Are Family Values Republicans Rushing To Return Tainted Prostitution Cash From Sheldon Adelson?

Before Al Capone was finally convicted on income tax evasion America's #1 gangster was "an innocent man" and even palled around with corrupt politicians. Today the biggest organized crime figure-- and biggest single Mitt Romney donor-- is Vegas-based mobster Sheldon Adelson. He has a myriad of serious legal cases pending against him but he has the best legal minds money can buy keeping him out of prison. Adelson and his Israeli wife have pumped tens of millions of dollars into the Republican Party-- partly protection money and partly to move forward his very specific agenda (everything from war against Muslim states and American unions to low taxes for billionaires and a gambling casino in Manhattan). This week, though, it's been revealed that his $10 million to the Koch brothers, and $5 million each to Boehner's and Cantor's SuperPACs, he was getting the cash to funnel to the GOP by running a prostitution network in China.

The fired former chief executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s Macau casinos alleges in court documents revealed Thursday that billionaire Sheldon Adelson personally approved of prostitution and knew of other improper activity at his company's properties in the Chinese enclave.

...In the lawsuit, he accuses the company and Adelson of breach of contract and of pushing him into illegal activity in Macau, a former Portuguese colony near Hong Kong where Sands has established a strong business presence. The company owns the Venetian Macao and Sands Macao casino resorts, the Plaza Macao hotel, restaurant and shopping complex and the newly opened Sands Cotai Central resort with three hotels and two casinos.

In documents revealed Thursday-- including a sworn seven-page declaration that Jacobs submitted along with a summary from his attorneys of problems obtaining documents from Sands-- Jacobs describes an effort he launched after arriving in Macau in May 2009 to rid the casino floor of "loan sharks and prostitution."

"This project was met with concern as (company) senior executives informed me that the prior prostitution strategy had been personally approved by Adelson," Jacobs said in the documents.

In his court filing, Jacobs alleges other documents that haven't been turned over include records of misuse of "blue card' work permits and the hiring of illegal workers in Macau; emails and records of Adelson controlling a "Chairman's Club" allowing favored members, including known or suspected organized crime figures, exclusive access to Sands China's most luxurious accommodations; and email requests from Adelson to a Macau lawmaker who Jacobs said was hired as outside counsel after Jacobs was fired.

...Jacobs' lawsuit has drawn interest from U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission investigator for possible violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to a filing with the SEC. The law bars American companies from paying foreign officials to "affect or influence any act or decision" for commercial benefit. No charges have been filed.

The company and Adelson deny wrongdoing. They say the investigations stem from allegations by Jacobs. Sands also alleges that Jacobs stole confidential documents that might contain trade secrets.

Adelson's latest scandal comes "as no surprise, given the Chinese territory has long been known as a haven for gangs and corruption. In fact, in December 2010, police rounded up more than 100 suspected prostitutes at the Sands’ Venetian Macao casino-resort while Adelson was in town."

Adelson and his wife give exclusively to Republicans-- and only to Republicans known for loose moral standards. Among the crooked Republican politicians who have partaken in the tens of millions of dollars in naked legalistic bribes the two have them have been sending out are Scott Brown (R-MA), Virginia Foxx (R-VA), and Eric Cantor (personally over and over and over and above and beyond the leadership PAC he controls). It's more than a little strange that all the Republicans who have gotten money from the Adelsons and from their corporate PAC claim to be "family values" Republicans but none are willing to return the prostitution money that's tied to Chinese organized crime. I guess family values mean different things to different people-- depending on how big the checks are. And they sure don't mean giving back the millions of dollars Cantor has received from Adelson and his wife. That will never happen. As Wayne Powell, the progressive Democrat running for the Virginia seat Cantor is occupying, told us this morning, "This is typical of Eric Cantor. He will take money from any source to perpetuate his ongoing sale of influence to the highest bidder, as long as it supports his political advancement."

Today's the last day of the congressional fundraising quarter. Feel like going up against Sheldon and Miriam Adelson? There's a special page dedicated to ending Eric Cantor's tragic political career: Eric Cantor.