A judge has ruled that Sheldon "Smelly Shelly" Adelson, gambling tycoon and financial sugar daddy of both right-wing Republicans here and Likudniks in Israel, will have to face charges in the U.S. over allegations that he engaged in corrupt practices with Chinese officials and members of Chinese triad gangs regarding his casino holdings in Macau. The allegations stem from the former chief executive of Smelly Shelly's Macau casinos, Steven Jacobs, who claims that he tried to block Adelson's connections with Chinese gangs and was terminated for his efforts. During the jurisdiction phase of the proceedings, Smelly Shelly took the witness stand and at one point declared that Jacobs "squealed like a pig to the Government," not exactly a dignified rebuttal to the charges (imagine 1940s film noir dialogue from a crime boss). Also, "squealed" -- in the vernacular -- is a concession of sorts that the information provided was a betrayal of, at best, a questionable enterprise.
Smelly Shelly has deep pockets, so his legion of lawyers will do everything to either dismiss the charges, or delay the proceedings ad infinitum. In the absence of a conviction, it's unlikely that right-wing Republicans will stop kissing his wrinked tuchas in exchange for campaign contributions. That big money derived from shady overseas gambling is just too tempting for the morally upright Rethugs.
(photo: Smelly Shelly doesn't like squealers, but is fine with Rethugs.)
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