Top of the Ticket

Politics and commentary, coast to coast, from the Los Angeles Times

« Previous Post | Top of the Ticket Home | Next Post »

Political bundler Norman Hsu -- remember him? -- admits fraud

May 7, 2009 |  3:33 pm

Norman Hsu with Hillary Clinton in 2005

Quick update for all you waiters and postal workers out there who had hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to Democratic political campaigns in your name in recent years.

Your pal, Norman Hsu, pleaded guilty today in New York to 10 counts of wire and mail fraud. Seems he was also running a Ponzi scheme that cheated investors out of some $20 million. As well as arranging generous donations to politicians like Hillary Clinton from people who would seem unable to afford them.

"I knew what I was doing was illegal," Hsu told the federal judge.

Still to come, a trial on four counts of violating federal campaign finance laws. The feds say Hsu made substantial donations in other people's names to acquire access to and influence with some 50 politicians, whose friendship he would then advertise to draw in Ponzi investors.

"He's like a groupie," explained Hsu's lawyer, Alan Seidler. "He just likes the political process."

As blogger Don Surber describes it, "Hsu is Bernie Madoff's Mini-Me."

-- Andrew Malcolm

Your stocks are guaranteed to double in value in 24 hours if you click here to receive automatic Twitter alerts on each new Ticket item. Or not. But you can also follow us   @latimestot

Photo: Norman Hsu with Hillary Clinton in 2005. Credit: Associated Press


Post a comment
If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate.
Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.

Comments are moderated, and will not appear until they've been approved.

If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In





Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

the clintons and gores must be made of teflon. they escape from every scam they are involved in.

Norman Hsu may not be the only one guilty of campaign finance fraud. Hsu was sponsored and introduced around to wealthy, influential and powerful people in California and New York by Hillary Clinton, Jerry Brown, Diane Finestein, Gavin Newsom and many more politicians including former President Bill Clinton. Why didn't they check him out after the Charlie Trie/Johnny Huang/Bill Clinton scandal? Norman Hsu had fled to China and was linked to Chinese organized crime. Hillary Clinton even dined with Norman Hsu at Per Se restaurant in New York.



Advertisement

About the Bloggers



Categories


Archives