FREEPER: "I HAVE DISCOVERED SOLICITATION OF FOREIGN FUNDS FOR HOWARD DEAN ON THE WEB (JAPAN)"

AmericanInTokyo (translating) from Japanese Website ^ | 17 December 2003 | AmericanInTokyo (translating from original Japanese to English)

[AmericanInTokyo]

I have come across, (in the Japanese language), the directing of Japanese in Japan (foreign nationals/small contributions) to stateside contribution websites for the HOWARD DEAN FOR PRESIDENT campaign.

The Japanese site is located located at:

http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~lune1978/mt/archives/000218.html

The post is from mid-August, but is still up. You will need a font/browser and Japanese language comprehension capabilities to understand the solicitation. This report follows research provided to FREE REPUBLIC in August 2003 [ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/953876/posts ] also exposing the DENNIS KUCINICH campaign (which is still openly soliciting in Japanese FOREIGN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS), on the internet in Japan. This also follows Matt Drudge's recent expose on some Democrat candidates engaged in this questionable practice. My translation synopsis follows below:

[AmericanInTokyo]

Entitled "PR MEMO ON U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN" ("Amerika daitoryo senkyo no PR memo"), the solicitation and link to the Howard Dean campaign site for volunteers and contributors is done by a Japanese national "Nobu", who has a web account sponsored by the prestious KEIO UNIVERSIY in Tokyo, Japan.

"Nobu" says that there are many explanations for the surge of US Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean and some attributable to his effective online campaign.

He states that "in contrast to Japan, there is no limit to the amount of funds you can raise over there in America for presidential election." And then, "It's all about (three yen signs) money, money, money (three more yen signs) in the USA."

He then moves into explaining how things work:

"Here is the site for (candidate) Howard Dean (links it): http://dean2004meetup.com ", and then goes on to add:

"This site is easy to access. It is easy to participate in. It is easy to leave your opinions, too" ("accessu wa shiyasuku, kanyo ga shiyasuku, ikken mo iiyasuku")

"For those that wish to make contributions, these can even be done in small denominations, and can very easily been done with just one mouseclick." And, "Well, we have examples of this in Japan, but the running costs are high."

There are several other comments made about the Dean website. Essentially it is an effort to inform people about such a political website in the USA, help them locate it through URLs, and finally, the interested party in Japan ends up with a link to the contribution page for Howard Dean. There is no clear disclaimer about foreign contributions being illegal.

Granted, this effort, upon analysis, does not seem as explicit nor in skirting Federal Law as do the current websites in Japan (in Japanese) soliciting campaign funds overseas for Dennis Kucinich in an elaborate money laundering operation using the sales of his books as a front, it does tend to call strongly into question the activities of certain Presidential Campaigns and their legal status in doing this or allowing it to be done.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Obligatory "Dennis Kucinich-san" bump, too!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Good catch my friend!

[AmericanInTokyo]

A Freeper might want to archive those Japanese websites quickly, before the 'embarrassed ones' begin to take them down or alter content.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thank you, T_S.

[Miss Marple]

I assume that Japanese donors would be donating by credit card. If their donations are small enough (under $250 I believe) they will not be tracked by the FEC.

How very excellent that you posted this!! Thank you!!

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

So when does China get their website to donate to Hitlary?

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thanks, MM. The Kucinich Japanese websites (still running!) that I highlighted months ago really do look more egregious than this one, but this one is bad enough.

[eureka!]

Nice find. With Canadians for Clark, MoveOn's international appeal for $$ etc., I am seeing that the left in America is running low on domestic money sources and, as is their wont, will do whatever it takes to try to regain and have power. Hopefully, Rove's presumed object of destroying the Rat party will nonetheless be achieved....

[cpst12]

>>This also follows Matt Drudge's recent expose on some Democrat candidates engaged in this questionable practice

"Questionable"...but is it illegal? Would contributions need to be returned?

[Dante3]

Kucinich sure came out strong in favor of illegal aliens. Thus, Columbian drug cartels might well be filtering contributions to his campaign. Just wondering if any of the Democratic candidates do not support amnesty for illegal aliens.

[AmericanInTokyo]

FEC can do an investigative audit the Kucinich and Dean campaigns (and Clarke?) and check the credit cards. There is a way generally to see if they are issued on a foreign bank. Also, it goes without saying that any JCB, Sumitomo-Visa, NICO, Orient Finance cards, etc., for example, would be an immediate 'red flag' to investigators.

[metalboy]

There is no clear disclaimer about foreign contributions being illegal

Since when has the word "illegal" meant anything to demon-rats or anything having to do with them? In the demon-rat dictionary, Illegal means "Legal as long as your not a Republican".

[AmericanInTokyo]

Any political contribution from a foreigner to a domestic US political campaign, even a green card holder resident in the United States I believe, would most definitely have to be returned. There could be civil or criminal penalties if aforeknowledge of these violations were known, but nonetheless, encouraged by any of the financial people on the campaign(s).

[Prime Choice]

Kinda gratifying to watch the Left self-destruct, isn't it?

[Eva]

Thank you for being so alert. The question is to whom do we direct the complaint?

[BossLady]

So, if a 'foreigner' had an American bank credit card ( I know a few who do) and contributed to US political campaigns then, the money would be harder to trace or does it matter? Just wondering....

[AmericanInTokyo]

I myself suspect (but cannot prove--yet) that Howard Dean has caught the attention of Kim Jong-il in North Korea. Kim will stall the 6-party nuke negotiations a good year if he can, with the faint hopes Dean is put in office with an agenda the North Koreans can truly support. (They know they are dead in the water with an additional Bush term).

At any rate, it is a clearly a delaying and stalling game game right now by the Norkors, and they want to run the clock down on Bush. Having said that, the route of Pyongyang/North Korea to various Korean Associations in Japan, through Japanese banks or individuals, and then on to "friendly" USA anti-Bush campaigns in 2004 would be most interesting to see, it probably is being worked on as we speak. Our enemies did in Asia before, we can bet they will do it again. And the internet revolutionizes the possibilities.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I think first a freeper needs to archive these sites for evidence. Second, it has to go to the FEC. But before that, even, I would say it should be blasted around the US by conservative talk radio, newsites like WorldNetDaily or Newsmax, etc. to put the heat on. There are millions of issues right now, and this is being drowned out by the sound of many other things. It can be done, though, Eva.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I believe that would be more difficult, yes. However, they do have to certify they are a US citizen, I believe, in political contribution forms. That should be looked into. There may be a law that directs the campaigns to ask that question. For full disclosure, contributors have to state this, if I am correct.