DOJ moved to dismiss $3.3B fraud suit against Dish after chairman donated $113K to Biden

The Justice Department took the rare step earlier this month of moving to dismiss a $3.3 billion civil fraud lawsuit against Dish Network — months after founder Charlie Ergen and his wife donated more than $113,000 to President Biden’s re-election campaign late last year.

Ergen, a former professional poker player who helped launch what was then called EchoStar Communications in 1980, has battled the federal fraud claim for nearly a decade.

But the Tennessee native saw his luck change shortly after he and spouse Candy contributed $100,000 to Biden’s super PAC and maxed out with matching $6,600 donations to the president’s principal campaign committee in December, according to campaign finance filings.

This past January, Dish nabbed a $50 million grant from the administration to help expand 5G coverage nationwide — the “largest award” of its kind, the company crowed — through a $1.5 billion fund created by the CHIPS and Science Act.

On Jan. 12, two days after the $50 million award was announced, attorneys at the Justice Department intervened on behalf of Dish — and “tried to bully” Vermont Telephone, which filed the fraud claim, “into an unethical settlement” by threatening to have the suit dismissed, according to lead attorney Bennett Ross.

“We do not believe it is a coincidence that Mr. Ergen, his wife (who also is scheduled to be deposed next week), and DISH’s Political Action Committee collectively contributed in excess of $5 million to Democratic candidates and causes between 2008 and 2022,” he added.

“With the upcoming election, this case looks like just the latest example of the DOJ’s two-tiered justice system under which the well-heeled, politically connected are treated one way, while everyone else is treated differently.”

It’s time to dump Dish Network if you subscribe to its service.

41 posted on 03/22/2024 11:30:30 PM PDT by Conservative independent (When you rob Peter to pay Paul, you'll always get Paul's vote.)

Elon Musk Starlink lost the 5g contract even though they reach many more people and a lot cheaper and have faster internet speeds.

42 posted on 03/23/2024 12:44:12 AM PDT by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)

43 posted on 03/23/2024 5:34:29 AM PDT by unread (I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the REPUBLIC..!)

Orwell taught us that the truth is their greatest enemy and must be scrupulously and continually avoided at all costs. The more obvious the truth is, the more dangerous it is to them.

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; BraveMan; cardinal4; ...

45 posted on 03/23/2024 8:24:28 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)

Not sure but some would call that money laundering.

Joey mum

My father told us the story of a man who had to give a speech to some group and was trying to think of some striking thing to start with. Coming into the lecture hall, he saw the word PUSH on the door. So he began by saying the secret to success is the word on the door and pointed to it. When people looked at the door they saw the word PULL.

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