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| - by user MisterApologist This is a discussion of the firing of US Attorney's Daniel Bogden and Carol C. Lamb and the political corruption case that was the first in the United States to utilize the Patriot Act for non- terrorist related crimes. The investigation ensnared several Southern Nevada politicians and yet cast an even wider financial net that helped to highlight $190,000 dollars Sheldon Adleson gave to the disgraced ex-County Commissioner/Lobbyist Lance Malone. Sheldon Adleson's political connections are well established in my older posts. Originally Printed in the Las Vegas Review Journal 11-05-2003 "PATRIOT ACT: Law's use causing concerns" : > > The investigation of strip club owner Michael Galardi and numerous politicians appears to be the first time federal authorities have used the Patriot Act in a public corruption probe. > > Government officials said Tuesday they knew of no other instances in which federal agents investigating allegations such as racketeering and bribery of politicians have employed the act. > > "I don't know that it's been used in a public corruption case before this," said Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the Justice Department. > > An attorney for one of the defendants in the Galardi case said he researched the matter for hours Tuesday and came to the same conclusion. > > "I have discussed this with lawyers all over the country, and if the government has done this before, then this is definitely the first time it has come to light," said Las Vegas attorney Dominic Gentile, who represents former Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone, Galardi's lobbyist. Originally Printed in the Chicago Tribune : > > Part of the law, Section 314, allows federal investigators to obtain from stockbrokers, banks, and other financial institutions the records of people "suspected, based on credible evidence, of engaging in terrorist acts or money laundering." Since the law does not specifically require that the money laundering relate to terrorism, the application in a public corruption probe such as "Operation G-Sting" is permissible. ---(How many people did this application of the Patriot Act ensnare? Did Sheldon Adelson's $190,000 donation to Lance Malone lead to checks on Adelson's accounts?) > > "The Patriot Act was not meant to be just for terrorism," Mark Corallo. "A lot of the uninformed criticism was obviously misplaced." > > Kenny's lawyer, Frank Cremen, said the perplexing part of the use of the Patriot Act was that prosecutors could have subpoenaed the financial records using other laws, although not as quickly. "Quite truthfully, I don't know why they used it, but it's going to have no impact on my client," Cremen said. Originally printed in the Las Vegas Sun 11-04-03 " Patriot Act aided feds in probe" : > FBI spokesman Jim Stern confirmed Monday that the U.S. Patriot Act was used to obtain financial information in the political corruption investigation. The revelation angered Richard Wright, the lawyer who represents Mack and McDonald. > > "When the FBI says we should rest comfortably because they went all the way to Washington to get this approved, I presume they went all the way to Attorney General John Ashcroft, and that shouldn't give anyone comfort," Wright said Tuesday. ------ (Who actually gave this approval and who gave the original suggestion to use this method of investigation? Oh wait we CAN'T find this out BECAUSE the Patriot Act was used.) __NOEDITSECTION__ From The Opinion Wiki, a Wikia wiki. From The Opinion Wiki, a Wikia wiki.
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