Post by Silas⊙ on May 24, 2017 14:49:19 GMT
One of the initial discoveries that lead us to create this was a link to a very well known money laundering casino on the island of Saipan.
I know this is blocktexty and aweful, sorry! Just trying to get a conversation started!
Just to clarify what the below information means.
There are two links between the casino on Siapan and Donald Trump, one of them linking the casino directly to the Trump 2016 presidential campaign. The first link is James Woolsey, a CIA director in the early 90's under Bill Clinton. He is currently serving on the board of the Best Sunshine Live casino on Siapan. (This casino does billions of dollars a month in business, more than any casino in Vegas). James Woolsey also was an adviser to the Trump Campaign, and resigned on January 5th for unspecified reasons.
The second connection is Mark Brown. Mark Brown is an American gaming industry executive known for serving as CEO of Trump Hotels and Casinos Inc. and President of The Venetian Macau, Sands Macau, and The Four Seasons Macau.
Two very obvious connections made directly to Trump from a known money laundering casino.
Saipan Casino
Trumps Money Scrubber
@flyerfrightened
@silas_O_
Part I. Money laundering in Trump associate's casino on Saipan (Plus bonus CIA, FBI, DNC, RNC)
Saipan Casino - trump connection (Nov 13, 2016)
www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-11-13/obscure-casino-run-by-a-trump-protege-is-raising-big-question
Mike Brown
To run the Saipan project, Imperial Pacific hired Brown, who got his start as a teenage blackjack dealer in his native Atlantic City, before rising through the ranks of Trump’s casinos to become a senior executive. The real-estate mogul cited Brown among his trusted advisers in his 2004 book, “Trump: How to Get Rich,” and Brown returned the favor in May this year by telling Fortune that his old boss was “great with women” and has “a great brain.”
Brown left Trump in 2005, heading to Macau to oversee Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s project to build a replica of the Venetian hotel. He departed in 2009; two years later Las Vegas Sands was plunged into turmoil by a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in Macau over a period that overlapped with Brown’s tenure.
Also FBI, CIA, DNC
In what it said was an effort to “enhance its integrity,” Imperial Pacific earlier this year appointed to its board James Woolsey, who ran the CIA in the early 1990s and was among national-security advisers to Trump’s White House campaign. He joined Eugene Sullivan, formerly a senior U.S. military judge, who was appointed last year. Sullivan declined to comment; Woolsey didn’t respond to requests for comment.
A separate advisory committee for business strategies and government relations, formed in April, includes former FBI director Louis Freeh and Ed Rendell, previously governor of Pennsylvania and chairman of the DNC. Freeh didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Former New York Governor David Paterson was also an adviser to Imperial Pacific from August 2015 to this spring, when he resigned to pursue other opportunities. Paterson didn’t attend any meetings about the Saipan casino “beyond due diligence and security-expert recommendations,” said a spokesman, Sean Darcy.
It was Paterson who pitched Freeh and Rendell on joining the committee, according to the latter.
Edward DeLeon Guerrero
“We do not cahoot with the licensee,” Edward DeLeon Guerrero, the commission’s executive director, said in an interview. “Have you seen corruption in other parts of the world? Probably. From my experience, I have not seen that.”
DeLeon Guerrero, a former customs chief and court administrator, hadn’t worked in a casino-related job before taking on the role of regulating Best Sunshine. Although he conceded the commission faces a steep learning curve, “this is America. We protect our borders,” DeLeon Guerrero said. “Movement of money we track 1,000 percent.”
‘BSI complies with federal laws’ (Nov 21, 2016)
www.saipantribune.com/index.php/bsi-complies-federal-laws/
Deleon Guerrero said he thinks this is purely business. “If Best Sunshine Live inside a temporary casino inside a mall can outpace and outperform big name casinos is purely business. It is bad for competitors and it appears its business rivalry, since Saipan is a competitor. I can tell you the numbers are real. We are watching, documenting, and tracking it.”
“For Bloomberg to allude that they are being investigated by the U.S. Treasury, I don’t know since FinCEN is a federal agency. But [BSI] does have an AML program and they submit cash transfer reports and report suspicious activities in compliance with Title 31. They report on the things happening inside the VIP rooms.”
Best Sunshine Live now one of the world’s most lucrative casinos ( January 4, 2017)
news.worldcasinodirectory.com/best-sunshine-live-now-one-of-the-worlds-most-lucrative-casinos-40084
Casino run out of a mall... does $3.95B a month…
Intended to serve as a training facility in advance of the opening of its $500 million Imperial Pacific Resort And Hotel Saipan, Best Sunshine Live reportedly ended its first year in business in October by reporting its second highest monthly VIP chip turnover of $3.84 billion, which was only a 2.8% decrease from the all-time record of $3.95 billion it saw in September.
Cleared of wrongdoing by Eddy DG
November saw rumors abound that Imperial Pacific International Holdings Limited had been under investigation by federal authorities in the United States for alleged breaches of anti-money laundering laws although the operator denied all the accusations and was subsequently cleared by the office of Edward Deleon Guerrero, Executive Director for the American territory’s Commonwealth
Casino Commission.
FBI Visits Office of Saipan Casino Run by Trump Protege (March 31, 2017)
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-30/fbi-agents-visit-office-of-saipan-casino-run-by-trump-protege
FBI "Visit”
Agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation visited an office belonging to the operator of a casino on the remote U.S. island of Saipan that has attracted attention for its huge revenues, according to a local legislator and residents.
Board members
Its board members include James Woolsey, who ran the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in the early 1990s and was among national-security advisers to Trump’s presidential campaign. Former FBI director Louis Freeh and Ed Rendell, a former Pennsylvania governor and Democratic National Committee chairman, sit on an advisory committee, as does Haley Barbour, the ex-Mississippi governor and Republican National Committee chairman who’s now a prominent lobbyist.
Human Smuggling, Money Laundering Probes Surround Saipan Casino (April 9, 2017)
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-10/human-smuggling-money-laundering-probes-surround-saipan-casino
Justice Dept. investigating money laundering
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the activities of the casino itself, operated by Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd., including possible violations of anti-money-laundering rules, people familiar with the situation said this month. Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, declined to comment.
Inside mall by laundromat....
Nearby at the starter casino, a shopfront by a laundromat in a duty-free mall, turnover has been brisk. Best Sunshine Live’s VIP tables handled just under $3 billion in bets in March, the company said on April 2, up from $1.67 billion a month earlier.
Chinese involvement with board of directors
Imperial Pacific, controlled by Chinese entrepreneur Cui Lijie, has assembled a team of high-powered U.S. political figures to assist with its Saipan ambitions. Its chairman is Mark Brown, a former executive with Donald Trump’s Atlantic City casinos. Former CIA director James Woolsey and Eugene Sullivan, formerly a senior military judge, sit on its board. Former Louisiana Governor Haley Barbour, former FBI director Louis Freeh and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell serve as advisers, the company said in a March 28 presentation.
Financial-Crimes Monitor (FinCEN) to Share Records in (Senate) Trump-Russia Probe (May 12, 2017)
www.wsj.com/articles/financial-crimes-monitor-to-share-records-in-trump-russia-probe-1494625140
Deleon Guerrero said he thinks this is purely business. “If Best Sunshine Live inside a temporary casino inside a mall can outpace and outperform big name casinos is purely business. It is bad for competitors and it appears its business rivalry, since Saipan is a competitor. I can tell you the numbers are real. We are watching, documenting, and tracking it.”
“For Bloomberg to allude that they are being investigated by the U.S. Treasury, I don’t know since FinCEN is a federal agency. But [BSI] does have an AML program and they submit cash transfer reports and report suspicious activities in compliance with Title 31. They report on the things happening inside the VIP rooms.”
Part II. Saipan Casino, it's staff, and local "oversight"
A bit about saipan…
www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5047/overview.htm
Garments manufactured in the CNMI carry a "Made in the USA" label and typically are not inspected by the U.S. Customs Service (USCS) upon their arrival at mainland ports.
Members of organized crime syndicates engage in drug distribution and money laundering. The development of gambling establishments that are loosely regulated--such as a large casino on Tinian that is geared toward wealthy Asian gamblers--offers fertile ground for criminal activities. Inconsistent reporting requirements for cash and wire transfers from regulated financial institutions to unregulated institutions allow the syndicates to easily access Asian underground banking systems.
Most of the crystal methamphetamine smuggled into the CNMI is produced in Asian source areas
Best Sunshine oversight - CNMI Gambling Comission
Edward Deleon Guerrero - Executive Director Commonwealth Casino Commission
/
Former director of courts CNMI Judicial branch
Former Director of Customs
www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-11-13/obscure-casino-run-by-a-trump-protege-is-raising-big-question
DeLeon Guerrero, a former customs chief and court administrator, hadn’t worked in a casino-related job before taking on the role of regulating Best Sunshine.
Mike Ernst - Legal Counsel at Commonwealth Casino Commission
/
Former positions:
Associate Legal Counsel The Bridge Group
CNMI Assistant Attorney General
CNMI Chief Prosecutor
CNMI Senate Legal Counsel
Best Sunshine Key Staff
Mark Badal - VP of IT at Best Sunshine
/
Former positions:
Head of IT and Marketing - The Bridge Group
IT & Security Manager - Spectrum Electric, Inc.
www.saipanchamber.com/mbrdtl.asp?mbrID=501
Imperial Pacific International dba Best Sunshine International — Business
Contact:
Bank of Guam Building, 3/F, Garapan, MP 96950
PO BOX 10000, PMB 918
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands 96950
United States
Tel: 670-233-9188 Fax:(670) 233-9178
Representatives:
Tao Xing - CSO
David Largent - Director Marketing
Henry Cheang - Chief Executive Officer
Charles McDonald - VP Legal Services
Geralyn Dela Cruz - Executive Director, CSR
The Bridge Group
About The Bridge Group
www.bccnmi.com/financial-services.html
Who is/was the Bridge Group?
John K. Baldwin
Mike Ernest
Mark Badal
www.saipanchamber.com/mbrdtl.asp?mbrID=343
Contact:
PMB 29, Box 10001
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands 96950
Northern Mariana Islands
Tel: (670) 322-2222 Fax:(670) 322-2323
Representatives:
Jody Jordahl - Chief Operating Officer
Vincent Bidez - Representative
Clay Crawford - Representative
Joe Guerrero - Representative
Jordan Sundell - Representative
Corrupt casino in Maine
bangordailynews.com/2017/04/27/politics/new-info-about-maine-casino-campaigns-financing-triggers-ethics-concerns/
In an apparent violation of Maine law, a web of domestic and offshore companies linked to a controversial developer has funded a $4.2 million bid fronted by his sister since 2015 to get Maine voters to approve a York County casino.
That loan money came from two sources. More than $3 million came from Capital Seven LLC, a Las Vegas-based company that Scott used in 2003 to run a Maine campaign that allowed what is now Hollywood Casino in Bangor and the rest came from Regent Able Associate Co., a Japanese consulting company.
It’s also reminiscent of an arrangement that drew a Scott-linked network $125,000 in ethics penalties in Massachusetts for concealing contributions to a failed 2016 casino campaign.
This financial network is likely overseen by Shawn Scott and John Baldwin, who run Bridge Capital, an investment firm also based in Saipan, which had a casino seized by the Laotian government in 2015 over allegations of corruption that the company has denied.
The Bridge Investment Group
Tinian Casino Greenlit
agbrief.com/magazine/updates/saipan-hits-vip-jackpot
ALTER CITY GROUP AND BRIDGE INVESTMENT GROUP HAVE BOTH RECEIVED CONDITIONAL LICENSES AND CAN NOW MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR PROJECTS ON TINIAN, LOCAL MEDIA REPORTS. BRIDGE’S CASINO HOTEL WILL BE CALLED TINIAN OCEAN RESORT AND CASINO WITH ITS DESIGN BASED ON THE TITANIC. ALTER CITY GROUP, GOT ITS CONDITIONAL LICENSE ON JAN. 29, 2016 AND WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE 1 OF ITS PROJECT IN AUGUST. COMPLETION IS SCHEDULED FOR 2020.
www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/195846/us-group-still-keen-on-casino-project-in-cnmi
The Bridge Investment Group LLC is pursuing its 50 million US dollar casino and condominium project on the Northern Marianas' Tinian, after almost two years since halting construction at the staff housing in the Northern Marianas.
Two of the US groups visiting principal owners renewed their commitment during a recent meeting with acting CNMI governor Eloy Inos.
Over 100 Chinese employees of Bridge Investment's contractor left the CNMI ahead of the November 2009 federal takeover of local border control.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has excluded China from the list of countries granted a visa waiver to enter the CNMI.
Another Eddy DG was at CNMI Homeland Security at this time….
Phillip Mendiola-Long, executive vice president of Bridge Investment Group-CNMI operations, told the Saipan Tribune that Bridge Investment Group owners have still expressed their continued support and interest in pursuing this project.
www.marianaslabor.net/jvapub_view.asp?jvaID=31467
Address:
PO Box 520800
Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands
96952 United States
Phone Number: 670-433-2664
Other Number: 670-433-4329
Email Address: bigconstructionjobs@gmail.com
Contact Person: Wayne Sanchez
calvinayre.com/2014/10/23/casino/saipan-firm-eyes-4b-casino-in-northern-mariana-reef-casino-directors-support-fung-acquisition/
Saipan Jinghua’s interest in developing a casino project in CNMI makes it the fourth investor with plans to turn the Pacific islands into a premier tourist destination, joining Mega Stars Overseas Ltd., Alter City Group and Bridge Investment Group.
Bridge Immigration Investments LLC
www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/06/13/project-would-give-investors-green-cards/85684590/
Bridge Immigration Investments LLC, a subsidiary of Saipan-based Bridge Capital LLC, promotes the investors’ visa program on its website as a way for foreigners to invest their money into the proposed $425 million development in Guam.
John Baldwin, chief executive officer of Bridge Aina Le’a LLC, is the founder and chief executive of Bridge Capital.
Bridge Capital has concentrated its growth in Asia and manages affiliated offices in Cambodia, Laos, Macau and Thailand, according to the company’s website www.bccnmi.com.
Bridge Capital also was part of a casino joint venture in Laos, but the company and its partners exited the market after a dispute with the Laos government over taxes and other issues.
Bridge Aina Le’a LLC
www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/06/13/project-would-give-investors-green-cards/85684590/
No info yet…
The Bridge Investment Group, USA
www.bridgeinvestmentusa.com/
Bridge Investment Group, USA, short for BIG, is initiated to establish by ex-White House Advisor in 2005, and devotes itself to USA real estate investment development, hotel operation and tourism development, enterprise merger and investment and financing, investment immigration development.
Contact:
USA Head Office
Address: 101 Suite, 800 San Jose Street, Tinian, USA
Post code: 96952
Telephone: 1 670 4332664
Email: info@us-big.com
Beijing Office
Address: 509, Building A, Corporate Square, No. 35 Financial Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Post code: 100033
Telephone: 86 010 8809226 or 4000226609
Email: info@us-big.com
Management (http://www.bridgeinvestmentusa.com/?c=show&catid=1)
Jacky Meng
Managing Director of Northern Mariana Regional Centers
Managing Director of BIG Group
Erik Wang
/
Ex-advisor to the White House
Senior private Asian Advisor of Ex-President Gorge (sic) Bush
Co-founder of Asian Fusion Hotel Development Group
Managing Director of BIG Group
Rudy Pamintuan
Ex-advisor to the White House
It was GWB...
(http://winwincreation.com/2.ucefed/bio_rudypamintuan.html)
books.google.com/books?id=580AI-kRLksC&pg=PA1181&lpg=PA1181&dq=Rudy+Pamintuan&source=bl&ots=nk98UWbQiY&sig=jPWkWYK4EzJ_u5OXaZsvzIbwf7w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij9v78jPPTAhUU3GMKHfcnDMU4FBDoAQhSMAk#v=onepage&q=Rudy%20Pamintuan&f=false
Managing Director of Sherman International Market and Communications Co.
Chairman of President Consulting Committee of Pacific
Chairman of Asian Center of America
shermanconsultinginc.com/company/about-us/
/
www.rudytalk.org/
Phillip Mendiola Long
CEO of BIG Group
Ex-Deputy mayor of Tinian, USA
Member of Pacific Area Export Trading Committee of American Commerce Department
Holding Tank...
Saipan Drug trafficking links (more lenient customs requirements)
www.pireport.org/articles/1999/06/17/international-drug-traffickers-using-saipan-transshipment-point
unheardnomore.blogspot.com/2008/02/cnmi-back-door-for-trafficking_25.html
www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5047/overview.htm
www.saipantribune.com/index.php/crimes-in-the-cnmi-staggering/
As of 2015 head of Customs was James C. Deleon Guerrero
Casino oversight
www.saipantribune.com/index.php/cnmi-continuously-monitoring-casino-activities/
The CNMI has no local anti-money laundering law and only follows federal statutes being one of the United States’ five insular areas. The federal government will have sole jurisdiction once money-laundering transactions are detected once the said activity crosses or enters the Commonwealth.
“A lot of its has to do with inter-state transferring of funds. Once it crosses over boundaries that is usually a federally regulated activity,” said Rep. Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero (R-Saipan), the House of Representatives’ Gaming Committee chair.
www.saipantribune.com/index.php/report-27-85m-bgrt-paid-saipan-casino/
news.worldcasinodirectory.com/saipan-casino-commission-reps-tell-house-wrong-timing-for-10-gaming-tax-30899
The House Committee on Commerce and Tourism was told by the Commonwealth Casino Commission on Tuesday that it’s not the appropriate time to impose a tax of 10 percent on the local casino industry in Saipan.
During Tuesday’s meeting, which was requested by Rep. Joseph Leepan T. Guerrero, the chairman of the Tourism Committee, questions from House members were fielded by Commission Executive Director Edward Deleon Guerrero and legal counsel Mike Ernest regarding the 10 percent tax
The Dutch Connection
dutchreview.com/news/international-news/trump-money-laundering-in-the-netherlands/
Ed Rendell -> Podesta Group -> Manafort
Rendell -> Podesta Group
www.sott.net/article/325910-Not-only-Paul-Manafort-FBI-probes-firm-belonging-to-brother-of-Clinton-campaign-chair-for-Ukraine-corruption-ties
Some other examples of Podesta Group clients lientele over the years according to Open Secrets: BAE Systems, BP, Credit Suisse Group, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, General Electric, KKR & Co, Lockheed Martin, Monsanto Co, Wal-Mart Stores and Wells Fargo. Of course, this is just a small fraction and you can examine the entire list here.
Where things get even trickier is when looking at recent disclosures of who we know the Podesta Group has received substantial cash from. Namely Saudi Arabia.
www.politico.com/story/2007/03/suite-talk-hirings-and-firings-003150
The Podesta Group is the brainchild of Democratic strategist Tony Podesta. He worked on the statewide campaigns of former President Bill Clinton and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in Pennsylvania before he began his own company. Most recently, he was the chairman of Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell's reelection campaign.
Manafort -> Podesta Group
www.cnn.com/2016/08/19/politics/paul-manafort-donald-trump-ukraine/
apnews.com/6eed1ef61eb744e1aac584f8ac1f7247/Trump-advisers-waged-covert-influence-campaign
The emails do not describe details about the role of Manafort, who was Gates’ boss at the firm, DMP International LLC. Current and former employees at Mercury and the Podesta Group, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they are subject to non-disclosure agreements, told the AP that Manafort oversaw the lobbying efforts and spoke by phone about them. Gates was directing actions and seeking information during the project using an email address at DMP International, which he still uses.
James Woosley
Relationship with Flynn + Turkey
www.wsj.com/articles/ex-cia-director-mike-flynn-and-turkish-officials-discussed-removal-of-erdogan-foe-from-u-s-1490380426
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, while serving as an adviser to the Trump campaign, met with top Turkish government ministers and discussed removing a Muslim cleric from the U.S. and taking him to Turkey, according to former Central Intelligence Agency Director James Woolsey, who attended, and others who were briefed on the meeting.
Trump considers for appointment
thehilltalk.com/2016/11/16/woolsey-trump-list-appointee/
President-elect Donald Trump is considering former CIA Director James Woolsey for a top-tier position in the national security apparatus in his administration, according to sources within in the GOP.
Following his departure from the CIA, Woolsey has served on the boards of several research and advocacy groups and is a partner with Lux Capital, a New York-based venture capitalist firm specializing emerging technology investment, which primarily includes drones, satellite imaging, and artificial intelligence.
Board membership
Imperial Pacific (independent non-executive director)
Parent company of Best Sunshine International
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Pacific
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._James_Woolsey_Jr.
www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/86397-former-cia-director-woolsey-named-to-imperial-pacific-s-new-advisory-committee
Lux Capital
The Paladin Capital Group
www.paladincapgroup.com/portfolio/
www.paladincapgroup.com/people/r-james-woolsey/
Mr. Woolsey has served in the past as a member of boards of directors of a number of publicly and privately held companies, generally in fields related to technology and security, including Martin Marietta; British Aerospace, Inc.; Fairchild Industries; and Yurie Systems, Inc. In 2009, he was the Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Mr. Woolsey serves on a range of government, corporate, and non-profit advisory boards and chairs several, including that of the Washington firm, ExecutiveAction LLC. He serves on the National Commission on Energy Policy. He is currently Co-Chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger. He is Chairman of the Advisory Boards of the Clean Fuels Foundation and the New Uses Council, and a Trustee of the Center for Strategic & Budgetary Assessments. Previously he was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents of The Smithsonian Institution, and a trustee of Stanford University.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
ExecutiveAction, LLC (Chairman)
www.executiveaction.com/ea/seniorboard.html
Booz Allen Hamilton (VP and officer)
Shea & Gardner - Lawfirm (Partner)
“Rove, the WH, Abramoff, China & Tinian Casinos” (April 8, 2007)
www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/8/320706/-
Another (very) long and winding tale of yet another bit of corruption that weaves in and out of the Bush White House, Chinese Casinos, Team Abramoff, the Mariana Islands and the purge of US Attorneys.
Gambling was also what attracted Jack (Abramoff) to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
All of the CNMI embraced the sex trade, but Saipan led the way. And all of the Territory embraced gambling through poker machines, but one island, Tinian, authorized the building of up to five casinos.
The CNMI, but especially, Tinian has a lot of "shadow material".
On top of that, for the last twenty five years the CNMI has embraced an economic system rooted in the hidden shadows of global trade (human trafficking, sweatshops, forced prostitution, money laundering, drug smuggling, gun running and the like).
According to a 2002 Security Report released by the US Attorney for Guam, the casino on Tinian was an international center for money laundering:
Unfettered access into the C.N.M.I and the presence of an unregulated international gambling casino on Tinian, allow for the perfect venue to launder illegal funds, regardless of their source. This situation is further compounded by the lack of any civil or criminal revenue enforcement by the territorial government or sufficient Federal assets to continually scrutinize banking and money handling businesses.
It was perfect for the needs of the GOP and the owners of the casino—the Peoples Republic of China (PRC):
The P.R.C. has built and currently operates a 600-room hotel and international gambling resort on the island of Tinian in the C.N.M.I. This facility has been in operation for approximately three years. Federal officials indicate that it has-never enjoyed more than a 20 percent occupancy rate and is believed to be a "marker" for mainland China with involvements in international money laundering operations. In March of 2002, this casino became the subject of investigation by Federal authorities because it received $3.5 million in fraudulent loans in connection with the Bank of Saipan fraud scheme cited earlier.
Ralston did indeed stack the membership of the AAPI with loyal "Bushies". Chief among them, is her fellow Loyola University alumni, Rudy Pamintuan. Ralston made sure that this young "Baby Jack" was appointed as Chairman of Bush’s AAPI.
Pamintuan runs a PR agency out of Chicago; Sherman Consulting. From the Web site, it seems to be a typical dodgy "Baby Jack" firm. Now, a "Baby Jack" is an outfit spawned by Abramoff and his 25-year money laundering operation. The folks running these outfits are the next generation of Abramoffs. (Think of the "PR Firms" ran by Michael Scanlon).
So far four deals have been announced. One is with an outfit called Bridge Capital. And by some coincidence several members of AAPI, including Chairman Pamintuan, are investors in the Bridge Capital casino project on Tinian.
Curious.
So as I promised, this is a very long and winding tale. There are more details and more research that needs to be done, but here are the headlines:
Within months of 9-11, a security report raise critical issues related to threats to the homeland from problems on Guam and the CNMI. When this was brought to the attention of the Bush WH they suppressed the report and punished the authors.
All of the security issues raised in 2002 still exist on the CNMI and Guam. Some have even gotten worse. Nothing has been done to follow up on the 2002 Security Report.
Susan Ralston, the former assistant to Abramoff and Rove used her position at the White House to have her pal Rudy Pamintuan appointed Chairman of Bush’s Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
Pamintuan is using his connection to the White House to land new business for his PR firm, Sherman Consulting and he presents his PR work as "official" statements from the White House.
Pamintuan is also using his connections to the White House and service as Chairman of the AAPI to help shape policy that will make his investments in a Casino project on Tinian more profitable.
The Bush White House and the Republican Party is supporting the building of more unregulated casinos on Tinian.
The Bush Department of Defense is letting troop relocation decisions be used to support the growth of an unregulated gambling industry on Tinian, an industry that will target US service personnel for exploitation.
The Republican Party has protected a Chinese Government owned and operated casino money laundering facility for almost a decade.
The Republican Party has protected a system of sweatshops, labor abuse, forced prostitution and human trafficking on the CNMI since 1995.
www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/16/302889/-
The casinos on Tinian are part of the shadow world. The main business is money laundering, not gambling. Since Fitial became Governor he has approve (sic) four more Casinos to join the one currently own and operated by the Peoples (sic) Republic of China on the island. The Bridge Investments Group has its own share of shadow material. In many ways, Rudy Pamintuan is performing for Bridge Investment Group the same tasks that Michael Scanlon performed for SunCruz, which was planning to station floating casinos on Saipan.
Michael Ernst =/= Mike Ernst?
www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/94011-missing-girl-found-safe-on-saipan
Michael Ernst, the FBI’s Guam resident agent, said in an email...
Can’t be the same person, can it?
Unlikely to have two haoles with the same name in the area.
I know this is blocktexty and aweful, sorry! Just trying to get a conversation started!
Just to clarify what the below information means.
There are two links between the casino on Siapan and Donald Trump, one of them linking the casino directly to the Trump 2016 presidential campaign. The first link is James Woolsey, a CIA director in the early 90's under Bill Clinton. He is currently serving on the board of the Best Sunshine Live casino on Siapan. (This casino does billions of dollars a month in business, more than any casino in Vegas). James Woolsey also was an adviser to the Trump Campaign, and resigned on January 5th for unspecified reasons.
The second connection is Mark Brown. Mark Brown is an American gaming industry executive known for serving as CEO of Trump Hotels and Casinos Inc. and President of The Venetian Macau, Sands Macau, and The Four Seasons Macau.
Two very obvious connections made directly to Trump from a known money laundering casino.
Saipan Casino
Trumps Money Scrubber
@flyerfrightened
@silas_O_
Part I. Money laundering in Trump associate's casino on Saipan (Plus bonus CIA, FBI, DNC, RNC)
Saipan Casino - trump connection (Nov 13, 2016)
www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-11-13/obscure-casino-run-by-a-trump-protege-is-raising-big-question
Mike Brown
To run the Saipan project, Imperial Pacific hired Brown, who got his start as a teenage blackjack dealer in his native Atlantic City, before rising through the ranks of Trump’s casinos to become a senior executive. The real-estate mogul cited Brown among his trusted advisers in his 2004 book, “Trump: How to Get Rich,” and Brown returned the favor in May this year by telling Fortune that his old boss was “great with women” and has “a great brain.”
Brown left Trump in 2005, heading to Macau to oversee Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s project to build a replica of the Venetian hotel. He departed in 2009; two years later Las Vegas Sands was plunged into turmoil by a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in Macau over a period that overlapped with Brown’s tenure.
Also FBI, CIA, DNC
In what it said was an effort to “enhance its integrity,” Imperial Pacific earlier this year appointed to its board James Woolsey, who ran the CIA in the early 1990s and was among national-security advisers to Trump’s White House campaign. He joined Eugene Sullivan, formerly a senior U.S. military judge, who was appointed last year. Sullivan declined to comment; Woolsey didn’t respond to requests for comment.
A separate advisory committee for business strategies and government relations, formed in April, includes former FBI director Louis Freeh and Ed Rendell, previously governor of Pennsylvania and chairman of the DNC. Freeh didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Former New York Governor David Paterson was also an adviser to Imperial Pacific from August 2015 to this spring, when he resigned to pursue other opportunities. Paterson didn’t attend any meetings about the Saipan casino “beyond due diligence and security-expert recommendations,” said a spokesman, Sean Darcy.
It was Paterson who pitched Freeh and Rendell on joining the committee, according to the latter.
Edward DeLeon Guerrero
“We do not cahoot with the licensee,” Edward DeLeon Guerrero, the commission’s executive director, said in an interview. “Have you seen corruption in other parts of the world? Probably. From my experience, I have not seen that.”
DeLeon Guerrero, a former customs chief and court administrator, hadn’t worked in a casino-related job before taking on the role of regulating Best Sunshine. Although he conceded the commission faces a steep learning curve, “this is America. We protect our borders,” DeLeon Guerrero said. “Movement of money we track 1,000 percent.”
‘BSI complies with federal laws’ (Nov 21, 2016)
www.saipantribune.com/index.php/bsi-complies-federal-laws/
Deleon Guerrero said he thinks this is purely business. “If Best Sunshine Live inside a temporary casino inside a mall can outpace and outperform big name casinos is purely business. It is bad for competitors and it appears its business rivalry, since Saipan is a competitor. I can tell you the numbers are real. We are watching, documenting, and tracking it.”
“For Bloomberg to allude that they are being investigated by the U.S. Treasury, I don’t know since FinCEN is a federal agency. But [BSI] does have an AML program and they submit cash transfer reports and report suspicious activities in compliance with Title 31. They report on the things happening inside the VIP rooms.”
Best Sunshine Live now one of the world’s most lucrative casinos ( January 4, 2017)
news.worldcasinodirectory.com/best-sunshine-live-now-one-of-the-worlds-most-lucrative-casinos-40084
Casino run out of a mall... does $3.95B a month…
Intended to serve as a training facility in advance of the opening of its $500 million Imperial Pacific Resort And Hotel Saipan, Best Sunshine Live reportedly ended its first year in business in October by reporting its second highest monthly VIP chip turnover of $3.84 billion, which was only a 2.8% decrease from the all-time record of $3.95 billion it saw in September.
Cleared of wrongdoing by Eddy DG
November saw rumors abound that Imperial Pacific International Holdings Limited had been under investigation by federal authorities in the United States for alleged breaches of anti-money laundering laws although the operator denied all the accusations and was subsequently cleared by the office of Edward Deleon Guerrero, Executive Director for the American territory’s Commonwealth
Casino Commission.
FBI Visits Office of Saipan Casino Run by Trump Protege (March 31, 2017)
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-30/fbi-agents-visit-office-of-saipan-casino-run-by-trump-protege
FBI "Visit”
Agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation visited an office belonging to the operator of a casino on the remote U.S. island of Saipan that has attracted attention for its huge revenues, according to a local legislator and residents.
Board members
Its board members include James Woolsey, who ran the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in the early 1990s and was among national-security advisers to Trump’s presidential campaign. Former FBI director Louis Freeh and Ed Rendell, a former Pennsylvania governor and Democratic National Committee chairman, sit on an advisory committee, as does Haley Barbour, the ex-Mississippi governor and Republican National Committee chairman who’s now a prominent lobbyist.
Human Smuggling, Money Laundering Probes Surround Saipan Casino (April 9, 2017)
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-10/human-smuggling-money-laundering-probes-surround-saipan-casino
Justice Dept. investigating money laundering
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the activities of the casino itself, operated by Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd., including possible violations of anti-money-laundering rules, people familiar with the situation said this month. Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, declined to comment.
Inside mall by laundromat....
Nearby at the starter casino, a shopfront by a laundromat in a duty-free mall, turnover has been brisk. Best Sunshine Live’s VIP tables handled just under $3 billion in bets in March, the company said on April 2, up from $1.67 billion a month earlier.
Chinese involvement with board of directors
Imperial Pacific, controlled by Chinese entrepreneur Cui Lijie, has assembled a team of high-powered U.S. political figures to assist with its Saipan ambitions. Its chairman is Mark Brown, a former executive with Donald Trump’s Atlantic City casinos. Former CIA director James Woolsey and Eugene Sullivan, formerly a senior military judge, sit on its board. Former Louisiana Governor Haley Barbour, former FBI director Louis Freeh and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell serve as advisers, the company said in a March 28 presentation.
Financial-Crimes Monitor (FinCEN) to Share Records in (Senate) Trump-Russia Probe (May 12, 2017)
www.wsj.com/articles/financial-crimes-monitor-to-share-records-in-trump-russia-probe-1494625140
Deleon Guerrero said he thinks this is purely business. “If Best Sunshine Live inside a temporary casino inside a mall can outpace and outperform big name casinos is purely business. It is bad for competitors and it appears its business rivalry, since Saipan is a competitor. I can tell you the numbers are real. We are watching, documenting, and tracking it.”
“For Bloomberg to allude that they are being investigated by the U.S. Treasury, I don’t know since FinCEN is a federal agency. But [BSI] does have an AML program and they submit cash transfer reports and report suspicious activities in compliance with Title 31. They report on the things happening inside the VIP rooms.”
Part II. Saipan Casino, it's staff, and local "oversight"
A bit about saipan…
www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5047/overview.htm
Garments manufactured in the CNMI carry a "Made in the USA" label and typically are not inspected by the U.S. Customs Service (USCS) upon their arrival at mainland ports.
Members of organized crime syndicates engage in drug distribution and money laundering. The development of gambling establishments that are loosely regulated--such as a large casino on Tinian that is geared toward wealthy Asian gamblers--offers fertile ground for criminal activities. Inconsistent reporting requirements for cash and wire transfers from regulated financial institutions to unregulated institutions allow the syndicates to easily access Asian underground banking systems.
Most of the crystal methamphetamine smuggled into the CNMI is produced in Asian source areas
Best Sunshine oversight - CNMI Gambling Comission
Edward Deleon Guerrero - Executive Director Commonwealth Casino Commission
/
Former director of courts CNMI Judicial branch
Former Director of Customs
www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-11-13/obscure-casino-run-by-a-trump-protege-is-raising-big-question
DeLeon Guerrero, a former customs chief and court administrator, hadn’t worked in a casino-related job before taking on the role of regulating Best Sunshine.
Mike Ernst - Legal Counsel at Commonwealth Casino Commission
/
Former positions:
Associate Legal Counsel The Bridge Group
CNMI Assistant Attorney General
CNMI Chief Prosecutor
CNMI Senate Legal Counsel
Best Sunshine Key Staff
Mark Badal - VP of IT at Best Sunshine
/
Former positions:
Head of IT and Marketing - The Bridge Group
IT & Security Manager - Spectrum Electric, Inc.
www.saipanchamber.com/mbrdtl.asp?mbrID=501
Imperial Pacific International dba Best Sunshine International — Business
Contact:
Bank of Guam Building, 3/F, Garapan, MP 96950
PO BOX 10000, PMB 918
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands 96950
United States
Tel: 670-233-9188 Fax:(670) 233-9178
Representatives:
Tao Xing - CSO
David Largent - Director Marketing
Henry Cheang - Chief Executive Officer
Charles McDonald - VP Legal Services
Geralyn Dela Cruz - Executive Director, CSR
The Bridge Group
About The Bridge Group
www.bccnmi.com/financial-services.html
Who is/was the Bridge Group?
John K. Baldwin
Mike Ernest
Mark Badal
www.saipanchamber.com/mbrdtl.asp?mbrID=343
Contact:
PMB 29, Box 10001
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands 96950
Northern Mariana Islands
Tel: (670) 322-2222 Fax:(670) 322-2323
Representatives:
Jody Jordahl - Chief Operating Officer
Vincent Bidez - Representative
Clay Crawford - Representative
Joe Guerrero - Representative
Jordan Sundell - Representative
Corrupt casino in Maine
bangordailynews.com/2017/04/27/politics/new-info-about-maine-casino-campaigns-financing-triggers-ethics-concerns/
In an apparent violation of Maine law, a web of domestic and offshore companies linked to a controversial developer has funded a $4.2 million bid fronted by his sister since 2015 to get Maine voters to approve a York County casino.
That loan money came from two sources. More than $3 million came from Capital Seven LLC, a Las Vegas-based company that Scott used in 2003 to run a Maine campaign that allowed what is now Hollywood Casino in Bangor and the rest came from Regent Able Associate Co., a Japanese consulting company.
It’s also reminiscent of an arrangement that drew a Scott-linked network $125,000 in ethics penalties in Massachusetts for concealing contributions to a failed 2016 casino campaign.
This financial network is likely overseen by Shawn Scott and John Baldwin, who run Bridge Capital, an investment firm also based in Saipan, which had a casino seized by the Laotian government in 2015 over allegations of corruption that the company has denied.
The Bridge Investment Group
Tinian Casino Greenlit
agbrief.com/magazine/updates/saipan-hits-vip-jackpot
ALTER CITY GROUP AND BRIDGE INVESTMENT GROUP HAVE BOTH RECEIVED CONDITIONAL LICENSES AND CAN NOW MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR PROJECTS ON TINIAN, LOCAL MEDIA REPORTS. BRIDGE’S CASINO HOTEL WILL BE CALLED TINIAN OCEAN RESORT AND CASINO WITH ITS DESIGN BASED ON THE TITANIC. ALTER CITY GROUP, GOT ITS CONDITIONAL LICENSE ON JAN. 29, 2016 AND WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE 1 OF ITS PROJECT IN AUGUST. COMPLETION IS SCHEDULED FOR 2020.
www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/195846/us-group-still-keen-on-casino-project-in-cnmi
The Bridge Investment Group LLC is pursuing its 50 million US dollar casino and condominium project on the Northern Marianas' Tinian, after almost two years since halting construction at the staff housing in the Northern Marianas.
Two of the US groups visiting principal owners renewed their commitment during a recent meeting with acting CNMI governor Eloy Inos.
Over 100 Chinese employees of Bridge Investment's contractor left the CNMI ahead of the November 2009 federal takeover of local border control.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has excluded China from the list of countries granted a visa waiver to enter the CNMI.
Another Eddy DG was at CNMI Homeland Security at this time….
Phillip Mendiola-Long, executive vice president of Bridge Investment Group-CNMI operations, told the Saipan Tribune that Bridge Investment Group owners have still expressed their continued support and interest in pursuing this project.
www.marianaslabor.net/jvapub_view.asp?jvaID=31467
Address:
PO Box 520800
Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands
96952 United States
Phone Number: 670-433-2664
Other Number: 670-433-4329
Email Address: bigconstructionjobs@gmail.com
Contact Person: Wayne Sanchez
calvinayre.com/2014/10/23/casino/saipan-firm-eyes-4b-casino-in-northern-mariana-reef-casino-directors-support-fung-acquisition/
Saipan Jinghua’s interest in developing a casino project in CNMI makes it the fourth investor with plans to turn the Pacific islands into a premier tourist destination, joining Mega Stars Overseas Ltd., Alter City Group and Bridge Investment Group.
Bridge Immigration Investments LLC
www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/06/13/project-would-give-investors-green-cards/85684590/
Bridge Immigration Investments LLC, a subsidiary of Saipan-based Bridge Capital LLC, promotes the investors’ visa program on its website as a way for foreigners to invest their money into the proposed $425 million development in Guam.
John Baldwin, chief executive officer of Bridge Aina Le’a LLC, is the founder and chief executive of Bridge Capital.
Bridge Capital has concentrated its growth in Asia and manages affiliated offices in Cambodia, Laos, Macau and Thailand, according to the company’s website www.bccnmi.com.
Bridge Capital also was part of a casino joint venture in Laos, but the company and its partners exited the market after a dispute with the Laos government over taxes and other issues.
Bridge Aina Le’a LLC
www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/06/13/project-would-give-investors-green-cards/85684590/
No info yet…
The Bridge Investment Group, USA
www.bridgeinvestmentusa.com/
Bridge Investment Group, USA, short for BIG, is initiated to establish by ex-White House Advisor in 2005, and devotes itself to USA real estate investment development, hotel operation and tourism development, enterprise merger and investment and financing, investment immigration development.
Contact:
USA Head Office
Address: 101 Suite, 800 San Jose Street, Tinian, USA
Post code: 96952
Telephone: 1 670 4332664
Email: info@us-big.com
Beijing Office
Address: 509, Building A, Corporate Square, No. 35 Financial Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Post code: 100033
Telephone: 86 010 8809226 or 4000226609
Email: info@us-big.com
Management (http://www.bridgeinvestmentusa.com/?c=show&catid=1)
Jacky Meng
Managing Director of Northern Mariana Regional Centers
Managing Director of BIG Group
Erik Wang
/
Ex-advisor to the White House
Senior private Asian Advisor of Ex-President Gorge (sic) Bush
Co-founder of Asian Fusion Hotel Development Group
Managing Director of BIG Group
Rudy Pamintuan
Ex-advisor to the White House
It was GWB...
(http://winwincreation.com/2.ucefed/bio_rudypamintuan.html)
books.google.com/books?id=580AI-kRLksC&pg=PA1181&lpg=PA1181&dq=Rudy+Pamintuan&source=bl&ots=nk98UWbQiY&sig=jPWkWYK4EzJ_u5OXaZsvzIbwf7w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij9v78jPPTAhUU3GMKHfcnDMU4FBDoAQhSMAk#v=onepage&q=Rudy%20Pamintuan&f=false
Managing Director of Sherman International Market and Communications Co.
Chairman of President Consulting Committee of Pacific
Chairman of Asian Center of America
shermanconsultinginc.com/company/about-us/
/
www.rudytalk.org/
Phillip Mendiola Long
CEO of BIG Group
Ex-Deputy mayor of Tinian, USA
Member of Pacific Area Export Trading Committee of American Commerce Department
Holding Tank...
Saipan Drug trafficking links (more lenient customs requirements)
www.pireport.org/articles/1999/06/17/international-drug-traffickers-using-saipan-transshipment-point
unheardnomore.blogspot.com/2008/02/cnmi-back-door-for-trafficking_25.html
www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5047/overview.htm
www.saipantribune.com/index.php/crimes-in-the-cnmi-staggering/
As of 2015 head of Customs was James C. Deleon Guerrero
Casino oversight
www.saipantribune.com/index.php/cnmi-continuously-monitoring-casino-activities/
The CNMI has no local anti-money laundering law and only follows federal statutes being one of the United States’ five insular areas. The federal government will have sole jurisdiction once money-laundering transactions are detected once the said activity crosses or enters the Commonwealth.
“A lot of its has to do with inter-state transferring of funds. Once it crosses over boundaries that is usually a federally regulated activity,” said Rep. Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero (R-Saipan), the House of Representatives’ Gaming Committee chair.
www.saipantribune.com/index.php/report-27-85m-bgrt-paid-saipan-casino/
news.worldcasinodirectory.com/saipan-casino-commission-reps-tell-house-wrong-timing-for-10-gaming-tax-30899
The House Committee on Commerce and Tourism was told by the Commonwealth Casino Commission on Tuesday that it’s not the appropriate time to impose a tax of 10 percent on the local casino industry in Saipan.
During Tuesday’s meeting, which was requested by Rep. Joseph Leepan T. Guerrero, the chairman of the Tourism Committee, questions from House members were fielded by Commission Executive Director Edward Deleon Guerrero and legal counsel Mike Ernest regarding the 10 percent tax
The Dutch Connection
dutchreview.com/news/international-news/trump-money-laundering-in-the-netherlands/
Ed Rendell -> Podesta Group -> Manafort
Rendell -> Podesta Group
www.sott.net/article/325910-Not-only-Paul-Manafort-FBI-probes-firm-belonging-to-brother-of-Clinton-campaign-chair-for-Ukraine-corruption-ties
Some other examples of Podesta Group clients lientele over the years according to Open Secrets: BAE Systems, BP, Credit Suisse Group, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, General Electric, KKR & Co, Lockheed Martin, Monsanto Co, Wal-Mart Stores and Wells Fargo. Of course, this is just a small fraction and you can examine the entire list here.
Where things get even trickier is when looking at recent disclosures of who we know the Podesta Group has received substantial cash from. Namely Saudi Arabia.
www.politico.com/story/2007/03/suite-talk-hirings-and-firings-003150
The Podesta Group is the brainchild of Democratic strategist Tony Podesta. He worked on the statewide campaigns of former President Bill Clinton and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in Pennsylvania before he began his own company. Most recently, he was the chairman of Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell's reelection campaign.
Manafort -> Podesta Group
www.cnn.com/2016/08/19/politics/paul-manafort-donald-trump-ukraine/
apnews.com/6eed1ef61eb744e1aac584f8ac1f7247/Trump-advisers-waged-covert-influence-campaign
The emails do not describe details about the role of Manafort, who was Gates’ boss at the firm, DMP International LLC. Current and former employees at Mercury and the Podesta Group, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they are subject to non-disclosure agreements, told the AP that Manafort oversaw the lobbying efforts and spoke by phone about them. Gates was directing actions and seeking information during the project using an email address at DMP International, which he still uses.
James Woosley
Relationship with Flynn + Turkey
www.wsj.com/articles/ex-cia-director-mike-flynn-and-turkish-officials-discussed-removal-of-erdogan-foe-from-u-s-1490380426
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, while serving as an adviser to the Trump campaign, met with top Turkish government ministers and discussed removing a Muslim cleric from the U.S. and taking him to Turkey, according to former Central Intelligence Agency Director James Woolsey, who attended, and others who were briefed on the meeting.
Trump considers for appointment
thehilltalk.com/2016/11/16/woolsey-trump-list-appointee/
President-elect Donald Trump is considering former CIA Director James Woolsey for a top-tier position in the national security apparatus in his administration, according to sources within in the GOP.
Following his departure from the CIA, Woolsey has served on the boards of several research and advocacy groups and is a partner with Lux Capital, a New York-based venture capitalist firm specializing emerging technology investment, which primarily includes drones, satellite imaging, and artificial intelligence.
Board membership
Imperial Pacific (independent non-executive director)
Parent company of Best Sunshine International
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Pacific
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._James_Woolsey_Jr.
www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/86397-former-cia-director-woolsey-named-to-imperial-pacific-s-new-advisory-committee
Lux Capital
The Paladin Capital Group
www.paladincapgroup.com/portfolio/
www.paladincapgroup.com/people/r-james-woolsey/
Mr. Woolsey has served in the past as a member of boards of directors of a number of publicly and privately held companies, generally in fields related to technology and security, including Martin Marietta; British Aerospace, Inc.; Fairchild Industries; and Yurie Systems, Inc. In 2009, he was the Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Mr. Woolsey serves on a range of government, corporate, and non-profit advisory boards and chairs several, including that of the Washington firm, ExecutiveAction LLC. He serves on the National Commission on Energy Policy. He is currently Co-Chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger. He is Chairman of the Advisory Boards of the Clean Fuels Foundation and the New Uses Council, and a Trustee of the Center for Strategic & Budgetary Assessments. Previously he was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents of The Smithsonian Institution, and a trustee of Stanford University.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
ExecutiveAction, LLC (Chairman)
www.executiveaction.com/ea/seniorboard.html
Booz Allen Hamilton (VP and officer)
Shea & Gardner - Lawfirm (Partner)
“Rove, the WH, Abramoff, China & Tinian Casinos” (April 8, 2007)
www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/8/320706/-
Another (very) long and winding tale of yet another bit of corruption that weaves in and out of the Bush White House, Chinese Casinos, Team Abramoff, the Mariana Islands and the purge of US Attorneys.
Gambling was also what attracted Jack (Abramoff) to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
All of the CNMI embraced the sex trade, but Saipan led the way. And all of the Territory embraced gambling through poker machines, but one island, Tinian, authorized the building of up to five casinos.
The CNMI, but especially, Tinian has a lot of "shadow material".
On top of that, for the last twenty five years the CNMI has embraced an economic system rooted in the hidden shadows of global trade (human trafficking, sweatshops, forced prostitution, money laundering, drug smuggling, gun running and the like).
According to a 2002 Security Report released by the US Attorney for Guam, the casino on Tinian was an international center for money laundering:
Unfettered access into the C.N.M.I and the presence of an unregulated international gambling casino on Tinian, allow for the perfect venue to launder illegal funds, regardless of their source. This situation is further compounded by the lack of any civil or criminal revenue enforcement by the territorial government or sufficient Federal assets to continually scrutinize banking and money handling businesses.
It was perfect for the needs of the GOP and the owners of the casino—the Peoples Republic of China (PRC):
The P.R.C. has built and currently operates a 600-room hotel and international gambling resort on the island of Tinian in the C.N.M.I. This facility has been in operation for approximately three years. Federal officials indicate that it has-never enjoyed more than a 20 percent occupancy rate and is believed to be a "marker" for mainland China with involvements in international money laundering operations. In March of 2002, this casino became the subject of investigation by Federal authorities because it received $3.5 million in fraudulent loans in connection with the Bank of Saipan fraud scheme cited earlier.
Ralston did indeed stack the membership of the AAPI with loyal "Bushies". Chief among them, is her fellow Loyola University alumni, Rudy Pamintuan. Ralston made sure that this young "Baby Jack" was appointed as Chairman of Bush’s AAPI.
Pamintuan runs a PR agency out of Chicago; Sherman Consulting. From the Web site, it seems to be a typical dodgy "Baby Jack" firm. Now, a "Baby Jack" is an outfit spawned by Abramoff and his 25-year money laundering operation. The folks running these outfits are the next generation of Abramoffs. (Think of the "PR Firms" ran by Michael Scanlon).
So far four deals have been announced. One is with an outfit called Bridge Capital. And by some coincidence several members of AAPI, including Chairman Pamintuan, are investors in the Bridge Capital casino project on Tinian.
Curious.
So as I promised, this is a very long and winding tale. There are more details and more research that needs to be done, but here are the headlines:
Within months of 9-11, a security report raise critical issues related to threats to the homeland from problems on Guam and the CNMI. When this was brought to the attention of the Bush WH they suppressed the report and punished the authors.
All of the security issues raised in 2002 still exist on the CNMI and Guam. Some have even gotten worse. Nothing has been done to follow up on the 2002 Security Report.
Susan Ralston, the former assistant to Abramoff and Rove used her position at the White House to have her pal Rudy Pamintuan appointed Chairman of Bush’s Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
Pamintuan is using his connection to the White House to land new business for his PR firm, Sherman Consulting and he presents his PR work as "official" statements from the White House.
Pamintuan is also using his connections to the White House and service as Chairman of the AAPI to help shape policy that will make his investments in a Casino project on Tinian more profitable.
The Bush White House and the Republican Party is supporting the building of more unregulated casinos on Tinian.
The Bush Department of Defense is letting troop relocation decisions be used to support the growth of an unregulated gambling industry on Tinian, an industry that will target US service personnel for exploitation.
The Republican Party has protected a Chinese Government owned and operated casino money laundering facility for almost a decade.
The Republican Party has protected a system of sweatshops, labor abuse, forced prostitution and human trafficking on the CNMI since 1995.
www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/16/302889/-
The casinos on Tinian are part of the shadow world. The main business is money laundering, not gambling. Since Fitial became Governor he has approve (sic) four more Casinos to join the one currently own and operated by the Peoples (sic) Republic of China on the island. The Bridge Investments Group has its own share of shadow material. In many ways, Rudy Pamintuan is performing for Bridge Investment Group the same tasks that Michael Scanlon performed for SunCruz, which was planning to station floating casinos on Saipan.
Michael Ernst =/= Mike Ernst?
www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/94011-missing-girl-found-safe-on-saipan
Michael Ernst, the FBI’s Guam resident agent, said in an email...
Can’t be the same person, can it?
Unlikely to have two haoles with the same name in the area.