hsu has donated or raised more than $1 million for Democrats and their causes. He served as a “bundler,” rounding up a group of donors and then packaging their checks together. He is a member of Clinton’s “HillRaiser” group, individuals who pledged to raise more than $100,000 for her presidential campaign.
FYI: Bill and Hill will be campaigning together in New Hampshire this weekend, according to her campaign blog.
***
New: From Tigerhawk, a closer look at the Paw connection and the malign and benign angles on the Hsu story.
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I wonder why all these Chinese feel compelled to donate to the Clintons? Is there something Bill did not give them? I would have thought the W-88 nuke warhead was enough. As well as the Loral missile tracking imagery, but apparently he left something out.
Does she always wear the pink blouse when appearing with fugitive moneymen?
Will nothing ever stick to these Clintons? They can lie, steal, cheat ~ and yet nothing matters. They just keep on keepin’ on. Any one of us did any of these things, we’d pay dearly. Any Republican did any of these things AND it was brought out, the media would crucify them. I don’t get it.
I try to teach my kids ~ what’s fair for one has to be fair for everyone. Guess I’m a little naive!
Divest: To sell off. Often referred to in the context of a company selling off divisions that are either a poor fit within the overall corporate strategy, or showing poor financial performance.
So exactly what are these crooks going to do?
I wouldn’t be surprised if I were to receive an eMail from the Hillary campaign telling me that Evan Shilliwinder III just died in Namibia, leaving $20MM dollars in a Namibian bank.
They need a non-Namibian to claim to be Shillwinder’s next of kin, so if I just send them $10,000…
I’m voting with skoolingmamaof4. Why would we want to seriously consider for POTUS someone with a history of consorting with criminals and benefiting financially? And this is not anything new for a Clinton.
Oh, sorry. Got caught. No problem; we’ll just give that money to charity. Fah!
I wish that, while he was on the run, they have voided that pleading, tried him in absentia, and thrown the sentencing book at him.
If you run, yuo should get a year for every year we look for you. Pleading and then running should double that.
Hmmmmmmm. I distinctly remember democrats getting on their soapboxes and saying that anyone who took money in any way related to Abromoff should return it immediately, regardless of whether it was dirty or not.
Isn’t she surrounded by people who’s job it is to check criminal backgrounds of the people spending time/getting close to her??
How is it the Secret Service didn’t pick up on his status?
Or did they, and they told her, she didn’t care, and is now lying?
Which do you think is the more likely?
I’d vote for “didn’t care, and is not lying.” She is a Democrat, of course.
Hmmm… and just what “Charity” will they give the money too? Bet if you follow it somehow it will be somthing like giving it to a voter outreach program… or the Bill Clinton Library…
I dont see anything coming on this flagrant foul.The MSM will not persue it as we all know.Just another rub it in your face by the Dems.
Nail. Head. Bamm.
Also, Hillary has said she will donate the dirty 46k to charity. I’m gonna go ahead and ask her to…just go ahead and disclose the name of that charity. Grrrrreat. Thanks Hil!
I wish Pat Paulsen was still alive. At least he was serious about being funny.
You guys are missing the bigger picture here…
Let’s do the math. According to the democrats:
$X
-$23,000
———-
$0
X= money raised by at least two criminals.
This is an insignificant return of money, to a charity. What happens to the rest of it?
But no, everything’s hunky dory with the Clinton camp, because they made good. No scandal here. -Everything- is on the up and up again.
Shouldn’t Hillary be importing “undocumented Americans” to do her illegal fundraising?
And all for the betterment of the American public. Phooey!!!! Listen all you American hate-mongers. Here’s your Hillary. Here’s your Barbara Boxer and John Kerry……and the list undoubtedly will contunue. Let’s keep exposing the real ‘criminals’.
Well, let me see…..
A republican taps his foot while taking a dump in the men’s room, and it’s a “sex scandal” in the leftwing media.
A democrat accepts bribe money from criminals, who are not only wanted by the FBI, but also appear to have links to islamic organizations and communists, and the same leftwing media sees nothing to report there.
I never, ever thought I’d see the day that I could not trust one thing printed in newspapers, or presented on television news. Even the weather report is suspect (gotta push the global warming). However, that day is definitely here!!
‘If I just give back the money, everything will be alright, right???’
-Hillary Clinton
How about the ACT crooks?
ajmontana said:
I suspect they will send the money to another Chinese Charity which will then run it through the Chinese Money Laundry and send it back to them all nicely folded and repackaged in nice plain brown wrappers.
The only thing you can believe in the MSM is the sports scores.They cant lie about them,they can about the games even obits but the scores they cant.That is the only thing I believe when I read the paper.
Hey dl, Nice to see you back, I started to worry, thought you may have melted or something ….dang it’s hot.
ajmontana
Howdy … nope … still here … but after nearly a month out of the office I am still trying to find the top of my desk underneath the mountain of “stuff” that got piled on it while I was gone …
LOL
For one, I want to know where this cash goes. My advice to them
“Choose Wisely Grasshopper”
Hopefully, someone can answer a few question and provide me with a better understanding of what this is all about.
Does every candidate for public office have to vet the people who contribute to their campaigns?
Must each candidate perform a criminal background check on everyone of their contributors?
Obviously, the forms that are required to donate money to a campaign require certain information, name, address, etc. Does this same form ask if the money being given is clean, or if it comes from a criminal enterprise?
Where is the line drawn before a candidate should ask, or know, about the background of a contributor? Isn’t it just as bad if a felon gives $100, $1,000, or $100,000?
How much effort should be given to tracking down a criminal (felon or misdemeanor) who gives $100? How is the candidate supposed to know a contributor has unpaid outstanding traffic tickets? Should a candidate return the $100 once it is found out that the individual is a scofflaw?
Up to this point I have avoided using names. But, to add some perspective, if Sen Larry Craig donated to another politician’s campaign, should that politician return Craig’s money?
Just asking.
Is it legal to donate political contributions to charity, a purpose other than intended? I’d be curious if there was a way to “legally” “donate” it to a “charity”, such as a special interest group, that could in turn “contribute”, via platform and issues support, back to her campaign indirectly.
Where is the IRS? They say the reported income of the doner- doesn’t match the money donated – funneling funds? Hillary is (re) living history again…GRIN. Hmmm I can’t imagine, what the title for her next book will be? I wonder if the Chinese, will try and edit her next book too.
zyzzyg,
I dont know about anyone else but if a person whom donated large sums of money is standing on a podium next to me I would make darn sure where the heck this persons monies are coming from. but thats just me.
DL – Larry Craig been in your office?
Seriously though, even if the MSM ignores it, it’s the job of the AG to see to it that Federal crooks get prosecuted, and…oh, never mind.
These leopards will never change their spots.
I hope we’re not looking at 4 or 8 more years of Clinton crooks running this country into the ground.
Come on Newt. Pull us out of this mess.
Hsu’s attorney said yesterday that he “forgot” about his conviction and sentence.
And I think it was the Wall Street Journal who found out a whole slew of those “bundled” checks were all from the same address in a San Francisco suburb where Hsu once lived but now is owned by a mailman. It’s pretty obvious that Hsu has been violating FEC regs by getting people to contribute and then reimbursing them, using that single address to hide that info from the FEC.
We have not heard the last of Mr. Hsu.
If “both campaigns didn’t know about the indictments,” why are they returning the money?
Why didn’t the campaigns know about the indictments? I’m a teacher, and if I get indicted, EVERYONE gets to know. She’s running for PRESIDENT, and no one knows…
What’s wrong with this picture?
Did Hsu’s attorney’s “Forget” as well????
Hmmm, this looks like poo….smells like poo….must be poo!
ajmontana -
So, the rule of thumb is the size of the donation and, standing next to the candidate should signal and require an investigation of that donor?
Small time thieves and outlaws, who donate small amounts, are permitted to provide campaign cash and take pictures with the candidates at fundraisers? And, these funds do not have to be returned. Is that what you are saying.
Seriously, somebody please answer the questions.
No surprises. I’m sure the campaign has contacted every one of the felons her husband pardoned, looking for more “dirty” cash.
I remember from back then–the Pardons scandal—- how the majority of the felons pardoned were unusually wealthy.
Business as usual. Pardons for future cash, and more tainted campaign money. Wouldn’t expect anything less from this group.
No zyzzyg,
I said thats just me. not the rule of thumb. and I also said I would make sure… I’m not speaking for everyone.
AlohaGuy said:
I hope not … lol …
I am now wondering just how many other “Hsu clones” are out there that have been contributing large amounts of money to Hillary through this obvious scam …
dl, I only have eight fingers and two thumbs how the heck am I supposed to count that high?
ajmontana … toes my friend … toes
zyzzyg -
Your proposed questions are downright laughable. The answer to the first two would be, “Duh!”
And as for the third one:
Obviously, the forms that are required to donate money to a campaign require certain information, name, address, etc. Does this same form ask if the money being given is clean, or if it comes from a criminal enterprise?
Do you seriously believe any shady character would actually answer this truthfully?
Here’s a website to track campaign contributions.
http://www.opensecrets.org
Her thighness has no shame