INCREDIBLE: Dem CA State Senator Arrested For Offering To Set Up Arms Deal With Islamic Rebels For $2Million
The Indictment Against Leland Yee Puts "The Wire's" Clay Davis to Shame
Scott Lucas | Photo: Courtesy Wall Street Journal | March 26, 2014
California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco)
If you thought the charges against Leland
Yee would be bad, you had no idea. As in, he offered to set up an arms
deal with Islamic rebels for $2 million in cash. As in, he has ties to a
gangster named Shrimp Boy. As in, he makes corrupt state senator Clay
Davis from The Wire look like George Washington. You can read the whole
affidavit here, but it's really, really long, so we've gone ahead and
pulled out the highlights. The allegations (and for now they are only
that—allegations) are cinematic, staggering, and remarkable in their
scope. Here they are, in descending order of sheeeeeeeeeeeit:
Yee told an FBI agent to give him a
shopping list of guns: "Senator Yee asked [the agent] to provide an
inventory list of desired weapons [...] [The agent] told Yee he would
deliver $2,000,000 cash."
Yee could arrange from some serious
firepower: "[The agent] asked about shoulder fired automatic weapons.
Senator Yee responded by saying the automatic weapons are the equivalent
to the "M16" Automatic Service Weapon [...] [The agent] asked about the
availability of shoulder fire missiles or rockets. Senator Yee
responded 'I told him about the rockets and things like that.'"
Yee took personal responsibility for
delivering the weapons: "Senator Yee said, 'We're interested' in
arranging the weapons deal [...] and said of the arms dealer, 'He's
going to rely on me, because ultimately it's going to be me. [The agent]
stated he would compensate Yee for brokering the relationship and arms
deal."
Yee was in it for the cash: "Senator Yee
said, 'Do I think we can make some money? I think we can make some
money. Do I think we can get the good? I think we can get the goods.'"
Yee masterminded a complex scheme to
import illegal weapons: "Keith Jackson [a political consultant who
worked as Yee's fundraiser] told [an agent] that Senator Yee had a
contact who deals in arms trafficking. This purported arms dealer was
later identified. Jackson requested [a campaign donation] on behalf of
Senator Yee, for Senator Yee to facilitate a meeting with arms dealer
with the intent of [the agent] to purportedly purchase a large number of
weapons to be imported through the Port of Newark, New Jersey. During a
meeting [...] Senator Yee discussed certain details of the specific
types of weapons [the agent] was interested in buying and importing."
Yee had connection with Filipino rebel
groups: "Keith Jackson advised that Senator Yee had an unidentified
Filipino associate who was supplying 'heavy' weapons to rebel groups in
the Philippines."
Including Muslim terrorists: "According
to Senator Yee, Mindanao was largely population by Muslim rebel groups
who were fighting the federal government. Yee continued by saying the
Muslim rebels had no problem 'kidnapping individuals, killing
individuals, and extorting them for ransom."
In specific the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front: "[The agent] asked about the major Muslim organizations in the
Mindanao region of the Philippines. Senator Yee responded by saying
'M.I.L.F.'"
Yee allegedly wasn't making up the identity of his arms dealer: "This purported arms dealer was later identified."
And, Russian arms dealers: "According to Senator Yee, the arms dealer source the weapons from Russia."
Yee knew he was on the wrong side of the
law: "Despite complaining about [the agent's] tendency to speak frankly
and tie payment to performance [...] Senator Yee and Keith Jackson [...]
never walked away from quid pro quo requests."
Yee took envelopes full of cash to
influence marijuana policy: "The group discussed the status of medical
marijuana policy and the politics of state marijuana regulation. [The
agent] took an envelope containing $11,000 in cash and put it on the
table in front of Yee and Jackson. [The agent] stated, "this is a
campaign donation [...] That's for the meeting with [another, un-named
State Senator]. [The agent] said his contributions were 'not coming in
the form of checks.' The envelope remained on the table for the duration
of the meeting [...] As Yee and Jackson got up to leave, Yee made a
gesture to Jackson toward the envelope of cash, but Jackson did not see
the gesture. Senator Yee then walked over Jackson, tapped him on the
back, again gestured to the enveloped, and said, 'take that." Jackson
picked up the envelope."
Yee nickled and dimed the FBI agent over
the price of his bribe: "[The agent] told Senator Yee that he was paying
for the meetings and handed en envelope with $10,000 cash to Jackson
while telling Senator Yee that the playing field was now level [...]
[The agent] asked Senator Yee how much he would to introduce marijuana
legislation. Senator Yee said that he would have to think about the
number."
The FBI got to Yee through a Chinatown
gang: "During the course of multiple undercover operations, [an
undercover agent] was brought into a criminal relationship with many of
the targets. The purpose of this criminal relationship was for Chow [and
others] to launder [the agent's] money, purported to have been derived
from illegal activities [...] In further support of [the agent's]
legend, [he] portrayed himself to Chow and others as an east coast
member of La Cosa Nostra, an Italian organized crime syndicate. Chow, as
the Dragonhead, was the supervisor of the criminal relationship."
Yee's fundraiser Keith Jackson was the
go-between man: "In addition to his relationship with Chow and the Chee
Kung Tong, Jackson is also a close associate with, and has a long-time
relationship with, Senator Yee. Keith Jackson owns and runs a business
called 'Jackson Consultancy,' a San Francisco based consulting firm.
During the time frame from at least May 2011 through the present, Keith
Jackson has been involved in raising campaign funds for Senator Yee."
Yee exceeded campaign contribution limits
in his mayoral bid: "Keith Jackson solicited [an undercover agent] to
make contributions to Senator Yee's San Francisco mayoral campaign
[including donations] in excess of the $500 individual donation limit.
[The agent] declined [...] but introduced Keith Jackson and Senator Yee
to [...] another undercover FBI agent. Keith Jackson and Senator Yee
then solicited [the second agent] for campaign contributions, and [he]
made at least one personal donation in the amount of $5,000 to Senator
Yee's mayoral campaign."
Yee allegedly traded favors directly for
campaign cash: "In connection with efforts to retire [his] mayoral
campaign debt, Senator Yee and Keith Jackson agreed that Senator Yee
would make a telephone call to a manager with the California Department
of Public Health in support of a contract under consideration with [an
undercover agent's] purported client [...] in exchange for a $10,000
campaign donation. Senator Yee made the call on October 18, 2012 [...]
On November 19, 2012, Keith Jackson accepted the $10,000 cash donation."
Not just once, but twice: "Senator Yee
and Keith Jackson agreed to [the agent's] request that Senator Yee
provide an official State Senate proclamation honoring the Chee Kung
Tong in exchange for a $6,800 campaign donation, the maximum individual
donation amount allowed by law."
Not twice, but three times: "Senator Yee
and Keith Jackson agreed that in exchange for campaign donations,
Senator Yee would introduce a donor to state legislators who had
influence over pending and proposed medical marijuana legislation [...]
The donor was another FBI undercover agent, who was posing as a
businessman involved in medical marijuana in Arizona and wanted to
expand his business interests to California. On June 20, 2013, Senator
Yee made one such introduction [and the agent] delivered $11,000 cash to
Senator Yee and Keith Jackson on June 22, 2013."
Yee yearned for a different life:
"Senator Yee stated he was unhappy with his life and said, 'There is a
part of me that wants to be like you [...] Just be a free agent out
there." Senator Yee told [the agent] that he wanted to hide out in the
Philippines."
READ MORE:
http://weaselzippers.us/180796-incredible-dem-ca-state-senator-arrested-for-offering-to-set-up-arms-deal-for-islamic-rebels/
http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/the-indictment-against-leland-yee-puts-the-wires-clay-davis-shame
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