Florida State Seminoles

[Professor Tiger]

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/01/haitia ... ump-tower/

Trump companies reportedly sold $35 million in real estate last year alone — mostly to secretive shell companies that open the president up to possible influence peddling.

According to the Buzzfeed News report, the Haitian government complained in the 1980s that former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier laundered money stolen from the Caribbean nation’s treasury by purchasing an apartment in Trump Tower. Duvalier, nicknamed “Baby Doc,” was overthrown in 1986, but three years earlier used a Panamanian shell company called Lasa Trade and Finance to buy apartment 54-K in Trump’s Manhattan tower for $446,875 cash.

Trump, the future U.S. president, signed the deed of sale.

Federal prosecutors charged a Russian native in 1984 with laundering the proceeds from a gasoline bootlegging operation through five Trump Tower condos purchased for $4.9 million.

David Bogatin pleaded guilty in 1987 and served eight years in federal prison.

Trump Taj Mahal casino was charged under anti-money laundering regulations 106 times in 1990 and 1991 by failing to identify gamblers who bought or cashed out more than $10,000 in chips.

Those reports are required to help authorities identify gamblers who may be laundering money, and Trump’s casino paid a $477,000 fine to the Treasury Department in 1998 without admitting wrongdoing.

1. Sounds like a good sequel to the Pee Pee Dossier. Maybe some FBI/DOJ up and comer can parley it into a FISA warrant and spy on Trump some more.
2. What does this story have to do with the Trump-Russia collusion meme? You can tell by this and all the most recent TDS stories that the whole Trump-Russia thing has completely crapped out. The coups has failed.

[hedge]

I have zero doubt that Trump has conducted shady if not outright illegal business transactions throughout his career...

[Professor Tiger]

I tend to agree, and said so awhile back:

Re: Florida State Seminoles

Postby Professor Tiger » Wed Sep 13, 2017 7:29 am

Doing a "kill shot" on Trump has been Mueller's obvious intention from day one.

The idea of Trump and Putin laundering each others' money is preposterous. They both own huge businesses all over the world, and don't need money launderers like corner drug dealers do. If this story is true, (which is a big IF) it means that Muellers' decapitation unit's original investigation - Trump and Russia collusion - has gone nowhere. So now he is desperately trying to find something - anything - else to bring down Trump. That might work. Maybe he'll find something in Trump's business dealings. You can't be a real estate tycoon in NY and be squeaky clean. Maybe Mueller discovered Trump sold a yacht in Scotland and didn't pay sales taxes in Liberia, where the boat was registered.

Re: Puterbac News Network and Political Discussion Thread

Postby Professor Tiger » Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:05 pm

But I'll give you this. Now that the Mueller partisan fishing expedition has set sail, it will not return without a trophy. Mueller will probably find something of substance eventually. But it won't have anything to do with Russia. You can't be a real estate mogul doing business in NYC, and all over the world, and be squeaky clean. Mueller will find something that we can't possibly imagine now. Maybe Trump bribed an official for a building permit, or threatened to show a sex tape of a bureaucrat with his mistress to the guy's wife in order to get a zoning variance, or falsified documents saying that the batteries in the smoke detectors were all changed when they weren't.

[Cletus]

I tend to agree, and said so awhile back:

Re: Florida State Seminoles

Postby Professor Tiger » Wed Sep 13, 2017 7:29 am

Doing a "kill shot" on Trump has been Mueller's obvious intention from day one.

The idea of Trump and Putin laundering each others' money is preposterous. They both own huge businesses all over the world, and don't need money launderers like corner drug dealers do.

This is a completely ridiculous comment. Putin and really the entire former Soviet bloc oligarch community are exactly the kind of people that launder money. They have made a ton of money under shady circumstances and in countries without the most stable economies or political systems. Getting money out and into western economies and legitimate investments is a major priority. Money, some legit and some not, flowing from Asia, the Middle East, and Russia into places like NYC, London, Vancouver, and Miami has been a big reason for the massive run up in valuations in those type of markets. In Trump, they have a perfect partner. He's a criminal so he's got no problem dealing with folks like this, he's doing large developments, and because he's been so unsuccessful, he's got a huge problem getting capital from either debt or equity sources. So, he's all too happy to get these large sums of money to keep the development pipeline full. There is no question that this has happened (see Trump SoHo) and it helps explain why the Russians were so happy to help Trump win. Eventually, Mueller will find out how much of this happened and connect the dots. Chances are quite good that it will not paint a very pretty picture for the Trump Org and family.

[Professor Tiger]

If Putin wants to launder his money, all he has to do is put it into banks he already owns and/or controls, or run it through the countless businesses he already owns and/or controls. Or "launder" it with the Chinese. Or the Arabs. Or he could also just mix it in with official Russian government funds since there isn't much difference his money and the government's money. Putin doesn't need Trump's help laundering his money any more than JP Morgan needed JD Rockefeller's help laundering his money in 1900.

And why would a guy like Putin worry about getting caught laundering money anyway? Do you think he worries about a group of Interpol pencil necked accountants walking into his office and putting him in handcuffs to stand trial in the Hague? That's just .... cute.

What you describe is just a another permutation of the old, tired, evidence-free, Trump-Russia coups attempt. It won't work any more than than all the others. Nice try though. Thank you for playing.

[hedge]

I'd say your concept (to say nothing of your actual understanding) of international high finance is probably even more steeped in ignorance and fantasy than your concept of pretty much everything else on which you opine...

[Cletus]

If Putin wants to launder his money, all he has to do is put it into banks he already owns and/or controls, or run it through the countless businesses he already owns and/or controls.

I don't think you understand the goal of a money laundering scheme.

And why would a guy like Putin worry about getting caught laundering money anyway? Do you think he worries about a group of Interpol pencil necked accountants walking into his office and putting him in handcuffs to stand trial in the Hague? That's just .... cute.

First of all, it's not just Putin but all of these oligarch guys who are all very aware of how they amassed their fortune and know that what goes around can and probably will come around some day. They are trying to get their money out to a place where they can access it if and when the day comes that they are no longer on top, assuming they aren't killed along the way.

[Professor Tiger]

I don't think you understand the goal of a money laundering scheme.

Incorrect. The goal of a money laundering scheme is to keep the owner of the money from going to jail and/or having his money seized. That's it. The idea that Putin is afraid of that is laughable. Rather than hiding his finances, he wouldn't mind posting his entire financial structure on RT. I can easily see him with a laser pointer and a big graph proudly saying, "Here is where I seized Gazprom - one of the world's biggest natural gas conglomerates - from its rightful owner and threw him in prison for complaining about it. Here's where Gazprom's money and my money and the Oligarch's money are all the same. What are you going to do about it, Western democracies and your silly little financial investigators? Come to Moscow and arrest me? I will have my prostitutes pee on you and post the footage to youtube. Are you going try and take my money? I'll cut off Europe's natural gas supply and they'll all freeze to death."

Yeah, Putin is really scared of being caught money laundering.

First of all, it's not just Putin but all of these oligarch guys who are all very aware of how they amassed their fortune and know that what goes around can and probably will come around some day. They are trying to get their money out to a place where they can access it if and when the day comes that they are no longer on top, assuming they aren't killed along the way.

That's why there's a Dubai. And a Beijing. And the Caymans. And a Cyprus. And a Hong Kong. And about a dozen other places where you can keep your money for a rainy day, and there's no threat of it being investigated or seized by American or European regulators.

[hedge]

Like I said, steeped in ignorance and fantasy. But you seem to be enjoying yourself...

[Cletus]

Prof, you are out of your element here. Unlike you, I'm not going to insist that I know everything about everything. But, the topic of global capital flows into institutional real estate is something I know a lot about. There is an enormous amount of capital (more than we've ever seen) flowing out of places like Russia, China, Dubai, etc. and into Europe and North America. And, as best as we can tell, a lot of it is from dubious sources. It is an absolute fact of life that guys like Putin and the rest of his cronies who stole public infrastructure after the break up of the Soviet Union and have made billions are aggressively moving money as much as possible into the west (see the Panama Papers). And, as I said yesterday, Trump is a perfect partner for these guys because he's having hard time getting financing from traditional sources, doesn't have any scruples about taking money from non-traditional sources, and can help these sources place large chunks in a small number of deals which is what you want when trying to move billions of dollars. He's not their only partner and probably not even close to their biggest but it's looking pretty obvious that he's in with these folks and chances are quite good that what they have done is not legal.

[AlabamAlum]

Cletus knows a lot about that stuff considering he is an attorney!

[Professor Tiger]

True.

Cletus, are you billing your firm and/or clients for the time you spend posting here?

And yes, hedge, I AM enjoying myself. Thanks for noticing.

[Professor Tiger]

THIS IS IT!

First indictment in Uranium One investigation:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN1F12QS

This guy has got a story to tell and he is going to tell it. Mueller is connecting the dots as we speak. Hillary and Obama are going down. DOWN, tell you!

I also noticed this in he story:

Prosecutors allege Lambert, former co-president of a Maryland-based shipping company Transport Logistics International (TLI), bribed a Russian energy official through a series of shell companies in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland in exchange for contracts to ship nuclear fuel to U.S. utilities.

Cletus, I know you are much smarter about this stuff than me. Especially since you are a lawyer and everything. But didn't you just say that Putin and the Russians who need to launder their money don't fool around with pissant countries like "Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland"? No, you said that when when multi-billionaire thuggish heads of kleptocrat superpowers want to launder their rubles, there is one man and one man only they trust, and his name in Donald John Trump. Yes, I distinctly remember you saying something like that. Like, yesterday. How can this be? "Yours is the superior intellect." and all that...

[eCat]

you've probably heard about this but at the start of the year Seattle implemented a tax (which they call a fee) on sugary drinks to the tune of 1.75 cents per ounce.

To give you an idea of how much that is, here is a sign from Costco




They anticipate making $15m a year from this "fee" to cover the cost of making healthy fruits and vegetables available to the citizens who do not have easy access to supermarkets.

While this is Seattle, its a perfect example of why the flyover states of America do not want the people on the coasts to have more political influence than they already have.

"“I’m just very excited,” said Jim Krieger, who is on the committee for Seattle Healthy Kids Coalition and is the executive director of Health Food America.

“The hope is consumption of the unhealthy product -- which causes heart disease, diabetes -- will go down, the sugary drinks to go down, and we fully expect that to be the case,” Krieger said.

The other purpose is tax dollars.

The $15 million Seattle expects to raise from the tax will go toward programs that will help people who are in need have better access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The money will also fund education programs. See the full breakdown provided at the end of the article.

But back at Costco, signs above each taxed sugary drink remind shoppers you can leave the city and buy the product without paying the tax.

And that’s what Villagran plans to do. “It’ll have to be Tukwila, the closest to me,” she said.

KIRO7 has talked with worried business owners, but City Council members say they’ve looked at data from other cities that have this tax.

“Do you have any concerns at all about this hurting local businesses and driving shoppers out of Seattle?” KIRO7’s Deedee Sun asked City Council members at the press conference on Friday.

“We did not see any data that really shored up the argument that this hurts local businesses,” said Lorena González, a Seattle City Council member.

“There’s not a lot of cross-border shopping. People realize it’s not worth my while,” Krieger said. One of his roles with the Seattle Healthy Kids Coalition is to follow the impact of the sugary drink taxes in other cities."

[Cletus]

What costs more, this tax or daily insulin treatments?

[Cletus]

THIS IS IT!

First indictment in Uranium One investigation:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN1F12QS

This guy has got a story to tell and he is going to tell it. Mueller is connecting the dots as we speak. Hillary and Obama are going down. DOWN, tell you!

I also noticed this in he story:

Prosecutors allege Lambert, former co-president of a Maryland-based shipping company Transport Logistics International (TLI), bribed a Russian energy official through a series of shell companies in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland in exchange for contracts to ship nuclear fuel to U.S. utilities.

Cletus, I know you are much smarter about this stuff than me. Especially since you are a lawyer and everything. But didn't you just say that Putin and the Russians who need to launder their money don't fool around with pissant countries like "Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland"? No, you said that when when multi-billionaire thuggish heads of kleptocrat superpowers want to launder their rubles, there is one man and one man only they trust, and his name in Donald John Trump. Yes, I distinctly remember you saying something like that. Like, yesterday. How can this be? "Yours is the superior intellect." and all that...

This is definitely not what I said.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a deposition to take.

[eCat]

What costs more, this tax or daily insulin treatments?

I figured that would be your response.

good god, what has happened to you

[AlabamAlum]

The tax on colas is ridiculous. Hopefully, Seattle will come to its senses.

[eCat]

here was the next logical obstacle in the liberal mindset of government knows whats best for us

The Seattle City Council approved a proposal by Mayor Ed Murray (D) to impose a new tax on sales of soda, coffee, and other beverages containing sugar and artificial sweeteners.

... Murray revised a previously announced soda tax to include “diet” drinks containing non-caloric artificial sweeteners, after city Councilmember Tim Burgess raised concerns about the regressive nature of soda taxes. Burgess cited research studies showing taxes levied on added-sugar drinks took more money from low-income earners and minority demographics than other classes.

“After Murray’s initial announcement, some suggested the exclusion of beverages with artificial sweeteners would be unfair because affluent white people tend to consume more diet drinks,” The Seattle Times reported ...

so its all about health, but we can't be racists in our desire for health

quite a conundrum they have there in Seattle.

[crashcourse]

so basically the elderly I guess?

wonder who defines "access'

if you cant go to the supermarket you cant go anywhere I would assume--probably time to go live in assisted living.,