Fattest Cat (Democrat's Biggest Money Man Has Mob Connections)

[Dover]

Fattest Cat

Officials: Democrat’s Biggest Money Man Has Mob Connections
By Brian Ross
ABCNEWS.com

B O S T O N, July 28, 2004— As Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards arrived in Boston today for the Democratic National Convention, so did the California man who is their single biggest contributor.


He is Stephen Bing, a wealthy film producer who, with little fanfare, has managed to steer a total of more than $16 million of his money to Democratic candidates and the supposedly independent groups that support them.
"To most of the people who track money and politics, they're like, who the hell is Steve Bing?" said Chuck Lewis, founder of the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog organization.

Bing is perhaps best known for sparking a tabloid frenzy when he publicly expressed doubt that he was the father of actress Elizabeth Hurley's baby. (A paternity test proved he was indeed the father.) He repeatedly has refused to say why he is funneling millions of dollars to the Democrats.

Lewis thinks it is cause for concern.

"We can identify who the big donors are, but how much do we really know about any of them?" he said.

In fact, Democratic Party officials said they knew nothing about the man who law enforcement officials tell ABC News is Bing's friend and business partner — Dominic Montemarano, a New York Mafia figure currently in federal prison on racketeering charges.

Montemarano has a long criminal record and is known to organized crime investigators by his street name, Donnie Shacks.

"Donnie Shacks' main activity was murder. No question about it. That was his main function for the Colombo family and for organized crime in general. He was one of the top hit men in the New York area," said Joe Coffey, a former NYPD investigator.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Bing paid Montemarano's legal fees after his most recent scrape with the law. Montemerano's lawyer said his client was an employee of Bing's.

After a recent private lunch with Democratic vice-presidential candidate Edwards, Bing also declined to answer questions about his relationship with Montemarano.

"The American people have a right to know who's funding their presidential candidates and their parties," Lewis said. "The Bing situation shows us how little we really know."

...MORE..



http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/Vote2004/convention_stephen_bing_040728-1.html

[Trajan]

1. How many different forums will you fill with this 'wonderful' story ?

[Dover]

4. It belonged here to begin with, and when I found the link I posted it.

Would you rather not know about it?

I don't ever recall ABC doing such a story on Bushco, but perhaps the Dems haven't been feeding the media nasty little stories the way the Bushco does. Surely there is MUCH they COULD say about the corrupt connections of the Bush family, but would they investigate? Of course not....

[denverbill]

8. Oh, I don't know. Ken Lay was a good buddy.

His staff is loaded with former crooks from previous administrations. He is business buddies with the bin Laden family.

[gmoney]

2. Probably killed fewer people than Pickles

...rumor and innuendo, anyone?

[remfan]

7. More like a deliberately timed press release by Chuck Lewis

or the 'former investigator' quoted in the story. You know ABC sure as hell didn't dig this up on their own.

If they're going to play this game, I suggest they do a 3 degrees of separation test on all bush donors.

[Joanne98]

3. Maybe he's making a movie about his life.

So he paid his legal fees. SO WHAT. Why doesn't ABC report Bushco's mafia connections. God knows they have enough of them. Fuck ABC.

[struggle4progress]

22. Could be. He already made a movie with him.

(Montemarano) then became "Mister Hollywood" as he was seen dining with knockout British actress Liz Hurley. Later Montemarano had a role in the forgotten movie "A Night At The Golden Eagle", which was produced by Hurley's one time guy pal Steve Bing. Oddly enough Montemarano plays an ageing gangster just released from prison (art imitating life?). In January 1998 (Montemarano) pops up again as a pallbearer for the funeral of Hollywood has been turned popular US Congressman Sonny Bono.

http://www.geocities.com/OrganizedCrimeSyndicates/ColomboFamily.html


So Montemarano apparently has Republican connections.

[Warpy]

5. Oh, for crying out loud

This whole thing is nothing but namedropping and guilt by association. This stinks of Repuglican smear machine tactics.

Spare us.

[Dover]

6. I worry that this could be a setup for someone else's future crime...

with Bing as the fall guy.

[aquart]

18. Martha was a big Dem donor.

Martha's going to jail.

[mom cat]

9. If we equally apply the measure of guilt by association, the dems

look like angels in comparison to the republicrooks. And just wait till Attorney General Eliot Spitzer starts cleaning house!

[UpInArms]

10. "Bring 'em on!"

Ronald Reagan's Cabinet

"By the end of his term, 138 Reagan administration officials had been convicted, had been indicted, or had been the subject of official investigations for official misconduct and/or criminal violations. In terms of number of officials involved, the record of his administration was the worst ever."


* Lyn Nofziger--Convicted on charges of illegal lobbying of White House in Wedtech scandal.
* Michael Deaver received three years' probation and was fined one hundred thousand dollars after being convicted for lying to a congressional subcommittee and a federal grand jury about his lobbying activities after leaving the White House. . .

* E. Bob Wallach, close friend and law classmate of Atty General Edwin Meese, was sentenced to six years in prison and fined $250,000 in connection with the Wedtech influence-peddling scandal.

Then there was:.
* James Watt, Reagan's Secretary of the Interior was indicted on 41 felony counts for using connections at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help his private clients seek federal funds for housing projects in Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Watt conceded that he had received $500,000 from clients who were granted very favorable housing contracts after he had intervened on their behalf. In testifying before a House committee Watt said: "That's what they offered and it sounded like a lot of money to me, and we settled on it." Watt was eventually sentenced to five years in prison and 500 hours of community service.
Two types of problems typified the ethical misconduct cases of the Reagan years, and both had heavy consequences to citizens everywhere. One stemmed from ideology and deregulatory impulses run amok; the other, from classic corruption on a grand scale.
* The Pentagon procurement scandal, which resulted from the Republicans' enormous infusion of money too quickly into the Defense Department after the lean Carter years . . .

* Massive fraud and mismanagement in the Department of Housing and Urban Development throughout Reagan's eight years. These were finally documented in congressional hearings in spring 1989, after Reagan left office. Cost the taxpayers billions of dollars in losses. What made this scandal most shameful was that Reagan's' friends and fixers profited at the expense of the poor, the very people HUD and the federal government were pledged to assist through low-income housing. . .

* The Iran-Contra scandal. In June, 1984, at a National Security Council meeting, CIA Director Casey urged President Reagan to seek third-party aid for the Nicaraguan contras. Secretary of State Schultz warned that it would be an "impeachable offense" if the U.S. government acted as conduit for such secret funding. But that didn't stop them. That same day, Oliver North was seeking third-party aid for the contras. But Reagan, the "teflon President" avoided serious charges or impeachment. . .

* Oliver North--Convicted of falsifying and destroying documents, accepting an illegal gratuity, and aiding and abetting the obstruction of Congress. Conviction overturned on appeal due to legal technicalities. . .

* John Poindexter, Reagan's national security advisor, --guilty of five criminal counts involving conspiracy to mislead Congress, obstructing congressional inquiries, lying to lawmakers, used "high national security" to mask deceit and wrong-doing. . .

...and about 130 more...

http://www.apfn.net/messageboard/06-07-04/discussion.cgi.30.html

and then this criminally appointed buffoon appoints the criminals into positions in our government!

http://www.bartcop.com/convictions.htm

The First Criminal Appointments of Bush II

Bush II officials appointed to National Security Council who were also indicted of Iran-contra crime,
who plead guilty, and who were pardoned by Bush I:

1 Elliott Abrams

Bush II officials appointed to Department of Defense who were also indicted and convicted
of Iran-contra crime but who had convictions set aside on a technicality:

1 John Poindexter

[OBrien]

11. This is better than the main steam media?

Why oh why do I comstantly see more negatives posted on this site. They seem to be the longest lasting threads. Please please enough already and stop giving the right wing talking points.

[Judi Lynn]

19. Absolutely! Make them dive for the crap stories on their own time!

I've not heard a peep on this all day. It seems so unlikely.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

12. If his main activity is murder he has something in common with *

eom

[creeksneakers2]

13. If they want guilt by association stories

They should run with Bush's prior links to accused terrorist financier Sami al-Arian.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0302/S00207.htm

And Bush/Norquist/Rove links to terrorist financier and admitted assassin for Libya Abdurahman Alamoudi

http://www.insightmag.com/main.cfm?include=detail&storyid=525860

[goforit]

14. Hell, why not!!!........Why not beat corruption with corruption!!!

This is not a time to be prudish.

It is 1776...........The AMERICAN REVOLUTION!!!!!

[movonne]

15. Well I would of thought it the other way around...I thought the repugs

were the mafia.

[President Jesus]

16. Steve Bing's full list of political donations

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=Bing&first=Stephen

[stepnw1f]

17. That's Funny Because The Mafia Resides in the White House

And Nadar is taking money from them...

[JDPriestly]

20. He has the same right to participate in the political

process as everyone else as long as he doesn't expect special favors. That is going to be the question. What influence does he have with the candidates and the Democratic Party? That's what George H.W. called quid pro quo. That has to be proved before there is something wrong. Just access probably isn't enough either. I believe that Kerry has refused favors even to close friends in the past. Campaign contributions probably won't corrupt him. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[stepnw1f]

33. You misunderstood my statement

This post is smear

[leesa]

21. Does he belong to the Bush Crime Family?

[Zan_of_Texas]

24. Defending someone who does criminal acts is not helping, gang.

I know not the facts on the above case -- I don't claim to. But, I have never seen Chuck Lewis make stuff up.

I believe the Bush cabal is criminal and dang near insane. But, that doesn't make every person who ever put a donkey button on, an angel. Blind loyalty can allow criminals and criminal activity to continue unfettered, and it's not a service to the cause of democracy.

I did a little investigating on the internet voting idea, that was set to become a military voting experiment (before people like Avi Rubin and David Jefferson wrote a report against it). Michigan Democrats could use internet voting instead of what was already in place this year, and a significant number of Michigan Dems did use it.

Experts say the internet has all the problems of electronic voting, plus some. Who conducted the internet voting? A NJ company, Election Services Corporation, many of whose personnel used to be involved in electon.com (What is that company? Well, at one point it became majority owned by Saudis.) Who was one of the fellows on the board of the NJ company? Former congressman Tony Coelho. Coelho was chairman of Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign for a time, until stepping down under the glare of some of Coelho's financial history.

Tony has a number of claims to fame -- a long-time board member at Service Corp. Int'l (SCI), the infamous mega funeral home that twice got caught doing bad stuff (FuneralGate), including throwing bodies in the woods instead of in graves in Florida. CEO of that company, Robert Waltrip, has been a big financial contributor to Bush. Coelho, a Democrat, is also a trustee for the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation. According to the Center for Public Integrity, Tony Coelho did not report a now-controversial $300,000 personal loan on a federal financial disclosure report that he signed on June 11, 1998. Coelho had also "over-achieved" as a congressman -- he was named one of the top check-bouncers of the House bank (Coelho made the Top 22 with almost $300,000 in hot checks). So, former congressman, former chair of a presidential campaign, and board member of an election company. I don't care what party he claims, the record of Coelho would not be the record of someone I would choose to trust with money or power.

[leesa]

32. Was I defending him?

I'm sure the "gang" appreciates your lecture.

[kodi]

23. i heard that John Kerry killed the Lindbergh baby too

either that or started the great chicago fire.

[winstars]

25. Bing Laden

I am breaking my normal "lurker" status to contribute some info for my brothers and sisters here at DU...

I KNOW Steve Bing. His family made a lot of money in real estate in NY. Apparently, a whole lot... He has financed various film and movie projects for years, the vast majority which were not money makers. He has always hired and paid the best people to work on these projects. (some who are my good friends)

His Elizibeth Hurley fiasco was just that; pointless and really stupid. In fact in England the tabloids called him 'Bing Laden'!!!!!!!! So he, like all of us definately fucks up here and there...

This mob stuff, I don't know what that's about... The movie with this "mob guy" was actually on HBO or Showtime a couple of weeks ago... I happened upon it and when the credits rolled I saw Steve's name.

After reading the various posts in this thread and the AP story, I would bet the Steve laid some money on this guy after he had worked with him on the movie project... ( this guy gets busted, has no dough and maybe makes a call to someone he knows who does??????)

Look at the Newsmeat link, this guy has and is doing what all of us only wish we could do... Cash enables us to have our voice heard... Unlike us, this guy happens to be able to put two or three extra zeros on his contributions to our cause.

I know this guy, he is one of us...

Thanks

[winstars]

26. kick

My first and only "kick
for the morning crowd...

[newyawker99]

30. Hi winstars!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Judi Lynn]

37. Thanks for providing this information. It seems sound.

I took a quick look around in searches, myself, and saw NOTHING alarming whatsoever.

Looks as if he's simply a temporary target by some people DESPERATE to get something cooking to use against John Kerry's chances of relieving a striken nation and world of an utterly unwholesome group of psychopaths.

Welcome to DU as a posting person! :hi: :hi: :hi:

[0007]

27. Egads, why am I just hearing this crap now and here of all places?

These mafia connection are kind of loose, 'eh, LOL!.

BS

[Media_Lies_Daily]

28. Other than allegedly being friends, I didn't see ANY direct link....

...described in this article between Bing and Montemarano. While not being surprised by this kind of reporting by ABC, I do find it rather disappointing that Chuck Lewis of the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) would provide a quote without any factual backup.

Since turnabout is fair play, I found a list of the following funders of CPI on the CPI website:

<http://www.publicintegrity.org/about/about.aspx?act=funders>

While most of the individuals and foundations listed are well-known for providing funding for worthwhile endeavors, I do have some questions about the following funders and how much they may have donated to CPI:

===================================
*Ford Foundation

Henry Ford was a well-known admirer of Nazi Germany:
<http://www.thememoryhole.org/fordnazi.htm>

*The Pew Charitable Trusts

Originally founded by the heirs to the Sun Oil owners:

<http://www.pewtrusts.com/about/about_subpage.cfm?page=a4>

*Rockefeller Family Fund
*Rockefeller Financial Services

If the name has Rockefeller in it, it has to be connected to Big Oil in some way.
===================================

[Moderator]

29. Dover

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.

DU Moderator

[WillyT]

31. And The Attack Machine Ramps Up The Volume... Thanks... I Think...

:wtf:

[jdj]

34. Mafia are gov't wannabes anyway.

In a country with an admin like this, they are just the second string.

It's a linguistic thing, the mafia are the thugs that aren't in gov't power, and the Bushes are the thugs that are.

[kori]

35. I know this story can not be true.......

I have the worlds fattest cat, 22 pounds of fur flab and claws. Damn Republicans always are lying.

By the way Mr President I spoke with God tonight too......

And My God said.....

DUMP BUSH

[otohara]

36. He Was Sitting Near Hillary

I just don't understand what Elizabeth Hurley saw in that guy besides $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[winstars]

38. Bing!!!!!!!

Yeah right, I somehow missed his "Hurley Episode" but still can't believe that he fucked that up... I mean really, she is (seems to be) so ............... Would not have any of us done whatever it took to keep HER happy!!!!! He completely blew it in my mind... Unbelievable!!!!!!!!

Anyway, like I said before, he is in the end the day, exactly like the rest the rest of us. Trying to do the right thing and getting it right most of the time...But for sure, NOT every time...

He is a rich kid, who has for some reason, grew up to be someone who feels the need to use his dough to do the right thing....

Again, please look at his newsmeat link above........

[otohara]

39. Bada Bing!

What bothered me about the Hurley affair is that he refused to accept the baby was his.

GLad to see his money goes to Dems only