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An unlikely treasure-trove of donors for Clinton
LATimes ^ | October 19, 2007 | Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger

Posted on 10/19/2007 12:29:32 AM PDT by CutePuppy

An unlikely treasure-trove of donors for Clinton

The candidate's unparalleled fundraising success relies largely on the least-affluent residents of New York's Chinatown - some of whom can't be tracked down.

NEW YORK -- Something remarkable happened at 44 Henry St., a grimy Chinatown tenement with peeling walls. It also happened nearby at a dimly lighted apartment building with trash bins clustered by the front door.

And again not too far away, at 88 E. Broadway beneath the Manhattan bridge, where vendors chatter in Mandarin and Fujianese as they hawk rubber sandals and bargain-basement clothes.

All three locations, along with scores of others scattered throughout some of the poorest Chinese neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, have been swept by an extraordinary impulse to shower money on one particular presidential candidate -- Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Dishwashers, waiters and others whose jobs and dilapidated home addresses seem to make them unpromising targets for political fundraisers are pouring $1,000 and $2,000 contributions into Clinton's campaign treasury. In April, a single fundraiser in an area long known for its gritty urban poverty yielded a whopping $380,000. When Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) ran for president in 2004, he received $24,000 from Chinatown.

.....

And Clinton's success in gathering money from Chinatown's least-affluent residents stems from a two-pronged strategy: mutually beneficial alliances with powerful groups, and appeals to the hopes and dreams of people now consigned to the margins.

Clinton has enlisted the aid of Chinese neighborhood associations, especially those representing recent immigrants from Fujian province. The organizations, at least one of which is a descendant of Chinatown criminal enterprises that engaged in gambling and human trafficking, exert enormous influence over immigrants. The associations help them with everything from protection against crime to obtaining green cards.

.....

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: campaignfinance; china; clinton; fraud; hillary; hillaryclinton; hsu
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To: teddyballgame
It’s criminal - just like back in the “no controlling legal authority” days. This story needs to be highlighted.

Meanwhile, the MSM hums on with the 42nd story about Sen. Larry 'Stall Man' Craig.

21 posted on 10/19/2007 6:06:46 AM PDT by 6SJ7
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To: CutePuppy

I am going to change my party affiliation temporarily for the primary to help ensure that HRC will never become the Dem nominee or POTUS.


22 posted on 10/19/2007 6:06:51 AM PDT by gunservative
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To: 6SJ7

The encouraging thing is that this story appears in the LA Times. If this story does gain traction - it will be from the far left who want Hillary taken down so someone like Obama or Edwards benefits.


23 posted on 10/19/2007 6:15:25 AM PDT by teddyballgame (red man in a blue state)
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To: CutePuppy

bump


24 posted on 10/19/2007 6:20:16 AM PDT by lowbridge
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To: Pontiac

There is no level from which SHE will not sink. SHE appears to be running a criminal organization. Is this protection money being paid?


25 posted on 10/19/2007 6:43:48 AM PDT by businessprofessor
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To: CutePuppy

Real question everyone should be asking: is there anything going to be done legally about this?


26 posted on 10/19/2007 7:07:27 AM PDT by Lusis ("Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.")
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To: saganite; Thermalseeker
The reporter knows campaign finance fraud is going on here BIG TIME but tries to explain it all away.

Don’t complain so much. Be realistic, this is the Los Angeles Times after all.

You should be pleasantly surprised that this was reported on at all.

Also consider that this would be scandal erupted in New York. It should be on The New York Slimes that your ire should focus.

27 posted on 10/19/2007 7:11:48 AM PDT by Pontiac (Your message here.)
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To: CutePuppy
The other piece of the strategy involves holding out hope that, if Clinton becomes president, she will move quickly to reunite families and help illegal residents move toward citizenship.

Not to mention the Clinton MO----presidential pardons for cash.

Lotsa crimes here: smuggling illegals, paying them under the table------and major tax fraud.

28 posted on 10/19/2007 7:21:29 AM PDT by Liz (Rooty's not getting my guns or the name of my hairdresser.)
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To: Teflonic
Yakuza is Japanese "mafia". Chinese mafia is called Triads.

Here is a good brief history and methods of Chinese Triads:
About the Chinese Mafia
A Look at Chinese Triads

Chinese Triad societies originated well before the birth of Christ, originally as rebel factions intent on overthrowing the current government. Based on the concept of sworn brotherhood, Triads evolved into criminal organizations that form the basis of the Chinese underworld.

The original Triad, whose name translates to "Red Eyebrows," formed in an attempt to overthrow the Chinese Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). By the 17th century, Triads had expanded to form "societies." One of the more powerful was formed by five monks who wanted to over throw the Chi'ing Dynasty and restore the Ming. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the Triads were less concerned with political activism and more concerned with robbery, extortion and blackmail. By the first half of the 20th century, the Triads had established strongholds in Hong Kong, and had fully evolved into criminal organizations. A vast political crackdown in 1956 vastly limited Triad activities. In a few years, they had regrouped and formed throughout Hong Kong and other parts of China. Current estimates say that 5-10 percent of all "detected" criminal activity in Hong Kong is Triad-related.

Like Russia, the onset of free enterprise has given the Triads increased opportunity for control in Hong Kong and other areas of China. Unlike the Russian mafia or the various mafias in America, Chinese Triads rely less on brute force and more on intimidation tactics, bribery, and the select placement of "their" government and banking officials.

Their main criminal activities are extortion, drug trafficking, loan-sharking, credit card fraud and video piracy. In Hong Kong, Triads control prostitution, gambling and many private and public sector businesses. More reinforcement of anti-crime laws has led many Hong Kong triads to turn their attention to southern China. While some Westerners fear the spread of Chinese Triads to North America, most officials find this unlikely as Triads tend to operate in areas where smuggling is impeded by as few international customs as possible. The greatest source of income for Triads tend to be in southern China and Hong Kong. Many officials do point out that Triads (as well as the Russian, Japanese and Italian mafias) have key connections working for them all over the world.
Her's an interesting bit from Wikipedia :
Tongs Tongs are similar to triads except that they originated among the early immigrant Chinatown communities rather than an extension of a modern triad in China. The first tongs formed in the second half of the 19th century among the more marginalized members of early immigrant Chinese American communities for mutual support and protection from white racists. These first tongs modeled themselves upon triads. However, unlike the triads, the tongs formed without clear political motives and soon found themselves involved in criminal activities, including extortion, gambling, human trafficking, murder, and prostitution.

Many traditional tongs in USA Chinatowns have been replaced by recent immigrants from China, especially from Fuqing City, Fujian Province.
That echoes the article. So we are likely now seeing "new" Tongs getting involved in politics and "political prostitution and protection" racket, just like all mafias before them evolved...
29 posted on 10/19/2007 8:00:29 AM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: doug from upland

Ping. Some of the donors cant be found.... This will make you shoot blood from your eyes.


30 posted on 10/19/2007 8:28:16 AM PDT by SwankyC (Semper Fi C-Btry 1st Bn 11th Marines)
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To: Liz

... and just like in Norman Hsu’s case, extortion (for political “causes” [”protection”]) and racketeering (RICO).


31 posted on 10/19/2007 8:51:04 AM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: CutePuppy

china again?


32 posted on 10/19/2007 8:54:19 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: SwankyC

Thanks for the ping. This is helpful. Let’s be friends. :)


33 posted on 10/19/2007 9:07:50 AM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: doug from upland

Absolutely. Please dont misunderstand, I’m convinced this woman is a thief, criminal, liar and probably a murderer (Vince Foster easily comes to mind), I’m just not convinced that weak kneed prosecutors, judges and idiotic juries are going to do anything about it.


34 posted on 10/19/2007 9:57:07 AM PDT by SwankyC (Semper Fi C-Btry 1st Bn 11th Marines)
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To: CutePuppy

“The Munchurian Candidate”


35 posted on 10/19/2007 10:01:38 AM PDT by reagandemocrat
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To: Lusis

“anything going to be done legally about this?”

Answer... NO!
Thanks to Mc Goon


36 posted on 10/19/2007 10:04:41 AM PDT by TUX
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To: SwankyC

I understand, but that doesn’t matter. We have to make about 5-7% more of the voters say they will never vote for her. If they see what has happened here, I hope it makes a difference. We have to do it without the mainsteam media.


37 posted on 10/19/2007 10:57:57 AM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: leadhead

38 posted on 10/19/2007 11:03:42 AM PDT by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: CutePuppy

How much money has White Powder Ma donated to the shrew?


39 posted on 10/19/2007 11:05:57 AM PDT by doctor noe
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To: CutePuppy

This article is written and published for pure motivation of covering Hilary’s corrupt, big a$$.


40 posted on 10/19/2007 11:07:10 AM PDT by Grim FReeper
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