Posted on 08/05/2009 9:59:15 PM PDT by kcvl
A wealthy Hollywood producer paid for the flight that carried former President Bill Clinton and two American journalists home from North Korea, a California businessman confirmed Wednesday.
Stephen Bing, a close Clinton friend and longtime Democratic fundraiser, is the plane's owner, said Marc Foulkrod of Burbank, Calif., chairman of Avjet Corp., the company that manages the aircraft.
Foulkrod said the Federal Aviation Administration "at the highest levels" cleared the flight plan, which required an exception because U.S. planes are not allowed to fly into North Korea.
The effort to set up and clear the flight only started four to five days ago, he said, adding that officials in Washington worked through the weekend to get the necessary diplomatic and flight exemptions.
Heir to a New York real estate fortune, Bing raised at least $100,000 for Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, in addition to giving the maximum $2,300. He also donated at least $10 million to Bill Clinton's presidential library and charitable foundation.
Bing was a multimillion-dollar donor to pro-Democratic groups that ran ads against Republican President George W. Bush in the 2004 campaign. He also donated at least $5 million to pay for a new Democratic National Committee headquarters in 2002, when Clinton loyalist Terry McAuliffe headed the party.
Bing contributed $40.1 million of the total $45.7 million raised to support a failed 2006 California ballot initiative that sought to tax companies drilling for oil in California. Bing's contributions were funneled through his Shangri-La Entertainment company.
Bing produced "Shine A Light," a 2008 Martin Scorcese documentary of a Rolling Stones performance filmed at Bill Clinton's 60th birthday party in New York. He also produced the film "Beowulf" (2007) and financed the film "The Polar Express" (2004).
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
you know I don’t know whether to castigate the Clinton’s concerted effort or to applaud them but what i do see is that bammers can’t take REAL CREDIT for and for that i’m happy.
Bing didn’t get rich being stupid!
As soon as Willie approves the invoice, it will be submitted to Zer0 for his approval, and a US government check will be sent to Bing!
So, WHY does private money have to be involved in this. What in the hell is wrong with the Obama Administration?
Actually, I’m wondering why Gore didn’t pay for it, after all, they were his employees, werent they?
I just want to know why these ‘journalist’ who work for Al Gore got such special treatment. Anyone else without those connections who just happened to cross over into N. Korea ‘by accident’ would still be there.
What did this country have to sacrifice for their stupidity? Anyone doing something that stupid should have been left there instead of putting this country in danger and humiliating us to get them home.
None of us will ever know what we gave up for a stupid crook and former (well connected) Vice-President who is now ripping off the country by lying about global warming.
The government had better not repay one dime of the cost of that plane or there is going to be hell to pay! If anyone should have to pay for anything it is Al Gore.
******
Stephen Bing
At the age of 18, Bing inherited an estimated $600 million from his grandfather, Leo S. Bing, who had made his fortune in New York real estate in the 1920s. The Los Angeles Business Journal in May 2006 estimated his family’s worth at $900 million, coming in at No. 42 in that publication’s list of Wealthiest Angelenos: L.A.’s 50 Richest
Bing is among the nation’s leading donors to environmental causes. (who owns a fleet of jets)
The biggest campaign checks were written in 2002 when he gave a total of $8.2 million to the Democratic National Party. But he also has given to specific candidates, including Al Gore, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein.
Bing was reported to have given at least $49.5 million during the 2006 election cycle in support of Proposition 87, a California initiative which sought to raise $4 billion in oil production taxes to help develop alternative fuels. (while he flies around on his jets)
On the 18 December 2008, the William J. Clinton Foundation released a list of all contributors. It included Stephen L. Bing, who gave between US$10–25 million. (you can buy a government - anyone remember campaign finance ‘reform’)
******
his grandfather Leo, who developed luxury apartment houses in New York in the 1920s. His father is Dr. Peter Bing, who worked on public health matters for the Johnson White House before moving to Los Angeles to attend to family business.
Steve Bing’s friends include Dominic “Donny Shacks” Montemarano, a felon and onetime capo in the Mafia; shopping mall magnate Ron Burkle; Hollywoodites Rob Reiner, Warren Beatty, James Caan and William Goldman; and Dodger Chairman Bob Daly.
Bing inherited his money on his 18th birthday. He dropped out of Stanford in his junior year to pursue Hollywood. He directed the 1993 erotic thriller “Every Breath” starring Judd Nelson. It received poor reviews and went straight to video.
In the early 1990s, Steve moved into the Hotel Bel-Air one night and stayed nine years.
In late 2001, English model Elizabeth Hurley announced that she was pregnant and that Bing was the father. Steve issued a news release claiming that the couple had not been in an exclusive relationship and that it was “her choice to be a single mother.” Tabloids in Britain called Steve “Bing Laden” and a “spermicidal maniac.”
According to Rachel Abramowitz’s article in the 7/3/02 LA Times, Bing asked Hurley to terminate the pregnancy. She refused. He then asked her to go to counseling with him. She refused.
A DNA test shows that Bing is the father of Hurley’s child.
After giving millions of dollars to the UCLA school of medicine, Bing quit giving after UCLA honored Rupert Murdoch, who owns some of the tabloids following Bing.
Steve contributed $3.5 million to the 1998 Rob Reiner-led initiative Proposition 10 that imposed a 50-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes to fund child-care and anti-tobacco programs for preschoolers. Bing has given over $7 million dollars to the Democratic Party and its politicos. Steve’s pledged $25 million to Stanford University. He’s pledged $10 million to the National Resources Defense Council’s study of global warming.
Steve Bing stands 6’4”. He drives around in a ‘97 Lincoln. He likes to wear jeans and T-shirts. He likes strip clubs and dating models. He’s been a big player in Las Vegas for years.
******
Democratic Party officials said they knew nothing about the man who law enforcement officials tell ABC News is Bing’s friend and business partner — Dominic Montemarano, a New York Mafia figure currently in federal prison on racketeering charges. Montemarano has a long criminal record and is known to organized crime investigators by his street name, Donnie Shacks.
“Donnie Shacks’ main activity was murder. No question about it. That was his main function for the Colombo family and for organized crime in general. He was one of the top hit men in the New York area,” said Joe Coffey, a former NYPD investigator.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Bing paid Montemarano’s legal fees after his most recent scrape with the law. Montemerano’s lawyer said his client was an employee of Bing’s. After a recent private lunch with Democratic vice-presidential candidate Edwards, Bing also declined to answer questions about his relationship with Montemarano.
“The American people have a right to know who’s funding their presidential candidates and their parties,” Lewis said. “The Bing situation shows us how little we really know.”
******
“I was hanging out in a bar last night and my friends and I were discussing the presidential race. Clinton came up. We all laughed, because a friend of ours who is made and now [the Los Angeles] underboss [Tommy Gambino] gave Roger Clinton a 50,000 dollar check and a Rolex to help his father get a parole. His father who I know as Sal was a major player in the Pizza Connection and dumped tons of heroin on the streets of the US. It was all swept under the table.
“This is Dominic (Donnie Shacks) Montemarano [convicted Mafia killer] and Elizabeth Hurley. Donnie is bald with glasses. Moments after this they went into the theater and watched A Night at The Golden Eagle. This was on the Paramount Lot. Steve Bing was also there, Tommy Gambino and sister, Donnie, Uncle Artie and Vinnie A. This is right before the Roger Clinton scandal.”
******
Call it champ vs. chump. Kirk Kerkorian, a former boxer who is now worth $15 billion, is demanding that real-estate heir and Democratic big Stephen Bing start to become a father to his 9-year-old daughter, Kira.
The aviation and Las Vegas casino pioneer has happily supported the girl emotionally and financially since birth, despite knowing that Bing impregnated Kerkorian’s girlfriend, tennis pro Lisa Bonder, in 1997. Kerkorian has given Bonder, whom he married for 30 days to make it all legal, $50,000 a month for Kira’s care. But now that he’s 90, he wants Bing to “accept the responsibilities of being a parent.”
In a letter to Bing’s attorney on July 9, L.A. family lawyer Wendy Herzog wrote: “Kirk Kerkorian has asked that I write this letter ... because frankly he is extremely frustrated and upset by Mr. Bing’s ongoing complete refusal to step up and be a parent to his daughter Kira ... Instead, from what we can tell, Mr. Bing prefers to spend his time dabbling in politics and jetting around and focusing on everything and everyone except the one person who most needs him: his daughter.”
Stephen Bing - $77500 in Political Contributions for 2008
All Democrats
2008 Transaction Count/Amount 14/$77,500
2006 Transaction Count/Amount 19/$114,600
2004 Transaction Count/Amount 10/$301,893
2002 Transaction Count/Amount 15/$8,711,000
2000 Transaction Count/Amount 24/$764,000
Bing, Stephen L. Mr.
LOS ANGELES, CA
90035 Self-Employed $3,000,000 07/31/2002 P DNC-NON-FEDERAL INDIVIDUAL
Bing, Stephen L. Mr.
LOS ANGELES, CA
90035 Self-Employed $2,000,000 01/25/2002 P DNC-NON-FEDERAL INDIVIDUAL
Bing, Stephen L. Mr.
LOS ANGELES, CA
90035 Self-Employed $3,000,000 01/25/2002 P DNC - BUILDING FUND
I think that Hillary and Billary just buttfu*cked Obie, or Al Gore the Human Whale, pulled off a complete hoax in order to help Hillary win brownie points as SecyState thru her proxy puppet, Bill the Pantsless.
These “journalists” were Gore automotons so, being in a conspiratorial mood, I won’t put it past Obama or Hillary/Gore to come up with this scam, with No. Korean and Red Chinese collusion. One way to take credit for someone re opening up recognition of No. Korea by the US.
There were other communist scams in Iraq (the “capture” of the Italian Communist Party paper journalist), the three “tourists” “captured” in Iran (turns out they were anti-Israel propagandists, two of whom lived in Syria), and some British leftists “captured” in Gaza, etc.
I am happy that the ladies are now at home with their families, but their employer Al Gore is the person who should have paid for the trip.
Thank you, Steve Bing. You’re an outstanding American.
In contrast, Kerkorian thinks he’s a humanitarian for flying Farah Fawcett to Germany for alternative cancer treatment because she didn’t want to fly commercial.
Bing sends a plane to save two Americans trapped by a communist dictator and KK sends a plane to save an aging actress with rectal cancer. KK is so thin-skinned and superficial he doesn’t see the irony.
Two Americans, working for Al Gore, who should have known better than to get that close to N Korea. I have no sympathy for them. They took their chances. They are damned lucky they had the political connections to get rescued.
I would just like to know what the rest of us regular, everyday Americans had to give up to rescue the politically connected 'journalists'. We will probably never know.
I fail to understand how Bing is any kind of hero either. He inherited $600 million when he was a teenager. I doubt he has ever worked very hard for anything. He buys politicians so that makes him a hero. Maybe you didn't read that his company filmed the 'return' for Bill Clinton's 'foundation' that Bing spent about $25 million to help build.
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