Not really. Fast and Furious put guns in the hands of criminals intentionally to see if they made their way back to the US. This is a sting operation to snag crooked politicians taking/making bribes. Don’t smear the edges.
You’re right. Maybe a better parallel would be intentionally withholding something like the Obama birth certificate, or knowledge of some crime by a presidential contender that would bar him from office biut pout him under the control of the FBI.
(EXCERPTED from a DR travel brochure) The DR is a Caribbean nation notorious for corrupt governments and strong-arm dictators. Despite US politicans' fondness for the "amenities" at its posh resorts and celebrities relaxing at posh villas spending big bucks there, the DR has no safety net or state-sponsored job creation for its largely impoverished citizenry.
The one million Dominican citizens currently living illegally in the US send home about a billion US dollars annually---which is considered by the corrupt do-nothing DR govt to be a major source of state revenue. A steady exodus leaves for US shores (lured by the endless US gravy train).
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Wired-up Bronx Democrat Nelson Castro, a Dominican Republic native---led a life of crime before landing in the Albany legislature.
IS HE A US CITIZEN? Nelson Castro, the Bronx state assemblyman at the center of NY's latest political corruption scandal — got into office even though he had a record of criminal arrests in two states and had lied in court about voter registration fraud at his Bronx apartment.
BACKSTORY Bronx Democratic Party leaders anointed Castro---a former staff member for State Sen. Adriano Espaillat, a Dominiocan Republic native; party bosses were eager to elect a young Dominican politician in the South Bronx, where the Dominican population was growing rapidly.
He was a candidate who had led a life of crime:
<><> a 1989 felony arrest in Michigan for larceny. Michigan court records show that 19-year old Castro pled guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy and was sentenced to 180 days probation.
<><> In 2003, Castro was arrested again in New York, this time for grand larceny. He was accused of pocketing $4,900 in unemployment checks while holding a job. He pled guilty to petty larceny, repaid the money and was slapped with three years probation.
<><> Then in March 2008, Castro was arrested a third time — for driving in East Harlem with a revoked license and as a scofflaw who owed more than $3,000 in parking tickets.
Even more disturbing revelations about Castro followed.
<><> During the hearing before Special Referee Mary Lynn Dlabola, evidence emerged that 10 people registered to vote from Castro's one-bedroom apt including Castro's fiance, his cousin, his aunt and uncle, two relatives of his fiancée, and three people who were key figures in Nelson's Castro campaign. Most had registered to vote only months before.
Castro lied---and testified that he had no idea all those people were registered there. Asked why so many people were claiming to live in the same tiny apartment, Castro's lawyer claimed at one point that it was a "common practice in the Dominican community for families to take in relatives."
ARE THE NEW DOMINICAN VOTERS US CITIZENS? Unbelievably, Castro also told the court he "did not know" a man who was actually his coordinator of volunteers. That campaign coordinator was a votino scam artist, and had 15 other people registered to vote at his home address, as well.
The investigation led to a sealed indictment against Castro for perjury. To save himself---he got wired-up and allowed to run again---and be elected. (NY Daily News factoids.)
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REFERENCE It was recently revealed that US Senator Robert Menendez (Democrat-NJ)---using US govt authority and resources---acted to discourage plans by the United States government to donate port security equipment to the Dominican Republic to detect drug cargo.
Menendez cited concern that the advanced screening gear might undermine efforts by a private company — a company run by Menendez's major campaign contributor---a friend w/ dual residences in Miami and the Dominican Republic.
Menendez's intervention with the Department of Homeland Security came even though Mr. Menendez has publicly chastised the Obama administration for not doing more to combat the surging drug traffic moving through Dominican ports.
And it came shortly after the senator’s Miami friend,----who is also a resident of the Domincan Republic---Dr. Salomon E. Melgen, arranged to meet with a senior State Dept official, accompanied by a former aide to Mr. Menendez........in a related push to protect his company's port security contract, which is worth as much as $500 million over 20 years.
MEDDLING IN US AFFAIRS The Dominican Republic government has now moved to save Menendez's degenerate a**-----if the DR staves off the dreaded Christie appointment---guaranteed the corrupt DR will get a foreign aid check with lots and lots of zeros.