Epstein Donations

[Rianne]

Jeff Epstein donated to Harvard, MIT and other institutions. The money itself is not tainted, it is going to good use (unless the money was used for illicit purposes). DH disagrees and calls it dirty money. I beg to differ.

DH claims Al Capone gave to many charities, poor people etc. and said that was blood money. Money is money. So what, if it comes from a tainted sources. Does the government turn away laundered money coming from illegal sources? The illegal sources turn it into legitimate money and use it, pay taxes on it. Where is it supposed to go?
I do believe Epstein's estate should go to the abused victims and anyone harmed from his disgusting lifestyle. Those victims will not turn away his money because it's dirty.
I may be ignorant on my take on this. Where does "dirty money" go? Somebody pockets it.

 

[ziggy29]

There's a reason why they call it money "laundering", so people (and the authorities) no longer know the money was "dirty".

Some people have a stronger sense of guilt by association than others.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I don't think Harvard and MIT will be in too much financial trouble if they return the donations to the estate.

 

[kcowan]

Why would he think Epstein's money is dirty? It did not come from illicit activities. It is not like Madoff's money that was definitely illicit.

 

[RunningBum]

There's a reason why they call it money "laundering", so people (and the authorities) no longer know the money was "dirty".

Some people have a stronger sense of guilt by association than others.

Giving away money isn't laundering.

 

[ziggy29]

Giving away money isn't laundering.

I'll take "missing the point" for $400, Alex.

 

[ivinsfan]

You know who gave money that dwarfs all the people listed about?

The Sackler pharmacy family. Here's a question? they will get the living crap sued out of them as it should be. The intuitions who took the money pretty much looked the other way. Should those intuitions be forced by the courts to return the money to the pile to settle the lawsuits against them. Claw back it happened to some people who "invested" with Madoff...

 

[ziggy29]

The Sackler pharmacy family. Here's a question? they will get the living crap sued out of them as it should be. The intuitions who took the money pretty much looked the other way. Should those intuitions be forced by the courts to return the money to the pile to settle the lawsuits against them. Claw back it happened to some people who "invested" with Madoff...

I think there's a moral (and possibly legal) difference between not knowing money was "tainted" and knowingly accepting it while choosing to look the other way -- or even having reasonable suspicions about it.

And if someone with all the tainted money had reason to believe they'd lose much or all of it if they were caught, there's the potential for "fraudulent conveyance" when they dole it out to others. In this case, one could *ostensibly* argue that this money should go to the victims.

 

[Montecfo]

Jeff Epstein donated to Harvard, MIT and other institutions. The money itself is not tainted, it is going to good use (unless the money was used for illicit purposes). DH disagrees and calls it dirty money. I beg to differ.

DH claims Al Capone gave to many charities, poor people etc. and said that was blood money. Money is money. So what, if it comes from a tainted sources. Does the government turn away laundered money coming from illegal sources? The illegal sources turn it into legitimate money and use it, pay taxes on it. Where is it supposed to go?
I do believe Epstein's estate should go to the abused victims and anyone harmed from his disgusting lifestyle. Those victims will not turn away his money because it's dirty.
I may be ignorant on my take on this. Where does "dirty money" go? Somebody pockets it.

Why would he think Epstein's money is dirty? It did not come from illicit activities. It is not like Madoff's money that was definitely illicit.

The source of Epstein's funds appears to be mysterious.

 

[RunningBum]

I'll take "missing the point" for $400, Alex.

Nah, you gotta go with the Holzhauer strategy. "Pointless comments" for $2000.

 

[Aerides]

The problem with the MIT situation is far more complex. This wasn't really money laundering:

The university had him on a "no thanks" donor list
The lab took his money anyway, hiding it as anonymous
The lab invited him to meet with lab faculty and to provide INPUT on projects
The lab was clearly intentionally covering up the donations

Now this is all coming to light, MIT's president has pledged to donate all the funds to victim support charities.

 

[ziggy29]

The problem with the MIT situation is far more complex. This wasn't really money laundering.

OK, perhaps I was too subtle. I didn't mean to claim this was 'money laundering' in the legal context. My point was just that some people want to make "dirty money" feel cleaner, and may feel that giving to charity does that, at least in their own mind. And simply food for thought -- what makes "dirty money" clean again, not just in the eyes of the authorities but morally?

If you didn't know money was tainted and you spent it, so be it. If you know it was tainted and spent it anyway, shame on you. If you find out later it was tainted and you still have it, giving it to the victims (IMO) "cleans" it.

 

[ivinsfan]

I think there's a moral (and possibly legal) difference between not knowing money was "tainted" and knowingly accepting it while choosing to look the other way -- or even having reasonable suspicions about it.

And if someone with all the tainted money had reason to believe they'd lose much or all of it if they were caught, there's the potential for "fraudulent conveyance" when they dole it out to others. In this case, one could *ostensibly* argue that this money should go to the victims.

How about if they donated it to massage their public images and act like pillars of the communities? I'm thinking some lawyer somewhere is going after some of these places.

 

[ziggy29]

How about if they donated it to massage their public images and act like pillars of the communities? I'm thinking some lawyer somewhere is going after some of these places.

Perhaps. I don't know if there was any faith-based motives behind giving like this, but if someone did this to demonstrate they were a "good Christian" I'd go Matthew 6 all over them (where Jesus basically says "don't practice faith in public with the motive of being seen").

 

[ivinsfan]

Perhaps. I don't know if there was any faith-based motives behind giving like this, but if someone did this to demonstrate they were a "good Christian" I'd go Matthew 6 all over them (where Jesus basically says "don't practice faith in public with the motive of being seen").

I believe the faith was, I'm a drug pusher but I don't want anyone to know that... Or judge me by my checkbook, not what I actually do.

 

[ponyboy]

The better question is...how did epstein become so rich? Not even his lawyers can figure it out. You cant find a single article that breaks down how he came to a massive net worth. I also like the fact that someone gifted him a $77 million house in Manhattan. That was sure nice of them. And a certain former person only flew with him 26 times over the years.

And before someone says to "put on your tin foil hat on," just remember...all the cameras in the prison he was in magically captured no footage of anyone coming/going from the facility. But, he hung himself, case closed. lol

 

[Sunset]

I was hoping the IRS would decide my money was dirty and refuse to accept it.

 

[omni550]

The better question is...how did epstein become so rich?

We may never know the full extent of how he came to be so wealthy as it seems as though much was 'shady'.

Here's an article with a few details: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...bc947a-bb8a-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html Politics

omni

 

[ivinsfan]

We may never know the full extent of how he came to be so wealthy as it seems as though much was 'shady'.

Here's an article with a few details: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...bc947a-bb8a-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html Politics

omni

Pimpin ain't easy...

 

[easysurfer]

We may never know the full extent of how he came to be so wealthy as it seems as though much was 'shady'.

Here's an article with a few details: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...bc947a-bb8a-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html Politics

omni

The conspiracist me says we may never know the full extent of how he died.

Circumstances are too convenient for him go so suddenly just as there is so much to uncover.

 

[Music Lover]

Pimpin ain't easy...

Bribery can pay very well too...I wonder how many hidden cameras he had

 

[Senator]

If anyone has 'dirty' money they want to give away, please message me. I will gladly take it. I don't care if you had to club baby seals to get it.

 

[NW-Bound]

I was hoping the IRS would decide my money was dirty and refuse to accept it.

You wish. Law enforcement agencies routinely confiscate every asset, not just cash, that is deemed acquired with gains from illicit activities.

They would even take the shirt off your back, and give you an orange suit in exchange.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

There's a reason why they call it money "laundering", so people (and the authorities) no longer know the money was "dirty".

Some people have a stronger sense of guilt by association than others.

I think there's an important difference between the government confiscating illicit money or goods and accepting a donation, though. The seizure is a punishment, so since the malefactor is losing their asset and being punished for their crime, the seized assets could be considered a fine or restitution. Courts would have to burn piles of cash collected in fines!


There's also whether the donation was made before someone's malfeasance was made public, or widely known. Martin Shkreli made a donation to our alma mater (from which he never even graduated, let me emphasize!), but he did it at the same time as all of his bad press, so a lot of us felt that he was using the donation to try to make himself look better. If he had donated years before, we would not have protested, but a lot of us offered to try to replace his (then very recent) donation if the school would return it, because of the timing. IMO during or after the bad publicity is a bad time to be seen accept donations from someone like that.

 

[Rianne]

You wish. Law enforcement agencies routinely confiscate every asset, not just cash, that is deemed acquired with gains from illicit activities.

They would even take the shirt off your back, and give you an orange suit in exchange.

Does the gov. issue an annual report that explains where all the illicit assets are distributed? Or does a secret vault hold all the stash?

I guess it gets complicated when it goes from state to federal criminal activities. And attorneys latch on to the lawsuits from victims.

Makes me think of Netflix "Narcos." Literally rooms full of cash just sitting there. What does the DEA do with it?