What’s being touted as the largest single investigation and prosecution against individuals in the history of the Justice Department’s enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act occurred Monday in Las Vegas.The indictments allege that the defendants engaged in a scheme to pay bribes to the minister of defense for a country in Africa but the alleged sales agent was in reality an undercover FBI agent.
The defendants allegedly agreed to pay a 20 percent commission to a sales agent who the defendants believed represented the minister of defense of an African country in order to win a portion of a $15 million sale to outfit the country’s presidential guard.
Whether you call that practice bribery or paying a commission, it's part of doing business in many countries and is certainly tolerated as such most of the time. Do you think this crackdown indicates a turning point for the Obama administration as far as guns go?
David Codrea had this to say:
It's too early to assess what is going on there beyond the information we have at hand, but here's my initial reaction: We've seen apparent efforts to directed at gun shows. Now we're seeing one directed by high levels in the Justice Department at the trade show of the year. Will the NRA Annual Meeting be the next convenient "opportunity"?
We're dealing with a federal law enforcement establishment that hasn't exactly earned the trust of gun owners over the years, and one that appreciates the benefits of high profile media coverage. And it's not like there isn't renewed administration emphasis on international arms trade treaties.
I usually can't resist the opportunity of pointing out the paranoia and grandiosity of gun enthusiasts. But in this case I think David may be right. Of course the "apparent efforts directed at gun shows," was about the background-check loophole, which most gun owners themselves favor. The arrests at the SHOT show, although I don't think a little bribery here and there is such a bad thing, may very well indicate a long overdue attempt to zero in on the real source of the gun problem, the gun manufacturers. At least I hope so.
Mr. Codrea's remark about the NRA convention being next, is not only silly but also misleading. To place the other two incidents, attacking the gun show loophole and arresting international arms dealers for improprieties, in the same category as harassing NRA conventioneers, is misleading at best.
What's your opinion? Do you think the Obama administration is about to launch the War on Guns? Are these efforts at Las Vegas all the more interesting because of the recent United Nations efforts globally? Would it make sense to tackle the problem from the top down instead of what we've been doing up till now?
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
"Do you think the Obama administration is about to launch the War on Guns?"
ReplyDeleteI hope so. But he's going to need to do more than bust a few suits.
Congress is in need of a good flush. All it needs is a good catalyst. Healthcare might do it. Healthcare and gun control will definitely do it. And if it makes Obama a one-termer, that's a bonus.
This was obviously political. Why didn't the arrests wait until the following week or happen weeks prior? Nope, it happened on media day at SHOT for a reason.
ReplyDeleteI agree with MikeB. Doing business this way is normal in Africa. If not S&W, then a European firm like FN will be happy to make the sale with the kickback. This is just another attack on American business is all.
You cannot convince me that relatively unknown, silly law is not selectively applied.
I'm sorry but I have to laugh at the both the stupidity and naivete of gunloons.
ReplyDeleteMissing in all the speculation that Obama is "coming after the guns" is the fact this sting started over two years ago. IOW, a year before Obama was elected.
Second, the gunloons don't care that these execs were caught breaking the law--their only concern was that they were caught. So when you hear gunloons talking about law-abiding citizens and that greater enforcement of existing laws is needed---it's just so much gas.
--JadeGold
Jade,
ReplyDeleteThis silly law means absolutely nothing to me whether they are guilty of that crime or not. That used to be American foreign policy.
I once read a story about some Californians being arrested for wanting to overthrow the government of Laos. Who cares? I didn't know that was a federal crime either. It used to be an American hobby.
JadeGold, Thanks for this.
ReplyDelete"Missing in all the speculation that Obama is "coming after the guns" is the fact this sting started over two years ago. IOW, a year before Obama was elected."
Not conventioneers--exhibitors--many are the same as attend SHOT. The issue here is using an event to catch them in one net, thus the mention of the annual meeting. And this was the first in a series--I did bring up the investigation was 30 months old in a subsequent installment that I posted two days before the accusation that the information is missing from all this. Bush was tremendously flawed. Do a search for "vote freedom first president" on WarOnGuns and and you will see consistent criticism.
ReplyDeleteOne other point: I don't endorse enforcing existing gun laws. I endorse ignoring and breaking them.
David, Thanks for clarifying what you meant might happen at the NRA convention. That makes more sense.
ReplyDelete