It is well-known that Thomas Kontogiannis, the third Cunningham briber, has deep but (as yet) ill-defined ties to Saudi interests.
He also has a history of arranging for fraudulent visas. From a NY Post article quoted by Laura Rozen:
...Business dealings between District 29 in Rosedale [Queens] and Kontogiannis date back to 1989, when the local board leased offices at 1 Cross Island Plaza, built in 1985 by Kontogiannis and owned by his wife.If helping a countryman was his motive, then we need think no further about the visa case. But...
[Celestine] Miller, appointed in 1992, ran the district with an iron fist, but treated herself with kindness - leasing a Cadillac with district funds, sources said.
About the time of Miller's appointment, Kontogiannis ran afoul of the law. He and an official at the U.S. Embassy in Athens were arrested by the FBI for taking bribes to provide phony U.S. visas.
Both pleaded guilty, and Kontogiannis was sentenced to five years' probation.
He told The Post recently he was only trying to help a Greek national visit his dying mother... Sources said his motive was pure greed. ...
If money was his motive, and if his Saudi ties run as deep as many suspect, then those who share my occasional weakness for irresponsible speculation will find one question irresistible:
Did Kontogiannis have anything to do (perhaps inadvertantly) with the visas obtained by the 9/11 hijackers?
Interestingly, that same building at 1 Cross Island Plaza is also home to offices of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services. It is not beyond reason to suggest the possibility that Kontogiannis, while working his visa scam, had the aid of someone at these offices. Kontogiannis does like to bribe people, after all.
As long as we are engaging in thoroughly irresponsible speculation (but at least having the decency to label it as such), let's note a few other points:
1. The Abramoff and Cunningham scandals have merged.
2. Abramoff was hired to do PR for a Saudi billionaire named Saleh Abdullah Kamel, chairman of the General Council for Islamic Banks -- whose good buddy is, or at least was, Osama Bin Laden. According to several published reports, a Kamel company paid the rent for the hijackers who lodged in San Diego.
3. The Atta gang was connected to a jihadist cell in New Jersey, connected in turn (by none other than NBC news) to Magdy el-Amir, a former client of Homeland Security director Michael Chertoff. (Much more here.)
Seems to me that the New Jersey cell would have a vested interest in obtaining visas. Now, I am not entirely familiar with the geography in that part of the world, but I do know that there is an immigration office in Newark, closer to the cell in question.
Still...1 Cross Island Plaza is not that far away from New Jersey; we're talking a distance of about 15-20 miles. And if someone in that building had both a penchant for helping Saudis and access to a bribable person in the Immigration office...and perhaps even hidden ties to the world of Jack Abramoff...
Well. I'm sure that by now you must understand the way my suspicions are running.
I will be back soon. At that time, outrageous speculation will, I hope, have given way something rather more reasonable.
Until then, you may want to note that the Cunningham case is not the only occasion in which the name "Kontogiannis" and the word "bribery" have been mentioned in the same sentence. Look here for the 2002 case.
PS. Not only have the Abramoff and Wilkes scandals merged, they also have linked up to the Delay case. I believe I may have been the first blogger to suggest that ADCS money was among the funds laundered by Texans for a Republican Majority. I'd do a Homer Simpson-esque victory dance, but that always makes the dog bark. So I'll simply note that sometimes we "irresponsible speculators" do hit a bullseye...
14 comments:
Blah to you always being a step ahead of me! Ha. Really though, nice theory, its something I've been just getting into looking at. Also at Diploma Mill's, their Saudi origin and GoP ties, but thats for later! I'll see what I can do about connecting the dots on this with you. We already know that Atta was on Abramoff boats before Sept 11.
Ran across this too:
ORLANDO, FL -- Wednesday, May 26, 2004 -- An illegal Moroccan Muslim reportedly linked to Osama bin Laden’s brother and who lived with 9-11 hijacker prior to the attacks, allegedly engaged in immigration felony fraud, bribery, and perjury in conjunction with United States immigration officials. The government employees allegedly conspired with this and other illegal Muslim extremists and aliens to approve sham-marriages for the purpose of acquiring permanent green cards to stay in the U.S. before and after the attacks to support terrorist cells in America.
Like your blog. Don't think you or Hopsicker "mean" to be dense or disinfo agents. However, the way you mention the hijackers, and possible connections to crime (obtaining Visa's etc.) and the way the commenter mentions bin Laden.... well it's just too obtuse. If you blog and your commenters haven't figured out the the whole hijacker / bin Laden cover has little to do with who caused 9/11, I think you are dangerously clueless. bgtruth.blogspot.com
Hey, BG? I'm sure a svelty, Godlike master-sleuth like you didn't neglect to actually read the rest of Joseph's entries before deciding he doesn't understand what brought about 9/11, but just in case you skimmed too lightly--he has an archives section. Wait, what am I doing? Silly me. You're probably too busy tracking down the rest of the disinfo agents. Good luck with that, man. The rest of truth-seeking America is counting entirely on you.
BG, I mentioned the 'bin laden' quote because it dealt with the wider issue of visa fraud that helped contribute to the attacks. The bribe-money turned into blood money when people explode. people die as a direct result of their actions. Where the bribed officials ever held accountable for their part in the attacks? Who where they? Its not a Bin Laden issue its a 'culture of corruption' issue. Sorry for any confusion but to disregard an issue because of the mere mention of Osoma's relative instead of googling some facts, is irresponsible. The facts are slowly backing up that everyone is connected to everyone else. Wilkes, Cunningham, Abramoff, Atta, Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Laden, etcetcetcetc. If it wasnt for blogs like Cannon's the connections would not be able to be made as quickly if ever at all.
Jen, Others.
I respect your points.
Bin Laden was just the latest in a Long line of islamic terrorists, hell bent on re-establishing the Caliphate. The sooner you get that thru your heads, the sooner you will help prevent these bastards from winning.
Right now, your best efforts do nothing more than put the brakes on stopping these scum. You must buy a Lot of aluminum foil.
BG: So you define a "disinfo agent" as someone who doesn't go along with your particular theory of 9/11?
Then I'm a disinfo agent.
So why don't you stick to Alex Jones, Rense and the UFO newsgroups?
When I saw those buildings come down (I happened to wake up late that day, so the action had already occurred), four thoughts entered my head within the first minute:
1. This is Bin Laden. 2 This is about Israel. 3. Bush's popularity will skyrocket. 4. The rightwing conspiracy buffs will say explosives were planted in the building.
Point 4 was simply an extrapolation of the nonsense surrounding Oklahoma City. In the years since, I've had to modify that view somewhat -- the buffs who embrace such ideas are not so much right-wing or left-wing as "off the map."
There are -- and it seems always will be -- two camps of alternative thinkers on 9/11:
1. There are those interested in the movements of the players and the money, and the manifold connections to the G.O.P.
2. Then there are those who bellow about robot planes, planned explosives, missiles firing into the Pentagon, and all that other crap. (I exempt from this camp the legitimate debate over Flight 93.)
You want to talk about disinformation? I'll finally lay my cards on the table. I've never said this in so many words before, but I will do so now.
I really believe that people like YOU, BG -- the theorists in camp 2 -- are the ones who have been misleading people. Some of you were probably paid to do so. Most of you are just fools.
The camp 2 crowd has accomplished NOTHING. All you've done is to bring discredit to those who have tried to do draw some attention to camp 1 arguments.
This sort of thing has happened before. Years ago, we had a bunch of naive loudmouths embrace Bill Cooper's nonsense about the JFK assassination. Those fools did nothing but bring discredit to genuine scholars of the case, such as Peter Dale Scott and Jim DiEugenio.
I wish everyone in camp 2 would just go away. Peddle your idiotic wares on some other website. Go play with your Captain Midnight secret decoder rings while listening to tapes of old speeches by Bill Cooper and Dr. Peter Beter.
In other words, I'll be deleting your comments from now on.
If you want to cry "censorship" -- go ahead. In my view, hiding the truth in a thicket of wacky allegations is also a form of censorship.
And if my readership numbers dwindle -- fine. I ain't in this for the numbers.
That decision is FINAL.
While some "camp 2" types will probably cry for cooperation and reconciliation, I think we "camp 1" dwellers should keep the distinctions clear. We must become more strident and less afraid in expressing our disdain for the fools who have made EVERYONE look foolish.
Everyone in "camp 2" -- WITHOUT EXCEPTION -- is a friend to George W. Bush. I despise you all, and from now on will make no secret of my view that you should all go to hell.
On a side note, I was 17 when the WTC was struck. I remember when it happened thinking 'Bin Laden'. Why would a random 17 year old texan think that? Because for weeks before the attack there had been 'specials' and 'documentaries' on Bin Laden that I caught several times, previously having no idea who he was. Same thing as Miller writing about Anthrax and other Biological attacks before the anthrax attacks started to happen. Always seemed suspicious to me. Suprisingly enough, FOX news has a good segment floating about on the web about a controlled demolition. Hopefully in the end the truth comes out, but it cant when people whom both on the same side are fighting against each other. Thats the republican strategy, dont fight the enemy, get them to fight each other. No matter what angle you're working from, the goal is the same.
I'm going to bypass the to and fro above for an interesting sidelight.
Celestine Miller of the Rosedale school distrct was found guilty of taking bribes from Kontogiannis, to facilitate the purchase of $6 million in computer contracts to companies controlled by K.
Amazingly, "Duke" Cunningham intervened in the NYC investigation of Miller and K., writing to the NY DA that he thought the probe was politically motivated and that he (Cunningham) had asked Henry Hyde to open an investigation. This from a California Congressman with no apparent interests in Queens, NY.
As it happens, the whole affair is detailed in the current Village Voice (hard copy anyway: don't know about the online version).
http://www.retailindustrynetwork.com/NovitalsinHudson.htm
No vitals in Hudson
Feds shut down passport and birth record services
By Al Sullivan
08/08/2004
For the second time in less than a year, Hudson County's office of vital statistics was closed as part of an investigation dealing with sale or theft of identification.
Early on August 3, telephone messages issued to various public officials alerted them that the Hudson County office issuing passports and birth certificates had been closed by the U.S. State Department at the end of the business day on Aug. 2, pending an investigation.
"Its closure is indefinite," the message said. "Additionally, no passport acceptance agency will recognize a Hudson County-issued birth record as proof of U.S. Citizenship. Birth records must be requested from the state office of vital statistics. No further comments, due to an ongoing investigation."
On Tuesday, County Clerk Javier E. Inclan called a news conference on Aug. 3 to go over the details of the closing, but the press conference was canceled. Richard Boucher, spokesperson for the State Department, confirmed the closing of the office in a telephone interview, saying that the Department of State has stopped accepting passport applications processed by the Hudson County Clerk's Office, as well as birth certificates issued by the county as proof of citizenship.
He said that this was pending the outcome of an ongoing corruption investigation involving the sale of documents. He declined to comment whether this also may be related to a terrorism investigation.
Second raid in a year
This is second time this year that the Hudson County office was prohibited from issuing such documents. In February, federal agents removed records from the Hudson County office dating back to 1902 as part of a Homeland Security investigation and a probe into a phony passport racket.
The U.S. State Department's latest actions were independent of the February incident, and officials contacted by telephone said they were unaware of the prior action - indicating that another federal investigatory body may also have probed actions at the Hudson County office.
The state also has had questions about activities in Hudson County. In 2003, the state attorney general's office indicted 16 people, many residents of Hudson and Passaic counties in conjunction with supplying false information in order to obtain valid U.S. passports. They were accused of using fictitious names or presenting false documents including birth certificates, Social Security cards, New Jersey Motor Vehicle documents and other government documents.
Most of those who included residents from Jersey City, Union City, and other parts of the state, plead guilty and were either deported or sentenced to jail.
No comment
Richard Pike, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said the details behind the Aug. 2 closing could not be revealed in detail, partly because of the continued investigation. But he said the State Department is concerned about the accuracy of information used in obtaining the documents.
"We cannot rely on the accuracy of the information on the applications that have been submitted to that office," he said.
The state department has about 6,000 places nationwide that serve as processing centers for applications, places where identification of the people applying is verified. These include public libraries, state and county offices, and even post offices.
"These places operate on the behalf of the State Department and verify the information on the application for us," Pike said. "But in this case, we cannot be confident in the verification done at this office."
"It's a highly unusual action, but we took the action of discontinuing the acceptance of passport applications at the Hudson County Clerk's Office in Jersey City, New Jersey, as a result of a joint Department of State and Department of Justice investigation," said Boucher. "The Department of State closed this acceptance facility to maintain security of the passport application process. We've also stopped accepting county records as evidence of U.S. citizenship until the investigation is concluded. The investigations developed facts indicating that we cannot rely on the accuracy of information on passport applications that were processed by the County Clerk's office."
Boucher, however, refused to comment whether or not fraudulent documents actually had been obtained.
Although widely reported that the action was not terror-related, other sources said the sale of phony identifications could aid terrorists, as well as people seeking to live or work illegally in the United States.
One source inside the U.S. State Department said, "We're giving you two and two. It is up to you to make it add up to four."
Records can be obtained elsewhere
Boucher said that passport applicants who were born in Hudson County will be asked to present an official birth certificate issued by the New Jersey Bureau of Vital Statistics in Trenton. But they can submit passport application to any of the several other facilities within a 10-mile radius.
Inclan said the main post office at 69 Montgomery St. and the Hudson Station at 392 Central Ave. in Jersey City, the main post office in Hoboken at 89 River St., the main post office at 4608 in North Bergen, the main post office at 301 30th St. in Union City, as well as the main post office at 64 Midland Ave. in Kearny all take and verify applications for post office.
Inclan said residents also have options as to requesting copies of birth records by mail to the state treasurer's office. Vital records cost $4 for the search and $2 for additional copies and take about 7 to 10 days. Request should be mailed to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Vital Statistics, corner of Warren and Market streets, Trenton, NJ 08625-0370.
People can use the online service www.vitalchek.com which has fax, telephone and other information year round. Obtaining information could be charged to a major credit card with a $10.95 service fee. Documents could take eight to 12 business days. For same-day service, people must appear in person at the state's Office of Vital Statistics in Trenton.
©The Hudson Reporter 2004
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Ex-McGreevey+aide%27s+credentials+exaggerated+&btnG=Google+Search
Joseph, perhaps you might rethink your final decision. I, for one, am in neither of the two camps, and simultaneously in both. What is happening in all the various conspiracies, internationally and nationally, is far, far, more complex than any one person, or even team of researchers, could possibly understand and diagram. Just the Republican corruptions alone, with their phoney companies and interlocking bribers and bribees, their histories going back to Iran-Contra and even Watergate, their quid pro quos, all that is layered so deeply and has so many tentacles that no one will ever decipher it all. Hell, all the JFK researchers haven't managed yet to untangle that puzzle, and by comparison to the Rep. corruption schemes it should be child's play.
Which is to say that, while this is your blog to do with what you will, you are only making yourself into an arrogant blowhard when you announce (which seems to me what you are doing, but correct me if I am mistaken) that you know the real and full truth about who and why the Twin Towers came down. You are better than that.
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