Limbaugh bank withdrawals under fire

New York Daily News ^ | 11/19/03 | DEREK ROSE

[kattracks]

Authorities are investigating whether radio host Rush Limbaugh skirted banking laws in getting cash to buy his illegal prescription painkillers, it was reported last night. Limbaugh made between 30 and 40 cash withdrawals from his account at U.S. Trust in amounts just under $10,000, ABC News quoted law enforcement officials as saying.

At one point, a U.S. Trust employee delivered about $9,900 in cash to Limbaugh at his New York studio, ABC reported. Banks must report withdrawals of $10,000 or more to the federal government.

Law enforcement officials will decide this week whether to prosecute Limbaugh on the felony money-laundering charges, ABC News also revealed.

"There's no basis for these charges. He has not committed any acts of money laundering and he absolutely denies it," Limbaugh's lawyer, Roy Black, told ABC. "I can assure you - and Rush assures the listeners to his radio station - when we can, we will tell the story, and he will tell it himself. Everybody will see what has really gone on here."

Black could not be reached for further comment last night.

ABC's report also said that officials in New York, in addition to Limbaugh's home state of Florida, are handling the probe.

Representatives for New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and the New York State Banking Office said they were not aware of any investigation.

Limbaugh returned to the WABC radio airwaves Monday after checking himself into a painkiller detox program five weeks ago.

Originally published on November 19, 2003

[international american]

T'isnt...just more Rush trashing.Limbaugh earns upwards of 30 million a year. And I am sure he paid the taxes on that dough.

[bobsatwork]

How is this money laundering?. Incredible. Just plan freakin incredible. Taking money from YOUR OWN bank account is money laundering????? There is a reporting limit of 10k per withdrawal. How is withdrawing 9.9k "skirting the law"? Even if he did it ten times a day for a lifetime? I have said it before - if Rush bought drugs illegally, he should be treated the same as any inner-city kid caught doing the same thing. No better, no worse. But MONEY LAUNDERING??? I swear, as time goes by, I recognize my country less and less.

[Xthe17th]

RE: Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Thanks for that excerpt. I started reading this book about a month ago but hadn't got much past the first few chapters. Now I'm inspired to finish reading it. Thanx.

[Libertarian Billy Graham]

The laws against "structuring" aren't old, they are a War on Drugs innovation begun in the 1980s

Yes, an innovation developed by the henchmen of that grand old conservative, free marketeer, defender of the constitution and individual rights Ronald Reagan. Your excellent point sheds light on the fact that there probably hasn't been a conservative politician who believed in a truly free republic since Robert Taft:

Taft in 1950:

"We have over the past 20 years, in the interests of 'national security,' laid the foundations of the emerging American police state, where there is no liberty, no privacy and no peace. Persecution of dissenters of any kind will soon be as routine as egg and milk deliveries. No one will question the dictates of Washington. By winning the war against fascism, we have become the fascists and will probably lead the world into a horrfiying catastrophe from which few will live to tell the sad tale."

(I don't think Goldwater would qualify as an example of a conservative politician who truly believed in a free republic either given that he seemed as just as scared of the commies as the rest of them--or more--and, therefore, just as willing to destroy the constitution for the sake of "security.")

[Strzelec]

Agreed. Every year the IRS audits his tax return using an enema.

[Pkeel]

It is much worse than you think. Most banks keep track of all cash transactions of $5,000 and more for internal use. And probably to search for people attempting to stay under the $10,000 reporting law.

[Eva]

This is really reaching. The leftist sharks are circling the Rush story, but can't find any real meat to bite into.

[surrey]

They should only pay that much attention to the evil duo ,from Arkansas, and their banking? practices.

[Libertarian Billy Graham]

The younger generation 20-something and under responds to this BS with "whatever."

And the older generation says, "well, if you aren't doing anything illegal then you don't have anything to worry about."

Between the two of you, you have just created the most succinct and perfect definition of the left-right debate that I've ever heard.

[headsonpikes]

Vc's #18 is the key post on this thread.

Rand always had her villains pegged.

It's with her heros that she fell down.

;^)

BTW, Senator Goldwater, like myself and many others, had legitimate reason to be fearful of the 'commies', as you call them.

Believe me, at the time they were big, capital C Communists, not laughable cranks, and these well-armed thugs were expanding their evil influence everywhere.

[MineralMan]

"But just try and get $9,000 or $8,000 of your money from your bank. It has taken me 3 days and 3 seperate trips to get $8,000 cash from my bank. "

You need a new bank. I bank with a very small local banking chain in CA. As long as the money is in my checking account, I can withdraw $8-9000 in cash in five minutes, just by writing a check to "cash."

If you're trying to pull the money from savings, then check your agreement with the bank regarding your savings account. You'll find time restrictions in the agreement you signed.

[ampat]

Yep, it's illegal to withdraw your own money from the bank.

[Libertarian Billy Graham]

they were big, capital C Communists, not laughable cranks, and these well-armed thugs

Yes, I was scared of them too, just like the generation before was afraid of the Fascists. I was the only one who voted for Wallace in '68 in my 5th grade class. But, then I figured out that the US government's job was not to protect overseas "interests" and empire and slay monsters abroad. By the way, I think Goldwater may have come around more later on some of these old conservative ways of looking at things, but I think if he was elected in '64 "they" probably would have scared him into doing anything they wanted, just like they did Wilson, Roosevelt, and Reagan--but you never know.

were expanding their evil influence everywhere

Where? Even when I was voting for Wallace I was smart enough to know that they were right here, all around! We had had an unconstitutional income tax for 50 years at that point--so the commies were entrenched in the USA. Why did we need to raise more unconstitutional taxes to protect unconstitutional imperial enterprizes, when the USA was in many ways just as communistic and fascistic as the "monsters" threatening our unconstitutional empire.

[international american]

This is just another example of the colossal stupidity of our lawmakers. This law was passed years ago, and as soon as it passed, drug dealers quit using traditional banks. They went offshore to Maritius, Antilles,Caymans, and elsewhere. Or they simply went to Public Storage, and left their ill gotten dough there. Now the only people getting "caught" are law-abiding citizens..all reported to the IRS!

[headsonpikes]

While it is true that American Socialism is in the long run a much greater threat to Americans, in the short run it's the foreign totalitarians, whether Commie or Islamofascist, who are more likely to nuke NY.

I was in 6th grade when the Russians crushed the Hungarians - that's the event that awoke me to the bigger world. I'll never forget the front-page picture of Budapest kids my age hurling Molotov cocktails at the T-54s!

[scannell]

withdrawal of money in denominations below, on or around, or above the 10,000 figure is not evidence of the illegal use of funds. It is the use of funds for illegal purposes itself not the withdrawal of funds that is illegal. The only legal dimension would be the failure to file for reportable transactions and that is the responsibility of the bank.

[greasepaint]

My opinion, and speculation.
I don't believe the chat about Lim. not being able to
find a doctor to control his pain __>in the beginning <--.
Perhaps his doctor wanted to discontine presribing opaiates
for Lim.. Perhapes the non-opiates were not effective for complete pain control. At that point, Lim. had a decision to make.
Option 1. Find a doctor who would treat him, long term, with something that worked, opiates. The problem with this option, is that these substances are schedule-two-
controlled-substances, sooner or later, the media would find
out that Lim. is a long term user of presription opiates.
Not wanting to be labeled 'hypocrite', 'narcotic-addict' etc, Lim found this option unacceptable.
Option 2. Self medicate, the advantage here is the lack of record keeping.
IMO, any medical supervision, even from Dr Feelgood, even if this lead to long-term opiate tolerance and addiction,
is better than turning to the street for drugs.
The fact that he was overweight, had back-neck problems,
and he needed to reach the 17th green in two shots, required
perfect pain control.

[onyx]

Rush got addicted to the prescribed medication, and no doctor could or would prescribe the amounts needed to maintain Rush's habit without jeopardizing his license to practice medicine. Furthermore, a pharmacy would not fill a script with a dosage in the amounts Rush used: 20 + pills a day.

I agree with you that Rush may have started out trying to self-medicate, but his habit (and dependency) quickly exellerated into a euphoric need for more and more pills.

CP --- help me out here, please. Have I overlooked anything?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

You have the pathology of this addiction down cold. The one thing that I would add is that in a number of these patients, the pain experienced after the addiction takes hold has a psychosomatic quality which is brought on by the addiction.

[longtermmemmory]

NY want state income tax.

Sounds like the drug case is a bust so they are fishing elsewhere to find dirt. Problem is, that is was THE BANK that was responsible to report the transaction. If I make three cash withdrawals for $9999.99. I don't fill out any forms, THE BANK DOES IT.

Even IF it was being suspicious, which is was not, the onus is not on RUSH to report the transactions.


As for what was done with the money, who knows? Did they mark the bills two years ago? Could it be in the cigar box of dooooooom?

It is NOT laundering. Laudering is far more sophisticated than the boobs on tv news would have us believe.

If anything I would venture the bank AND the investigators who leaked this should be charged with violating the new bank privacy laws. Who are these people blabing about how much ANYONE is taking out of their checking account?

I wish Rush would name names.