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Probe of Romney’s Wealthiest Donor Shows Obama’s Justice Department is Brazenly Politicized

Aug. 7, 2012 5:24pm

Before joining the Blaze, Buck served as an officer in the Central Intelligence Agency, assigned to the Counterterrorism Center and Office of Iraq Analysis. He […]

Before joining the Blaze, Buck served as an officer in the Central Intelligence Agency, assigned to the Counterterrorism Center and Office of Iraq Analysis. He also served as an analyst for the NYPD Intelligence Division. He has field experience in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Buck has a B.A. in Political Science from Amherst College. He is a native of New York City, where he currently resides.

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buck@theblaze.com

The casino company owned by Mitt Romney’s wealthiest supporter, Sheldon Adelson, is now in the Department of Justice’s crosshairs. That revelation is making the media rounds today, as someone in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s office leaked word of a money laundering investigation involving Las Vegas Sands Corp. to the Wall Street Journal.

So now Adelson, a man who claimed he would donate up to $100 million to ensure Romney wins the upcoming presidential election, could find out how the wheels of justice really turn under President Obama’s watch.

This revelation is as unsurprising as it is disgraceful.

Government officials will no doubt claim the timing of the probe is coincidental, but that is asking us to believe a lot. The investigation deals with possible money laundering stretching back years ago. So the U.S. Attorney’s Office in LA had to go public with the accusations today? Unless the statute of limitations for these crimes expires Nov. 6 (they don’t), what reason could there be for bringing for these accusations to light right before the political conventions?

To suggest the timing of this had no political motive strains credulity. The timing is indeed everything.

Of course, all parties seem to agree that Adelson himself had no role in the alleged improprieties, but his name will nonetheless be brought up along with anything unearthed about Las Vegas Sands. The main allegation so far is that the casinos may have failed to flag some suspicious financial transactions. For this to be criminal, prosecutors would have to prove willful neglect, if the case goes that far, which seems very unlikely.

But a successful prosecution is not the endgame here. The insinuations and threats from the Department of Justice are all that is necessary for the desired effect. In my opinion, this is really about cutting off a primary source of funds to Mitt Romney’s campaign — and sending a warning to others who think they have a right to challenge the Obama political machine.

There are, in fact, already indications that Las Vegas Sands did try to notify authorities of suspicious financial transactions — the moment they became suspicious. And that occurred back in 2007. But the DOJ wants to investigate whether Sands should have notified them even earlier.

Higher-ups at Justice don’t seem bothered — or simply don’t care — about the partisan appearance of this investigation. It further indicates what we already know: Obama’s Department of Justice allows itself to be used as a political weapon for a partisan agenda.

Sure, it’s theoretically possible that the Sands probe is not politically motivated, but announcing the investigation shows a clear disregard at best for the political dynamics at play. Adelson is already besieged by detractors, and just last week he sent a letter threatening a libel suit against the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for calling him a “pimp.”

Adelson is worth billions, so the DOJ couldn’t really destroy him financially (though federal prosecutions can have that effect) even if they tried. But they can diminish his good name — and take Mitt Romney down a peg in the process.

This sort of score settling should be deeply alarming across the political spectrum. The levers of power continuously change hands in the country, and the Department of Justice is supposed to be above craven political manipulations. But, as someone who has been privy to senior law enforcement discussions, I can tell you political appointees often set the agenda for high-level prosecutions, and civil servants usually do as they’re told. When an overtly partisan operative like Eric Holder is the highest law enforcement official in the country, impartial justice would seem to be in jeopardy from the outset.

To believe the Obama Justice Department is above politics, one would have to explain away its irrational harassment of Gibson Guitar (settled today with DOJ for $300,000), while it simultaneously ignores duly passed Federal laws on marriage and immigration. We can’t get answers on Operation Fast and Furious, but there are plenty of IRS resources to investigate Tea Party groups’ tax exempt status. When called out for these political moves, we hear defenses rooted in “prosecutorial discretion” and executive authority.

This much should be clear: The DOJ is willing to enforce Obama administration policy and agendas over guaranteeing our Constitutional rights regardless of political affiliation. The American people have been promised fair and impartial justice, but what we’ve seen from DOJ is neither.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Adelson case, Gibson guitar, and IRS targeting of Tea Party groups and more will be discussed on tonight’s episode of Real News From The Blaze at 6PM EST.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (48)

smokeyridgerunner
Posted on August 11, 2012 at 3:09pm
I will be glad to see Mr. Romney win so he can fire all the people in Dept. of Justice. If you leave just one it is like leaving a bad apple with the good.

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KidCharlemagne
Posted on August 10, 2012 at 6:48pm
I don’t see Sheldon Adelson’s name on this list?:

————————————–
2012 Presidential Top Contributors
(Mitt Romney)

Goldman Sachs $636,080
JPMorgan Chase & Co $502,874
Morgan Stanley $476,300
Bank of America $465,850
Credit Suisse Group $421,310
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/contriball.php?cycle=2012

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- YourVoiceMatters
  Posted on August 11, 2012 at 10:46am
  I did recently read where the financial movers and shakers were pulling away from funding obamer in a big way! Usually they pour their money into the dems coffers. They did so in ’08! It appears they took to heart what obama has been saying about taking, taking, taking, more and more and more from anyone who has any kind of money in their accounts, then even the real wealth of all America! In lands and businesses he intends to takeover, which is alarming on the face of it! There comes a time where you can rob wealth out of exsistence…then what?
  For anyone to make this about the wealthy standing behind a rich guy, i have to ask: where have you been the past 4 years intensifying in the past 4 months out of obamas own mouth? His intent is clearer than ever before….fundamentally change America as we know it to take us from freedom to tyranny of a communist/socalictic America! It is undeniable!
  
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Bohump
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:24pm
I have to say, that is the best JESTICE DEPARTMENT that MONEY can Buy

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- txdave22
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 6:14pm
  Pubs, don’t you gotta love those frisky critters? Check senior bush and romney advisors………lot of this going on in GOP: ——————————————Parker J. Bena was a Republican activist and a key player in the campaign to elect George W. Bush as President. Bena was charged and later pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and lying to the FBI. Bena reportedly told the feds that he had received an unsolicited e-mail containing pictures of children (some as young as three years old) performing various sexual acts, but agents learned that he had in fact voluntarily entered a number of child pornography websites and downloaded the images himself. This is said to have involved acts with children as young as 3 years old, on his home computer. Parker J. Bena was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000. Source: DemocracyUnderground.com
  
  Louis Beres is a past chairman of the Christian Coalition of Oregon. Three of his family members accuse him of molesting them as children, when they were pre-teens. In an Editor and Publisher article, in August 2006, Beres confessed to the accusations facing him. The Portland Mercury
  
  John Bolton, President George W. Bush’s highly contested appointee ambassador to United Nations is suspected of forcing his former wife to be involved in unsavory group sex acts. Corroborated allegations that Mr. Bolton’s first wife, Christina Bolton, was forced to engage in group sex have not been refuted. TRUE
  
  Report this comment
- Zetareticuli
  Posted on August 9, 2012 at 8:08am
  TXDAVE22 – Are you trying to say that the Republican party is evil by association because there are evil people who call themselves Republicans?
  
  That’s a fallacious argument. You can find evil people everywhere.
  
  Report this comment
Amarilloan
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:19pm
This situation proves that innuendo and lies are part and parcel of this President’s campaign. If the DOJ under Obama would do this, then why wouldn’t the IRS probe Romney’s taxes. Answer, there is no wrongdoing to be found. Like schoolyard kids, they will just shout their stupidity louder and louder as if this is what will make it true.

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Bohump
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:18pm
Thug politics at work.

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huey6367
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 10:51am
The DOJ is politicized? Really? When did that happen? I should watch the news for this kind of breaking story.

This was a story that didn’t need to be told.

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- Amarilloan
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:14pm
  Good point. However, the only way we can effectively expose this administration’s wrongdoing is to keep hammering the truth to the People just as they keep hammering the lies.
  
  Report this comment
dirtypolitics
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 9:51am
Sheldon Adelson should spend millions to create an ad with him speaking in front of the camera and explain how the Obama justice department is harassing him with false allegations.

The theme should be….”If this is happening to me, it could also happen to you if you exercise your God given right.

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- gillfish
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:25pm
  great idea i know how the IRS hassled me twice when i wrote a not so flatering letter to my dem. congressmans ties to indian gaming and extreme environmentalists.
  
  Report this comment
Rickfromillinois
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 8:28am
This leak was done on purpose. How else can you send a warning out to anyone else who wants to donate large sups of money to Romney? Donate money and risk the IRS and the DOJ suddenly deciding to investigate you. Nothing political about that.

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Buxster98
Posted on August 8, 2012 at 1:24am
@Bernbart
Bush Administration corrupt with no citations to back up the claim….really!? Let’s examine what the Obummer Administration has accomplished…or not: failed to aggressively enforce US immigration law; instead, issuing an Executive Order granting amnesty to ostensibly 800,000 illegal immigrant children; failure to prosecute Black Panthers obstructing voters in Philly when Bush Administration had compiled an iron clad case; sue Arizona when the state was acting to support the Fed gov’t enforce immigration laws; Fast & Furious – an attempt to create a crisis (Saul Alinsky tactic) from which they could severely restrict or eliminate 2nd amendment rights then have the AUDACITY to use Executive Privilege 18 months after the fact to cover up the dubious if not illegal activity; appointing a card-carrying Communist (Van Jones) as “green energy czar”; appointing a law professor with absolutely no judicial experience to the SCOTUS; willfully ignoring the economy in favor of ramming Ob@amaCare (socialized medicine) through Congress; and, finally, forcing Keynesian socialism into our capitalist economy. This Administration is more corrupt and incompetent than that of Jimmy Carter and he was apathetic disaster!

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leonardo44
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:44pm
Too funny to see the liberal views in this comments section, clearly this article has struck a large progressive nerve because it so clearly illustrates partisan abuse by the DOJ and the Obama administration. Their actions are indefensible….again.
You liberal weenies that constantly troll the Blaze (like “Encinom” and his kind) spewing progressive venom, need to crawl back under your msnbc rock and stay there….forever.
Bravo Blaze, good article. You’ve got the whiney progressive cowards on the run.

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RLBZ1
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:31pm
Gary Johnson 2012

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- huey6367
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 10:58am
  A vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for Obama. It take away from Romney (if you needed that spelled out).
  
  Report this comment
VanceUppercut
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:54pm
Really Conservatives? Less than four years after the end of the Bush administration, you want to complain about the FBI being politicized? Maybe you need to jump into a Delorean, gun it to 88, and go back a few years, then look at how Dubya politicized virtually all facets of the government. Remember “Browny”, the incompetent stooge who was put in charge of FEMA because he was buddies with Dubya, and badly he screwed the pooch during Katrina? Or how about Dubya firing federal prosecutors because he wanted to put people in place who would go after Liberals more and lay off of crooked Republicans?

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- Buxster98
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:44am
  @VanceUppercut
  Why do you liberals always ignore the facts? Let me spell it out for you. The Katrina disaster was the direct fault of New Orleans’ Democrat mayor’s failure to execute his 30-year old disaster plan. And, the Democrat Governor Blano’s failure to declare a disaster area in advance to get Federal assistance ahead of the storm in spite of President Bush’s repeated calls to ask her. You see, the state must ask for assistance.. Florida Republican Governor Jeb Bush did just that and his state weathered the storm very well. Given the failure of the Democrat leadership to take charge and really lead, I don’t care who was FEMA Director. He would have had “mission impossible” on his hands.. Again, Democrat leadership failure set up the disaster and the Bush administration had to clean it up.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 10:47am
  I read the resume of the FEMA. the libs as usual had it a $$ backwards. Then you have SCHOOL BUS Nagin.
  
  Report this comment
- Zetareticuli
  Posted on August 9, 2012 at 8:11am
  Vanceuppercut – Do you have any sort of references or sources for your “Federal prosecuters were a politicized weapon under Bush” claims?
  
  Report this comment
2AM
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:46pm
POLITICIZED?? The whole administration is criminal, in my opinion. What a bunch of losers. They can’t win with their arguments, so they send out the lawyers to tie them up in litigation and smear them in the media. That is criminal.

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- encinom
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:03pm
  Sorry but its the job of the DOJ to investigate corrupted business men. Business men that use the courts to surpress journalists from investigating them. Romney and the rest of the Billionaire bunch believe that the normal rules don’t apply to them.
  
  Report this comment
rbcintexas
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:41pm
Obama is nothing more than a tyrannical dictator.

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- chips1
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:11pm
  He is the muslim brotherhood’s lead terrorist. The scarriest part is that Boehner just curls up in the corner and cries. Where is there an honest Republican that will submit Impeachment papers? Where is an American?
  
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Want our country back
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:30pm
August 7, 2012
Liars, Damned Liars, and Harry Reid
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/08/liars_damned_liars_and_harry_reid.html#ixzz22uTkXDKF

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libertarianjude
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:37pm
Only one “suspect investigation” of a long line of politically motivated investigations by the Holder Justice Department. This is the most corrupt JD since JFK era.

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- Bill Rowland
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 6:37am
  It’s not jusr the DOJ and Epic Holdup, the IRS does everything it can to block conservative groups from obtaining tax exempt status. They are required to furnish records that liberal groups are not asked for and given impossible deadlines.
  This thuggish behavior is evident through out this administration.
  Sweet Old Barack is so thin skinned that he goes after anyone who critzises him. If he gets reelected it will balloon into arrests and confinment for the critics. He is so sure he is the savior that he may try Martial Law if he loses and use that to declare himself President for Life (aka Idi Amin and Pol Pot).
  
  OMG Nov 6, 2012
  
  Report this comment
- dublinthewagons
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 6:56am
  Well at least back to bill Clinton and Reno.
  
  Report this comment
bernbart
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:55pm
Adelson is and always has been a sleeze bag. This probe has been going on long before Adelson started giving money to the republicans. Maybe he is hoping if Romney wins he will stop the probe. Now we know what he may be trying to buyi with all his donations.

Why doesn’t Adelson use some of those billions to create some more jobs in Nevada.? Isn’t that was these guys claim the can do.

Why isn’t Romney releasing his taxes. All candidates for president release their taxes. What is Romney hiding? Its ‘not very patriotic to stash you money off shore.

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- pissantno.10
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:07pm
  i just got off the phone from my man romney. he is just doing to piss you off yep he does not like you. man its you screwing every thing all your fault. boy every body is going to blame you for being a fool
  
  Report this comment
- bleuze
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:35pm
  Nor is it worth while to be Harry Reid who first was worth a million and now is worth 10+ million since becoming a senator. And Obama while a Senator fighting NOT to add regulations to Freddie & Fannie – how did that work out!
  
  Report this comment
- canadianlady
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:53pm
  When Obama releases his college records, maybe Romney will release more of his tax returns. Incidentally, Romney is only obligated to release two years of tax filings. He’s already released his 2010 returns, and is waiting for the completion of his 2011 returns. Romney has also posted eight financial disclosure statements online beginning in the year 2002. Finally, when John McCain was vetting Romney as a possible VP pick, Romney provided him with twelve years of income tax filings. Senator McCain has witnessed that Romney’s financial house is in order. The only reason you liberals want these tax forms is to nit pick at his legal deductions; and that’s not going to happen, because Romney’s not stupid.
  
  Why has Obama spent millions of dollars concealing his school records? It’s traditional for presidents to release these things? Hmmmm?
  
  Report this comment
- Fenrirsulfr
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:19pm
  @Bernbart
  It’s easy to call names, but do you have anything to back that up? Go ahead and scream for Romneys tax returns without realizing it’s a straw man.
  You like so many others fail to think about what you say, and just repeat talking points without due consideration, you sir are a demagogue, shouting down those who disagree because you cannot explain yourself or your ideas.
  By the way, parking monies off shore is a standard practice for those wishing to protect their investments from additional taxes. Smart people who are smart with money, not “community organizers” that think that food stamps are the new “gold standard”
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:05pm
  Adelson is attempting to buy the Justice Department, he is looking to avoid pesky laws the little people must follow.
  
  Report this comment
- dublinthewagons
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 6:59am
  Bernbart. George Soros name ring a bell?
  
  Report this comment
bsnrn98
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:50pm
Holder is obama’s version of mob hitman. I sure hope Mr. Adelson ignores this attempt to discourage contributions to the Romney campaign.

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pissantno.10
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:41pm
well jfk and robert tired to mess with the wrong people and see what it got them. eric may try to play in a play ground he my find to hot for his dumb behiny

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- Passerby
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:48pm
  They were the children of the wrong people. That’s the best we can hope for, only the children get their hands directly on the levers of federal power, not the hard bitten first generation.
  
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- pissantno.10
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:30pm
  ok if you say so, oh what ever
  
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- Passerby
  Posted on August 8, 2012 at 1:07am
  Oh yeah, Joe Kennedy used to unload the scotch on the Boston docks with police guard.
  
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Passerby
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:40pm
Let me see if I have this right. His casino is bigger than all of Las Vegas combined? It’s in the Communist Chinese/Tong type gangs area, something all organized crime on the planet would want to steal from him?

And he survives in that enviornment? He rose to the top of THAT heap?

We should probably take his advice on how to deal with the Muslims.

But I’m a little iffy about him picking our next president.

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bdandsl
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:20pm
Holder is as corrupt as they come. I see an orange jumpsuit and shackles in his future!

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- lwillis59
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:02pm
  I don’t… At least I do not have enough faith left to think that could be possible.. In a right side up world he would be in that jump suit already.. But we live in the most upside down world now… We have a lawless President and administration.. and a Congress that dosen’t seem to mind that we have a lawless President. Its just hard to wrap my brain around all the corruption.. and maybe thats the whole idea..
  
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CommonSenseRN
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:18pm
What else would you expect from a corrupt adminstration?

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- bernbart
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:58pm
  The Bush administration was the corrupt administration. The DOJ is doing its job. Romney seems to be corrupt too. The reason people like Romney offshore their money in the Cayman Islands is to avoid paying taxes.
  
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QuincySmith
Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:15pm
Repeal the 16th amendment!

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- VanceUppercut
  Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:55pm
  No.
  
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