CFA wants Las Vegas Sands and billionaire Sheldon Adelson to be investigated
Sheldon Adelson, billionaire and chairman of Las Vegas Sands (LVS), is known to have donated large sums to political campaigns he supports due to his strong political ties in the United States. The Responsible Movement (CfA) recently asked the Federal Election Commission and the Senate Homeland Security and Government Committee to launch an investigation into Adelson and LVS after allegations of involvement with the Chinese mafia through the Macau project.
The CFA wants authorities to investigate whether there was money laundering through Las Vegas Sands Corporation and determine if one of the funds was donated to political campaigns. The allegations came to light after LVS' internal documents highlighted that the company had a business relationship with an individual named Zhang Ziyi, identified as the leader of the Chinese Triad, which runs a number of criminal activities. LVS is also accused of having a relationship with Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng, who is currently facing criminal charges in New York. Seng is a key member of the Chinese Triad and is suspected of controlling prostitution in Macau.
In a statement, CfA Executive Director Ann Weissmann said, "Sheldon Adelson is one of the largest, if not the largest, political donors in history. Federal authorities have long been concerned about the tentacles of Chinese organized crime. If, through Adelson's donation, triad funds are being drained from American politicians' campaign funds, the American people deserve to know that."
Earlier, the U.S. government launched an investigation into Macau casinos and concluded that they have a strong relationship with the Chinese mafia and rely on them to provide other adult entertainment services than famous junket operators that bring VIP gamblers into Macau casinos. Cheng Chi-tai, who is suspected of money laundering in Hong Kong, has worked as a junket guarantor with LVS in the past, claiming that LVS has stopped using the service. According to the CfA, internal documents suggest that Chitai still maintains a relationship with LVS, prompting claims to refute this statement. These internal reports also suggest that LVS executives were aware of a number of illegal activities taking place at LVS casinos but preferred to turn a blind eye as they attracted more businesses.
Weismann went on to say that what happens in Macau does not stay in the country because Adleson is making large donations for the benefit of the Republican Party and the country to see if the funds used to fund political campaigns are clean or related to China's trilateral interests.
Ron Reese, a spokesman for Adelson's Las Vegas Sands, said he had heard the allegations before.