Houston tycoon finds himself in the cross hairs

Houston Chronicle -NYTimes of the South ^ | July 19, 2007, 6:34AM | TOM FOWLER

[Lazamataz]

You compare hunting game animals to abortion?

Kinda.

I hunt wild fetuses in the field.

They spook kinda easy, but if you seperate one from the herd, they are much easier to track and kill.

[Alter Kaker]

U.S. law only applies in territories where the U.S. has JURISDICTION.

Not necessarily true. There are a number of crimes committed overseas for which you can be prosecuted in the US under US law. See for example, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

[jonascord]

Time was, when honor and a man's character still meant something, a man might actually feel something called "shame".

Go to the Safari Club International website, and you will find that Life Member Dan Duncan's little legal and ethical problems are nowhere mentioned.

And just for grins, from the SCI site:

"To conduct myself in the field so as to make a positive contribution to wildlife and ecosystems.

To improve my skills as a woodsman and marksman to ensure humane harvesting of wildlife.

To comply with all game laws, in the spirit of Fair Chase, and to influence companions accordingly.

To accept my responsibility to provide all possible assistance to game law enforcement officers.

To waste no opportunity to teach young people the full meaning of this code of ethics.

To reflect in word and behavior only credit upon the fraternity of sportsmen, and to demonstrate abiding respect for game, habitat and property where I am privileged to hunt."

[org.whodat]

It’s said he has over 3500 mounts,

How many of them were bought off a zoo and shot in his back yard.

[Alter Kaker]

Another example: the PROTECT Act of 2003 subjects US citizens who travel abroad for the purpose of abusing children to up to 30 years in prison. It’s pretty common for the federal government to claim jurisdiction for the behavior of Americans abroad.

[Alter Kaker]

I don’t know if Mr. Duncan is a major GOP donor, but look for such people to be targeted for prosecution by Rat DA’s, or even Rats on the staffs of DA’s, as we move into ‘08.

The US Attorney for the District of Columbia is Jeff Taylor, a former aide to John Ashcroft and Orren Hatch, principle author of the USA Patriot Act, and definitely NOT a Democrat.

[Orange1998]

Dang! That caught me off guard. :)

[az_gila]

Sometimes hunting from a plane goes wrong.....

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X20602&key=1

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20050617X00803&key=1

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20020917X04558&key=1

..and then the gunner screws up...

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20020328X00418&key=1

[Moonman62]

The only "hunting from a helicopter" I've ever heard of was from the "Slicks" in Vietnam. They were very good hunters.

If they run, they're VC. If they don't run, they're well disciplined VC.

[Orange1998]

I don’t know if Mr. Duncan is a major GOP donor

He is the "Big Kahuna" of the Texas Republican Party.

[VOA]

"What the hell is the U.S.' interest in bringing felony charges here
for hunting on Russian soil, where not one single person
has complained?" Hardin said

Talk to one of the shrinking number of sane conservatives graduating
from our law schools and they'll tell you:
"One of my classmates hopes to make his/her mark as a prosecutor
on a big-name case like this!"

[California Patriot]

I’m sure some of his staff are. Some of almost every staff are.

[peggybac]

He is a big time Republican donor. Could this have anything to do with them going after him?

[California Patriot]

Sounds good to me.

But I’m wondering if they do things like smash members’ mugs, paint their trophies yellow, etc., if they are bad sportsmen.

[sawmill trash]

” I don’t know if Mr. Duncan is a major GOP donor, but look for such people to be targeted for prosecution by Rat DA’s, or even Rats on the staffs of DA’s, as we move into ‘08.”

There you go, typical “rat” smear campaign (for whatever reason)

[jonascord]

Life Member Duncan has yearly meetings of his SCI chapter at either his Double D ranch, or his exotic game park near Bastrop. What do you think the chances are that the SCI will kill the Golden Goose?

By the way, the Safari Club simply lists, in it's "record" book, EVERYTHING any member shoots, hence, Deadeye Dan's "550 records." To me, that's sort of a horseshit system, like Mickey Mouse's 'Seven At One Blow.'...

[Grumpy_Mel]

“The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (15 U.S.C. §§ 78dd-1, et seq.) is a United States federal law requiring any company that has publicly traded stock to maintain records that accurately and fairly represent the company’s transactions; additionally, requires any publicly traded company to have an adequate system of internal accounting controls.”

The proper jurrisdiction seems to be derived from the act of being publicaly traded in the U.S. ..... i.e. a russian firm could make all the bribes to russian officials it wanted as long as it never did any business in the U.S. it wouldn’t (properly) run afoul of the law. However a company that wants to do business in the U.S. must not engage in bribery of foriegn officials.... the bribery is not the act which grants the U.S. jurrisidiction it’s the act of doing business in the U.S. after having engaged in bribery abroad.

That’s not to say that Congress can’t pass laws that say doing something outside of U.S. jurrisdiction is a violation of U.S. law.....but that doesn’t make such a law properly Constitutional.

I am aware that Congress does have some pretty squirely laws that skirt the edges (and probably step over the line) of jurrisdiction...and I even know that there have been succesfull prosecutions based on them..... but those things always struck me as pretty sketchy on Constitutional Grounds.

“The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State”

“The Congress shall have Power To ......

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.”

It doesn’t say anything in there about the government of foriegn states or departments or officers there-of.

Then again we seem to have entered an era (ever since the New Deal I’d say) where alot of the courts and prosecuters don’t seem to care very much what the Law actualy says.

[wordsofearnest]

Can you still go after russian boars in Texas anyway, anytime, anyhow?

[School of Rational Thought]

Illegal on no, he is no sportsman.

As a hunter myself, I find his shooting from a helicopter unethical.
What is the achievement if the animal was hunted but executed from above.

Any idiot can pull a trigger, not many can hunt.

Did the guides also hold the animals down and traniquilize them?
What a pussy!

[School of Rational Thought]

Or perhaps he is employing the online video method.