[Bill Hook]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,103574,00.html


Mods, while this may sound current events related, I think there is enough civil liberties content to make this worthwhile. See the quote below.

It can be a federal crime to structure financial transactions below the $10,000 limit to avoid the reporting requirement.

:cuss:

Big Brother wants to know where your money goes.

[Jim March]

ALL of us are in danger!

How many times have YOU left a dollar bill in your pants pocket when it goes through the washing machine and dryer!?

:eek:

[Augustwest]

While I respect the business he's built around himself, I don't have a whole lot of use for Rush's "Drink the Republican Koolaid" mentality. That said he can be entertaining, and if I'm in the car at lunchtime I'll listen for awhile, as I did today when he read the following - posted by one of the FReepers, which pretty much says it all:

Limbaugh May Have Avoided Speeding Tickets

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Authorities are investigating whether Rush Limbaugh, already reeling from drug problems and his expulsion from ESPN, may have driven his vehicle just below the posted speed limits on numerous occasions, a law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity said Wednesday.

As long as four years ago, local law enforcement manning Florida DUI checkpoints and 'speed traps' repeatedly clocked the ultraconservative demagogue at anywhere from one to six miles per hour below the applicable speed limits. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Limbaugh was also seen proceeding through intersections while traffic lights were yellow.

One officer who declined to be named told the AP that he had personally observed Limbaugh cruising at 43 in a 45 MPH zone. No charges were filed at that time. Critics contend that Limbaugh drove very close to the speed limit on at least 30 or 40 occasions, most likely with the deliberate intent of getting to his destination while avoiding tickets for speeding.

Limbaugh's attorney, Roy Black, did not return a phone call for comment Wednesday

Source (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1025195/posts)

[Skunkabilly]

Critics contend that Limbaugh drove very close to the speed limit on at least 30 or 40 occasions, most likely with the deliberate intent of getting to his destination while avoiding tickets for speeding.

Are we supposed to speed? :confused:

[Jim March]

Skunky, read the article in the first post. All will be clear.

[cuchulainn]

What's up with the statists ascribing nefarious, evading-the-law intent to people who obey the letter of mala prohibita laws?

Change the design of a gun so it conforms with the AWB? "Eek! Loophole!"

Make a $9999.99 bank transaction? "Bad, Bad!"

[AJ Dual]

The bank was a "botique" bank for millionaires etc. and they tried to streamline thier operations by encouraging $9000 transactions to avoid the paperwork hassle of notifying the feds when the transactions were $10,000 and up.

The bank was in trouble with the Fed, not Rush, and all of it's clients who made cash withdrawls got interviewd as part of the case against the bank. It's not actually illegal fior individuals to make "structured transactions" designed to avoid the reporting paperwork as long as their not doing anything illegal with the money, but it's illegal for a bank to encourage it just to avoid the paperwork.

If Rush wanted to "launder" money to buy Oxycontin, he could have just as easily withdrew $15,000, let it be reported to the .gov, and then spent $14,000 on golfing, resturaunts, clothes etc, and just pocketed $1000 for his dealer etc. No one would have been the wiser.

Wether you like him or not, (as a libertarian it's a 50/50 mix for me,) this particular story is a misrepresented cheap shot trying to get him when he's percieved to be weak.

[HankB]

I don't worship at the altar of Rush, so I guess I'm not a dittohead. (But I DO know what it means.)

But how the :cuss: is it money laundering when it's simply his own money, earned legally, on which taxes have been paid, being withdrawn from the bank?

Money laundering happens when druggies make $200,000 dealing dope and then wash the money through some "legit" business like a dry cleaner or restaurant; that's to conceal the illegal way the money was earned. But withdrawing YOUR OWN MONEY???

If that's all there is to it, I say This Is Nuts!

[bountyhunter]

But withdrawing YOUR OWN MONEY???

It can be money laundering very easily. The point made was that the laundering law requires that ANY withdrawal of $10,000 or more automatically flags a federal notifcation. Why? Because a drug dealer could deposit his $500,000 in a bank . Then withdraw his own money, buy a yacht and sail off and the money is washed away clean. Re-sell the yacht in Panama and the money re-appears outside the US.

Limbaugh is being investigated because his pattern of withdrawing exactly $9,990 shows:

1) He is very much aware of the law he is violating

2) He is doing it with pre-meditation, not accidentally

Limbaugh needs to start owning up for what he has done. If he came to my rehab, I'd slap him upside the head and tell him to stop whining and blaming the whole world for his actions. End of rehab.

[org]

OK Bountyhunter. Help me out...what law exactly did he violate by withdrawing less than $10,000?

[telewinz]

When Rush first came on the Air 15 (?) years ago I was a fan but quit lstening when he became more of an entertainer. He had little credibility then (but was feared) and has even less now. Only the weak or narrow minded allow someone else (Rush) to do their thinking for them. I just want the truth and to hear both sides of the issue, something his audience doesn't enjoy. He's a wealthy "performer" of low character but not to worry, he'll talk and get richer as long as you will listen.

[Bill Hook]

Gee, Mr. G-man, I didn't know I had to tell you how much money I'm spending, only what I earn. :rolleyes: :barf:

[JohnBT]

The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 says they have to report transactions over $9,999.

JT

[cuchulainn]

1) He is very much aware of the law he is violating He violated no law whatsoever.The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 says they have to report transactions over $9,999.And he did not violate that law.

***
Yada Yada Yada obligatory "I'm not a Rush fan" but let's be realistic.

[dinosaur]

He broke the same law that says you can`t have a lot of money on your person. It proves they`re drug dealers right?:what: :banghead:

[bountyhunter]

OK Bountyhunter. Help me out...what law exactly did he violate by withdrawing less than $10,000?

Technically, the exact statement would be he was well aware of the law he WOULD be violating if he tried to withdraw more than $10,000 without alerting the feds. Then, he and the bank engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent that law by making many sequential withdrawals of $9999. To answer your question, the law he broke could be conspiracy. And FYI, the bank has already been fined for what they did and did not even try to contest it so apparrently they were well aware that what they did was illegal.

[tiberius]

Technically, the exact statement would be he was well aware of the law he WOULD be violating if he tried to withdraw more than $10,000 without alerting the feds.
WRONG! It is not the individual's responsibility to report the withdrawl to the feds. It is the bank's responisbility only. Get your facts straight

[lapidator]

He broke the same law that says you can`t have a lot of money on your person.

My understanding was that there is not a limit to how much currency you can have, simply that you have to tell the feds that you have it. IIRC when returning to the US the customs form says that you simply must delcare it if over $9.999k -- any amount is then legal.

I'm a big Rush fan - and I don't care who knows. :D The Big Guy is alright with me -- hillbilly heroin and all. Just proves were all human.

The speeding ticket story is priceless. That kind of thing happens here in the Commonwealth all the time -- for real. You can rest assured that you're always under investigation for speeding here in the 'marry-your-dog-state'.


Lapidator

[GSB]

So let me get this straight. Thanks to the WoD, you can now be in violation of the law by adhering to the letter of the law in a suspicious manner?

[Augustwest]

So let me get this straight. Thanks to the WoD, you can now be in violation of the law by adhering to the letter of the law in a suspicious manner?

Now yer catching on. It's for the children, see?

[ojibweindian]

I'd do the same thing if I were that rich; paper work is a PITA.

[mercedesrules]

"Money laundering" is a BOGUS CRIME, period! :mad:

[Don Gwinn]

Thanks, BountyHunter. Now it's clear. There is more than one way to break a law:

1. Violate the law.

2. Follow the law, but in a manner which makes it appear that you are aware that the law exists and are making an effort to follow it.

In other words, obeying the law is a little like taking off a woman's bra. She may want you to do it, but you'd better make it look effortless!

but it's illegal for a bank to encourage it just to avoid the paperwork.Seriously? They've actually made it a crime to generate less paperwork now?
I mean, I said it was coming, like everybody else, but I was kidding!

[cuchulainn]

Then, he and the bank engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent that law by making many sequential withdrawals of $9999. That holds about as much water as saying gun manufactures engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent the assault weapon ban by creating new versions of guns without the banned features.

[rock jock]

That holds about as much water as saying gun manufactures engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent the assault weapon ban by creating new versions of guns without the banned features.
That charge has also been made.

[fsjeffrey]

Horrors! Another non-gun related thread.

[Pendragon]

I like Rush - I admire him because he was really just an average Joe who was kind of a miserable failure in life. He was divorced a few times, fired a lot and not someone you would bed would become worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

I had a hard time in school and did not know how to go to college and I bailed out of community college because I could not afford to go.

According to the US starts, I should only ever make $19k per year.

Same as Rush.

I do not look to him for political wisdom - I did long ago before there were other conservative types on the radio and before the internet. He definately promoted a lot of "best practices" like "follow the money" and he got regular folks thinking about politics and made those who already thought about politics feel that they were not alone.

I get the sense the last few years, that he is too comfortable and kind of going through the motions. I think he is doing it for the money at this point and I think his real work is already done. Thats ok - I wish him all the money he can get.

Perhaps this little adventure will send him further down the trail to libertarianism. Who knows?

I rarely listen to him - I'm just not in the car or workig where I can get the radio lately. My limit is maybe 2 hours a week anyway.

[Orthonym]

in this case, I'm with him completely. EVERY time I have been accosted by policemen in this town, it was while I was (and I suspect because I was) being particularly careful to obey the law. I thought the main point of the law was that, If one obeys the law, the state is required to leave him alone.


This is a VERY Republican town and county. They interfere with private property rights and personal liberty more than the democrats would dare to do in a normal town. That's one of the reasons I'm a registered Libertarian, and am looking for a time machine to ship some machine guns to my Great-Grandpa's regt., the 27th Ga. (We must have killed these loathesome midwestern golfers' ancestors before they could have bred!)
Sorry, hard to get the verb tenses right with time travel.

[BogBabe]

So let me get this straight. Thanks to the WoD, you can now be in violation of the law by adhering to the letter of the law in a suspicious manner?

Yes, exactly.

With the speeding satire story posted above, I'm kind of surprised no one has yet pointed out that one of the tip-offs the cops watch for when looking for drug dealers on the highway is that they're usually driving right at or just below the posted speed limit. That is considered suspicious behavior.

So, yes, while breaking the law is "bad," obeying it is also suspicious.

How far we've fallen...... :(

[Bruce H]

This is why we need congresscritter laundering. Preferably front loading so we can watch them just like television.

[FPrice]

"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That holds about as much water as saying gun manufactures engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent the assault weapon ban by creating new versions of guns without the banned features.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


That charge has also been made."

So you are saying that this (rumored) charge against Rush should be considered valid because anti-gun bigots are making similar charges against the gun industry? :scrutiny:

Or am I just reading you wrong and you are using very subtle humor to point out the absurdity of these latest Rush "allegations"? :confused:

For all:

I find this whole thread to be a bit ludicrous because all it does is give the people who do not like Rush (their choice obviously) a chance to dump on him for his all-too-human failings while the pro-Rush people are flocking to his defense.

But hey, who am I to make comments about how other people want to spend their free time. I spent some of mine contributing to this whole thing. :D

[HankB]

. . . he was well aware of the law he WOULD be violating if he tried to withdraw more than $10,000 without alerting the feds. Then, he and the bank engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent that law by making many sequential withdrawals of $9999. To answer your question, the law he broke could be conspiracy.

. . . he was well aware of the law he WOULD be violating if he failed to file his income taxes by April 15. Then, he and his tax preparer engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent that law by making sure he filed before the deadline. To answer your question, the law he broke could be conspiracy.

[BogBabe]

When obeying the law is outlawed, only outlaws will obey the law.

[TaxPhd]

"It can be money laundering very easily. The point made was that the laundering law requires that ANY withdrawal of $10,000 or more automatically flags a federal notifcation. Why? Because a drug dealer could deposit his $500,000 in a bank . Then withdraw his own money, buy a yacht and sail off and the money is washed away clean. Re-sell the yacht in Panama and the money re-appears outside the US."

Depositing money in a bank, and then withdrawing it, doesn't make it laundered. A little investigation into what money laundering really is would help to prevent such silly statements.

[Lord Grey Boots]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. . . he was well aware of the law he WOULD be violating if he tried to withdraw more than $10,000 without alerting the feds. Then, he and the bank engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent that law by making many sequential withdrawals of $9999. To answer your question, the law he broke could be conspiracy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Um. I just withdrew $200 from my bank account, via the ATM machine, knowing that if I withdrew more that $10K it would be reported to the feds.

The ATM machine even has an option to quick select $200.

Since $200 is less than $10K, and thus does not need to be reported, the bank and I therefore committed a conspiracy to circumvent the law?

Huh?!!?!?

None of my guns are "Assault weapons" as defined by US federal, or Washington state law. Am I therefore "conspiring to circumvent" the assault weapons ban?