$16 Million of Kerry Fundraising may be "Mob" related says ABC News

[The Vorlon]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/Vote2004/convention_stephen_bing_040728-1.html

Fattest Cat
Officials: Democrat’s Biggest Money Man Has Mob Connections

By Brian Ross

B O S T O N, July 28, 2004 — As Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards arrived in Boston today for the Democratic National Convention, so did the California man who is their single biggest contributor.
 
He is Stephen Bing, a wealthy film producer who, with little fanfare, has managed to steer a total of more than $16 million of his money to Democratic candidates and the supposedly independent groups that support them.

"To most of the people who track money and politics, they're like, who the hell is Steve Bing?" said Chuck Lewis, founder of the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog organization.

Bing is perhaps best known for sparking a tabloid frenzy when he publicly expressed doubt that he was the father of actress Elizabeth Hurley's baby. (A paternity test proved he was indeed the father.) He repeatedly has refused to say why he is funneling millions of dollars to the Democrats.

Lewis thinks it is cause for concern.

"We can identify who the big donors are, but how much do we really know about any of them?" he said.

In fact, Democratic Party officials said they knew nothing about the man who law enforcement officials tell ABC News is Bing's friend and business partner — Dominic Montemarano, a New York Mafia figure currently in federal prison on racketeering charges.

Montemarano has a long criminal record and is known to organized crime investigators by his street name, Donnie Shacks.

"Donnie Shacks' main activity was murder. No question about it. That was his main function for the Colombo family and for organized crime in general. He was one of the top hit men in the New York area," said Joe Coffey, a former NYPD investigator.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Bing paid Montemarano's legal fees after his most recent scrape with the law. Montemerano's lawyer said his client was an employee of Bing's.

After a recent private lunch with Democratic vice-presidential candidate Edwards, Bing also declined to answer questions about his relationship with Montemarano
 
"The American people have a right to know who's funding their presidential candidates and their parties," Lewis said. "The Bing situation shows us how little we really know."

Throwback to Nixon Days?

Campaign reform advocates say the role of secretive big money is all a throwback to the days of Richard Nixon and the scandal that grew out of the 1972 Republican Convention.

The telephone company that helped pay the costs of that convention, ITT, later got favorable consideration on an antitrust issue, when it became the world's largest conglomerate.

"It raised a huge public outcry and led to basic reforms which said the public funds will be used to pay for these conventions, but that's the only money you can use," said Fred Wertheimer, president and founder of Democracy21.com, a nonpartisan watchdog organization.

He added: "Today, we'll have over $100 million from corporations and other special interests helping to fund these two national conventions."

For the Democrats, some $40 million in corporate money, in addition to $15 million in public funds, is underwriting their national convention — a no-expenses-spared operation.

There are even two private trains underneath the convention floor, courtesy of the railroad industry, with luxury club cars serving as cocktail and cigar lounges for top Democratic officials.

"This is money to curry favor, to gain influence," said Wertheimer. "The very thing that the Watergate laws were designed to stop."

[johngalt1234]

If he funnelled 16 million you can bet there is a 32 million payoff.

But then who cares...right...

you would ....if the money were yours and it is... This is where your tax dollars will go and as for your children....that I cannot even think about because it makes me sick

[CARLHAYDEN]

Interesting and informative post.

[freedomburns]

Like the Republicans don't take money from questionable sources as well?  

Both of the major parties are compromised and it is time to change the rules to allow third parties to gain something more than a toe-hold in American politics.

[CARLHAYDEN]

You raised two points.

First, with respect to the 'everybody does it,' please cite the contributions by criminals of the same ilk to the Bush campaign.

Second, it would be nice if the liberal media would provide more coverage to third party candidates,

[freedomburns]

You raised two points.

First, with respect to the 'everybody does it,' please cite the contributions by criminals of the same ilk to the Bush campaign.

Second, it would be nice if the liberal media would provide more coverage to third party candidates,

The Republicans take major campaign contributions from defense contractors.  Then they beat the drum for war and convince Americans to spend $400 billion on defense.  This is a kickback.  They conive to enter into questionable conflicts without proper debate, and they are aware of who this will benefit.

Brown and Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, would now be bankrupt if the Iraq war was was not engineered to prop them up.  The Bradley APV is a lousy excuse for an AFV, and was to be phased out by the Army.  Halliburton makes $1 billion per month from Iraq contracts, or $12 bil per year.  What is Halliburton's net worth via stock outlay calculations available online through NY stock exchange?  Appx. $12 bil.  They would cease to exist as a company without their defense contracts. And they were withering before the Iraq war started.

I am unable to cite any obvious examples of Republicans accepting money from gangsters off the top of my head.  If I find time I will delve into it.  I suspect that I would not have to dig far...

My opinion is that taking money from defense contractors and the likes of Rupert Murdoch is just as evil as taking it from a mafia gangster.  I think both parties are evil.  Thank god for the Republicans, (truly) or the Dems would go hog wild with unchecked avarice and back door dealings.  (Ya rite, like they don't already, see first posting)

freedomburns

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Fattest Cat
Officials: Democrat’s Biggest Money Man Has Mob Connections

Another nonstory for the trash bin.

But hey, they're ABC/Disney. They want tax breaks from Dumbya's brother down in Florida.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

This is another lame partisan attack. Bush has nothing to run on, so is running an ultra negative campaign. He deserves to lose every single precinct in America.

[??????????]

This is another lame partisan attack. Bush has nothing to run on, so is running an ultra negative campaign. He deserves to lose every single precinct in America.

But if it had been Bushs' campaign you would want him impeached. Sorry, you should have added that as well.

And on this post I now have hit 5,000 That's 5,000 posts in the cause of destroying the liberal hate of American Freedom.

[CARLHAYDEN]

In my previous post, i said

First, with respect to the 'everybody does it,' please cite the contributions by criminals of the same ilk to the Bush campaign.

You replied:

I am unable to cite any obvious examples of Republicans accepting money from gangsters off the top of my head.  If I find time I will delve into it.  I suspect that I would not have to dig far...

My opinion is that taking money from defense contractors and the likes of Rupert Murdoch is just as evil as taking it from a mafia gangster.  

I reply:

I asked you to cite an example, obvious or otherwise of the Bush campaign (not Republicans) accepting contributions by what you call (probably accurately) as 'gangsters.'  You could not cite any.

Your comparison of defense contracts to 'gangsters' is rather humorous, abeit bizarre (or more accurately, humorous because it is bizarre).

[MarkDel]

You raised two points.

First, with respect to the 'everybody does it,' please cite the contributions by criminals of the same ilk to the Bush campaign.

Second, it would be nice if the liberal media would provide more coverage to third party candidates,

The Republicans take major campaign contributions from defense contractors.  Then they beat the drum for war and convince Americans to spend $400 billion on defense.  This is a kickback.  They conive to enter into questionable conflicts without proper debate, and they are aware of who this will benefit.

Brown and Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, would now be bankrupt if the Iraq war was was not engineered to prop them up.  The Bradley APV is a lousy excuse for an AFV, and was to be phased out by the Army.  Halliburton makes $1 billion per month from Iraq contracts, or $12 bil per year.  What is Halliburton's net worth via stock outlay calculations available online through NY stock exchange?  Appx. $12 bil.  They would cease to exist as a company without their defense contracts. And they were withering before the Iraq war started.

I am unable to cite any obvious examples of Republicans accepting money from gangsters off the top of my head.  If I find time I will delve into it.  I suspect that I would not have to dig far...

My opinion is that taking money from defense contractors and the likes of Rupert Murdoch is just as evil as taking it from a mafia gangster.  I think both parties are evil.  Thank god for the Republicans, (truly) or the Dems would go hog wild with unchecked avarice and back door dealings.  (Ya rite, like they don't already, see first posting)

freedomburns

FreedomBurns,

Wow, you just got placed on the "pay no mind list" for this moronic post.  According to you, Defense Contractors who build weapons systems for the DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES are just as evil as the Mafia, as is Rupert Murdoch, presumably for having the audacity to own News Outlets that do not parrot the left wing mantra you are used to hearing on ABC, CBS, etc....

If you can seriously make a claim like that...wow...then despite our somewhat substantive conversation in another thread a few days ago, it is now painfully clear that my first impression of you was indeed correct.

A person who makes a statement like the one you just made can NEVER be taken seriously again.

[Wakie]

This is another lame partisan attack. Bush has nothing to run on, so is running an ultra negative campaign. He deserves to lose every single precinct in America.

But if it had been Bushs' campaign you would want him impeached. Sorry, you should have added that as well.

And on this post I now have hit 5,000 That's 5,000 posts in the cause of destroying the liberal hate of American Freedom.

You have too much free time.  

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Bush has closer connections to Osama Bin Laden than Kerry has to the mob. Yawn.

[MarkDel]

Bush has closer connections to Osama Bin Laden than Kerry has to the mob. Yawn.

More words of wisdom from the modern American Left...

[freedomburns]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Like I am supposed to care what a flag-waving mental-midget with no critical thinking ability who swallows the govenment's lies hook line and sinker thinks of me?

I do not.  Ignore away.

freedomburns

[freedomburns]

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My humble opinion is that those who kill by the thousands should be held to the same standard as those who kill individually.  War profiteers are just as culpable as gangsters.

If war profiteers make campaign contributions to secure their contracts, they should be excoriated to the same degree if not more so.

Mafia gangsters are probably killing other bad-guy gangsters.  (No great loss)  War profiteers often feed their families by ignoring the deaths of thousands of innocents inclucing children and women that are caused by their good works.  (See Fallujah)

To me this is worse and totally unconscionable.

Murdoch is on a world-wide campaign for total domination and outright control of world popular opinion.  He is THE scariest guy on the planet.  He already has a lock on the media in England.  Tony Blair said this.  He said there was no possible way for a PM to get elected without staying on Murdoch's good side.  There is absolutely no way to take him on in England.  This may soon become true here.  And we are all DOOMED!!  

freedomburns

[MarkDel]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Like I am supposed to care what a flag-waving mental-midget with no critical thinking ability who swallows the govenment's lies hook line and sinker thinks of me?

I do not.  Ignore away.

freedomburns

No critical thinking ability? That's fairly amusing. Why don't we ask some of the other posters here whether or not they share your view of my intellect?

Also, check your Halliburton thread in the other forum. I got your e-mail.

[freedomburns]

You have an interesting way of ignoring someone.  First you say that you will ignore me, then you post that what I am saying is bullsh** with no basis for your insult.

Intersting way of proving my point.  Loser.

freedomburns

[MarkDel]

You have an interesting way of ignoring someone.  First you say that you will ignore me, then you post that what I am saying is bullsh** with no basis for your insult.

Intersting way of proving my point.  Loser.

freedomburns

You moved yourself off the "ignore" list when you sent me a threatening e-mail. Now I have to pay attention to you because you have proven yourself a potential danger to me and my family once you sent that e-mail.

[freedomburns]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Oh please.  Don't be a drama queen.  Jerk.

freedomburns

[freedomburns]

All I said in that email was that you are an a**hole for essentially calling me a liar by claiming that my thoughts are bullsh** with no basis for your statement.  If you find that threatening, then I take it back.  

I take my ideas seriously.  I am deeply offended at being called a liar, especially when you are providing no support for this ad hominum attack on me.  I feel like you owe me an apology.

Anyway, I won't send you any more emails if you are going to act like a girl about it.

freedomburns

[CARLHAYDEN]

You posted the "everybody does it," allegation, and I called you on it.

Still waiting for the "gangsters' (your term) who have contributed to the Bush campaign this year.

[MarkDel]

You posted the "everybody does it," allegation, and I called you on it.

Still waiting for the "gangsters' (your term) who have contributed to the Bush campaign this year.

Carl,

This FreedomBurns guy may not be playing with a full deck, so arguing with him may prove fruitless.

In his first e-mail to me, he tells me how much he likes and respects me and appreciates my input, then in the next one, he's completely deranged.

[The Duke]

Bush has closer connections to Osama Bin Laden than Kerry has to the mob. Yawn.

wtf is wrong with you?

[CARLHAYDEN]

I'm not posting for his benefit.

Many people read these posts who do not post themselves.

Many of them (and many of the posters) are just kids who really don't know whats going on.  If the outrageous statements of posters are not refuted, some will erroneously think they are true.

So, I'll keep correcting the outrageous statements of that posters (as well as others) if I feel others have not sufficently dealt with the outrageous statements.