FBI searches Jew's office

<URL:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/18/BAGFDPTVJT5.DTL

Does anybody know more about this?

~Chris

Wow. No, I know nothing. But I'll bet somebody is out to get him. Somehow I doubt Ed Jew's office is high on the list of places where corruption is going on in City Hall.

      <<< starchild >>>

There's a more detailed article:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/19/EDJEW.TMP

Justin

Indeed, thanks, Justin, and I'm sure this will be developing.

Jew appears to be saying that he recommended a consultant and handled k$40
in cash for businessmen who wanted help with city permits. He also
apparently believes that the businessmen told the FBI that he pressured
them into using that consultant, but only recommended him, and says he
tried to discourage them from asking him to convey the money rather than
paying the consultant themselves.

It all seems unwise at the very least, and probably was worth
investigating. He seems like a nice guy, so here's hoping this was utter
na�vet� and nothing more.

~Chris

Quite possibly he made a naive, honest mistake, or it's possible he did make an error in moral judgement at some point, it's hard to say. But either way I suspect he was set up. What would the motive of "these business men" have been in going to the FBI, when it doesn't sound like there was any dispute or falling out between them and Ed? I'd like to see an investigation into their backgrounds, with a particular eye toward who else in the world of politics they may have connections with. I wouldn't be surprised if the "smoking gun" the FBI was looking for in the raids was evidence that Jew deposited that $40K into his own accounts or improperly made use of it rather than passing it along to the consultant. Fortunately it doesn't sound like they found anything of that nature.

Love & liberty,
        <<< starchild >>>

P.S. - Especially since the article quotes a City Hall official who saw the warrant as saying the FBI was looking for specific serial numbers on $100 bills - presumably the bills from the $40K cash payment. That suggests that the businessmen, either on their own or at the behest of the FBI and/or whichever opponents of Ed Jew they may have been acting in cohoots with, were trying to set Ed up from at least the time they gave him that money, or they wouldn't have bothered to keep a record of the serial numbers.

Love & liberty,
        <<< starchild >>>