Campaign donor's giving raises questions

[deminks]

Source: Chicago Tribune

Big campaign donors typically come with deep pockets and influence. But in Illinois this election cycle, no one not running for office himself has given more to the nation's federal campaigns than Shi Sheng Hao of Roselle, a virtual unknown in business and political circles.

Before September 2007, Hao's name had never appeared in the 15-year-old federal database of campaign contributors. Since then, however, his donations have topped $120,000 — including $70,100 on a single June day to Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Over the same time frame, a network of Hao relatives has kicked in more. The take from this group over the last 13 months exceeds $269,000, a small amount to Democrats but most of it to McCain and the Republican National Committee, records show.

Hao didn't register to vote at the northwest suburban address attached to his donations until October 2007, a month after he wrote his first political check, $25,000 to the RNC.

The circumstances surrounding Hao's sudden and prolific political activism are curious and his whereabouts unclear. His name isn't listed on property records or the mailbox at the unassuming tract home listed on his donations. Hao lives "overseas," insisted a man who answered the door at the Roselle home recently. The man declined to identify himself.


Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-donorsoct29,0,1269595.story

[Jackpine Radical]

1. This could get kinda sticky for McNasty.

Contributions from China...

[Tempest]

5. He already got caught trying to solicit contributions from Russia

Will the MSM make a big fuss out of this like they did with Hillary's questionable contributions from Chinese Americans in NYC?

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

26. Bombard the traditional media with emails and phone calls

Force them to cover this.

Shameful.

McWhiner cries about $5 and $10 donations.

And now McWhiner has a $269,000 instant bundler who can't be found at someone else's address, seemingly has has no working phones, and an alphabet soup of alleged "companies" which seem not to exist...

Media should be all over this one.

[NJCPA]

37. Sticky on Teflon McCain - No Problem, just

No Problem, just throw another staffer under a bus. McCain is never to blame for all the F**k-ups in his campaign. He is just going along for the ride. Probably the same way he would run the country. I wonder if he has enough fingers to point at other people?

[bigworld]

2. Something stinks here, for sure. K&R

[tosh]

3. It's good that the Tribune is on this.

[truedelphi]

20. HAving been a Tribune reader since the early 60's, it is so amazing to see them on the

Side of the Democrats.

When Obama says Unity, I guess he means Unity!

[Sydnie]

4. Their pattern has been to point the finger at Obama for things they are doing themselves

and they have been trying to make a big deal about small donors for Obama just this morning.

Interesting ...

[Tempest]

6. Funny how that is

They beat on ACORN, only to find out McSame has ties to them as well.

They beat on Khalidi (claiming Obama praised him when it was the other way around), only to find out McSame had ties to Khalidi as well.


The McSame campaign continues to shoot itself in the foot.

[Shallah Kali]

12. People tend to think what is already in their head so if they already connect Obama with X

the next time they hear X being discussed they think Obama = X again even though it is really McCain or someone else = X.

[keekers]

22. ROVE: Attack the opponent on Your own weaknesses

[crikkett]

46. That's right. And lie with a straight face to catapult the propaganda. n/t

[GinaMaria]

39. Kind of like a cheating spouse

who accuses his/her partner of cheating? Is this because they know they are doing it, so the other person must be doing it too?

[rurallib]

7. how can you give $70,000 in one day when the limit is $2,300 total?

I keep hearing all these huge numbers and I am curious where the loophole is.

[Eric J in MN]

8. McCain's Victory Fund divides money between....

...his campaign, the Republican National Committee, and state parties.

If it were up to me, it would be illegal for presidential candidates to raise money in that manner for other organizations. This is no less corrupting than if McCain's campaign kept the money.

[quakerboy]

11. But even there I was under the impression

that the limit was 26,000+2300. 70k is a lot more than that.

[Eric J in MN]

14. Some of the money goes to state parties.

There is no federal limit on how much money a state party can accept.

Except for this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_in_the_United_States

$108,2003 overall biennial limit;
$42,7003 to all candidates
$65,5003 to all PACs and parties

=========================

[codjh9]

18. My question too... n/t

[Greyskye]

9. kick for visibility

This smells.

[redqueen]

10. Glad someone picked up this story.

Let's hope they find out more about this guy.

[Oldtimeralso]

13. Something is Rotten and I Don't Think it is in Denmark....

unless Stockholm has a large Chinatown.

[Thorandmjolnir]

41. hrmm, pstt.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. The capital of Denmark is Koebenhavn (Copenhagen)

[Oldtimeralso]

45. Sorry, but geography was not my thing.

But can you see Russia from there.

[go west young man]

15. Notice this line in the article.

RNC spokesman Danny Diaz said he would not respond to questions from the Tribune, contending that the newspaper was biased against McCain.

The RNC blaming the media BS is ridiculous. They blame the media for everything. Dems need to start pointing that out.

[Window]

16. K/R.

[Auggie]

17. American Chinese Entertainment Ltd. is not listed in any business databases

"There is no record in business databases of American Chinese Entertainment Ltd., the firm listed in some Hao donation records. However, an Asian American Entertainment Corp. was incorporated early this year in California with a Shi Sheng Hao as president."

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-donorstrib29-2008oct29,0,7510378.story

[Robbien]

30. These are the same people convicted in 1997 for doing this same kind of stuff

well, at least that is what the LAtimes article inferred

Government records show that firm and at least two other Hao companies have connections to the family of Gene and Nora Lum, onetime prominent Democratic fundraisers in the Asian-American community who were convicted in 1997 of making political donations through illegal straw donors.

A Taiwanese firm with a nearly identical name as Hao's new California company, Asian American Entertainment Ltd., is also headed by a Shi Sheng Hao. That firm has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle in Las Vegas over a soured partnership in an application for a casino license in Macau, the former Portuguese colony now part of China.

A court filing in that case described Hao's firm as a business affiliate of the China Industrial Development Bank, a finance arm of the Taiwanese government. Hao is listed as a resident of Taiwan in corporate papers filed in the case.

It is not clear whether the Shi Sheng Hao in the lawsuit and the California ventures is the same Shi Sheng Hao using the Roselle address. But public records point to numerous coincidences, including corporations with similar names and an overlap of investors. Some political donations from the Roselle address also refer to Hao by a nickname, Marshall, the same nickname given for Hao in the Las Vegas court action.

Why would the Taiwanese government be backing McCain?

[Tuesday_Morning]

33. A Marshall Hao

at opensecrets.org lists his occupation as being an investment consultant for Goldman Sachs.

[go west young man]

35. Could be the $700 billion dollar bailout making it's way back

around to the McCain camp. You scratch my back I'll scratch yours.

[Auggie]

38. Holy cow!

[liam_laddie]

19. Eureka! A Chinese Laundry!

[SallyMander]

21. Faaaabulous

*insert evil cackle here*

[AlbertCat]

23. C'mon!

You guys....

Obviously Mr Hao...who lives over seas... is simply afraid that Obama will take his gun away and teach his children about sex in kindergarten. What's all this conspiracy stuff?


on edit....I forgot...

:sarcasm:

[JohnWxy]

24. RECOMMENDED.

[LiberalFighter]

25. Must be part of the Chinese Mafia

[beac]

27. K&R! McDubious has some 'splaining to do.

:popcorn:

[OxQQme]

28. May be the 'October Surprise'

If so, it just made it.
Interested to find from where that kind of money comes.
"Entertainment" bidness is good it seems.

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[starroute]

29. Asian influence-buying is an old story

It oes back at least to Tongsun Park and Koreagate in the 1970's. Then in the 80's the money was mostly from Japan. Hong Kong was big in the 90's. And now it seems to be swinging around to China.

No matter what the exact source, it's always the same story -- Asian money guys with deep pockets looking to insure some sort of favorable financial treatment over here. The Supreme Court ruled it illegal in the late 90's for foreign citizens to contribute money directly to US campaigns, so I guess that instead they're finding front people who have taken up US citizenship.

The only part that surprises me is that $269,000 seems like pretty small potatoes. The Chicago Tribune apparently just looked in Illinois, though -- I wonder what would show up in the rest of the country?

[bushmeister0]

31. Will the real Manchurian candidate please stand up.

[GinaMaria]

40. Chilling, isn't it? n/t

[quidam56]

32. FOX NEWS WILL BE A 24/7 INFOMERCIAL FOR MCCAIN/PALIN FROM NOW TO ELECTION DAY !

There was just a story on Fox News questioning where all the money Obama has is coming from.... I can tell 'ya gosh darn it. There are millions of us who are fed up and can only afford to give small amounts. I give ten dollars a month Fox News just like millions of others !

SEAN HANNITY, YOUR AMERICA ISN'T MY AMERICA ! http://www.wisecountyissues.com

[NJCPA]

42. What is new about that? You mean they report...

You mean they report half a story, namely the McCain half. I couldn't believe the biggest BS yesterday wil Neil Cavuto trying to explain how Fair and Balanced, Fox was. Why screaming over the guests comments.

Billy O' must run training camp for all the Foxers and Foxettes over there.
If they are Democraticly inclined.
1) Interupt and Shout
2) Turn up your mike so you are louder
3) Complain if the guest trys to interupt you.
4) Shut them off and make some sarcastic last statement.
5) Call in next guest

If they are Republican, have a pleasant chat and see if you can help them if they missed and points damaging to the Democratic guest.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

34. Hao Now Cash Cow n/t

[Pastiche423]

36. Love your witticisms!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

43. Ma'am :)

I does what I can ;)

:hug: :loveya: :pals:

[peacetalksforall]

44. All this made me think of Rev. Moon. I wonder how he sends his money to McCain.