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kpete (41,893 posts) Thu Feb 13, 2014, 09:33 AMFeds: Mexican tycoon exploited super PACs to influence U.S. elections In a first of its kind case, federal prosecutors say a Mexican businessman funnelled more than $500,000 into U.S. political races through Super PACs and various shell companies. The alleged financial scheme is the first known instance of a foreign national exploiting the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision in order to influence U.S. elections. If proven, the campaign finance scandal could reshape the public debate over the high court's landmark decision. Until now, allegations surrounding Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, the owner of multiple construction companies in Mexico, have not spread beyond local news outlets in San Diego, where he's accused of bankrolling a handful of southern California candidates. But the scandal is beginning to attract national interest as it ensnares a U.S. congressman, a Washington, D.C.-based campaign firm and the legacy of one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in a generation.
Armstead (32,412 posts) 1. If we were smart that would rile people up of all ideologies...but we're not, so it'll go unnoticed, or the billionaires will somehow convince the right-wing sheeple that this is a good thing
jsr (6,358 posts) 3. Citizens United: U.S. Politics with Chinese Characteristicshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-lynch/citizens-united-us-politi_b_441936.html Citizens United allows for the very real possibility of the Chinese government's direct influence in our elections through a Chinese corporation's U.S. subsidiary. While no official number exists about the number of Chinese companies with a U.S. subsidiary corporation, Dan Harris, a partner at the international law firm Harris & Moure and editor of the China Law Blog, believes that the number is substantial. "My small firm represents a number of U.S. companies that are wholly-owned by Chinese companies or by Chinese citizens and that convinces me there must be thousands of such companies in the U.S." While certainly not all of these Chinese companies with a U.S. presence are directly owned by the Chinese government, there are likely many more than just Haier, China Telecom and CSCE. And given China's vast currency reserves ($2.4 trillion, the world's largest), the Chinese government certainly has the money to spend on U.S. elections should it choose to do so. Corporations in other countries, particularly oil-rich ones like Saudi Arabia and Russia, also own U.S. subsidiaries.
Under longstanding federal law, foreign nationals are prohibited from donating to political campaigns at the state, local and federal level. On Jan. 21, the U.S. Attorney's Office accused Ravneet Singh, proprietor of the Washington campaign firm ElectionMall, and Ernesto Encinas, a former San Diego police detective, of using Azano's money to support three Democratic politicians and the city's Republican district attorney.
How, exactly, can this be tied to CU?CU was struck down but, as the article demonstrated, foreign money in US elections is plainly illegal; hence the investigation and subsequent referral for prosecution.
