Spitzer Is Guilty of Many Sins, But Not Money Laundering

Scott Stringer repeatedly accused Eliot Spitzer of money laundering in both comptroller debates, and the Daily News repeated the charge in its endorsement on Sunday, but now the New York Times is coming to the former governor’s defense (though the paper is still backing Stringer). The claim is rooted in Spitzer’s unsuccessful attempt in September 2007 to have his bank make a $5,000 wire transfer from his account to that of the Emperor’s Club V.I.P., a prostitution ring. The bank filed a Suspicious Activity Report with the Treasury Department, which led to investigations by various government agencies. Spitzer resigned and several Emperor’s Club employees pleaded guilty to prostitution and money laundering, but as The Times reminds us, he was never actually charged with a crime.

Stringer’s campaign defended the claim, saying Spitzer was trying to use the money transfer to conceal illegal activity, and pay an organization engaged in money laundering. But that doesn’t fit the definition under federal law. “If you’ve got clean money and you try to secretly move it around, that’s not money laundering,” Sarah Welling, a law professor at the University of Kentucky, told The Times.

Eight months after Spitzer resigned, the U.S. attorney’s office announced there was “insufficient evidence” to charge Spitzer for his payments to the Emperor’s Club V.I.P., and it wouldn’t be charging him with prostitution either, as the Justice Department usually doesn’t charge johns. The paper notes, “It is not in dispute that Mr. Spitzer broke the law by hiring prostitutes and arranging for women to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution,” so Spitzer’s opponents should probably stick to discussing those crimes in the future.

Read more posts by Margaret Hartmann

Filed Under: client 9
,money laundering
,eliot spitzer
,scott stringer

via Daily Intelligencer http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/08/money-laundering-not-among-spitzers-sins.html

Will the Digg Effect make a comeback?

Digg is trying to make a comeback of sorts – one that involves marrying social signals with high-quality and calm reading experience. And while it is still early days, the new Digg plan seems to be working. Up next – an Android app that can turbocharge its efforts.

    

via paidContent http://paidcontent.feedsportal.com/c/35063/f/648056/s/301b57df/sc/4/l/0Lgigaom0N0C20A130C0A80C180Cwill0Ethe0Edigg0Eeffect0Emake0Ea0Ecomeback0C/story01.htm

After more golf, Obama home

The president played at Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown, his third visit there since arriving.

via POLITICO – TOP Stories http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/obama-vacation-golf-95658.html

Lindsay Lohan Admits to Lying About Cocaine Use, Thriving on ‘Chaos’ in Oprah Interview


The actress also confirms she’s an “addict,” defends her parents and talks about her jail time during the sit-down, which aired Sunday night on OWN.

read more

via Hollywood Reporter http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lindsay-lohan-admits-lying-cocaine-608709

Lindsay Lohan vows her troubled past is behind her

FILE - This April 11, 2013 file photo shows actress Lindsay Lohan, a cast member in NEW YORK (AP) — Lindsay Lohan says this time it’s going to be different.

via Yahoo! News – Latest News & Headlines http://news.yahoo.com/lindsay-lohan-vows-her-troubled-past-behind-her-030326287.html

American-US Airways Deal Left in Lurch

The government’s unexpected bid to block the American Airlines-US Airways merger puts the carriers in an awkward position. Some US Airways executives already have moved to the Dallas area, home of the new airline.

via WSJ.com: What’s News US http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323423804579020762369438156.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us

Twitter Lures Top Google Exec to Focus on Entertainment Biz (Exclusive)

Looking to win more Hollywood followers, Twitter has hired Jennifer Prince, formerly Google’s head of media and entertainment ad sales, to pitch new ways movie and TV marketers can use the social giant’s platform. Prince will lead Twitter’s entertainment sales, based in Santa Monica. Exec officially starts Aug. 19 and reports to Robert Pietsch, director… Read more »

via Variety http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/twitter-lures-top-google-entertainment-ad-sales-exec-exclusive-1200580745/

War on the Core

The right-wing campaign to keep America stupid.

via NYT > Most Recent Headlines http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/19/opinion/keller-war-on-the-core.html

10 Perfect Facts About The Princess Bride From Rob Reiner

Rob Reiner spoke to a crowd of fans at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences about the experience of filming The Princess Bride. He told of casting and special effects and how a little bit of Spinal Tap ended up on the set. And the time he was approached by one of John Gotti’s men.

Reiner: Yeah, I walked outside the restaurant, and John Gotti was there with six wiseguys. There was a guy beside the limo who looked like Luca Brasi. He looked at me, and said: “You killed my father…Prepare to die!” I almost went right then! He said, “I love dat movie, da Princess Bride!”

Read the rest, illustrated with appropriate images and gifs from the movie, at Uproxx. Link

via Neatorama http://www.neatorama.com/2013/08/18/10-Perfect-Facts-We-Learned-About-The-Princess-Bride-From-Rob-Reiner/

Ken Auletta: What kind of city is the Mayor leaving to his successor?

Michael Bloomberg, whose third and final term as mayor of New York expires at midnight on December 31st, keeps a digital clock running in reverse in his City Hall office, counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds left in his term. He remains one of the wealthiest men in . . .

via The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/08/26/130826fa_fact_auletta