Riggs Probe Includes Recordings (WaPo)

[Snazzy]

Riggs Probe Includes Recordings
Investigators Have Tapes of Board Meetings

By Kathleen Day and Terence O'Hara
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, September 17, 2004; Page E01

Federal regulators and prosecutors are listening to tape recordings of more than 150 Riggs Bank board meetings as they investigate what role top executives, including former chairman Joe L. Allbritton, played in more than a decade of violations of anti-money-laundering laws at the company, according to five sources familiar with the tapes.

Despite earlier requests from regulators and Senate investigators for documents related to the violations, the bank did not discover the more than 125 tapes until recently, the sources said. The tapes are of board meetings at the bank and its holding company beginning at least as far back as 1989 and ending some time last year, according to the sources, who spoke on condition that their names not be used because of ongoing civil and criminal investigations.

On the tapes, Allbritton, who left Riggs's holding company board in May but remains its largest shareholder, makes what one source said were "derisive" remarks about federal bank regulators who were pushing the bank to correct years-long violations of money-laundering laws. Neither transcripts nor copies of the tapes were made available.

Recording and archiving conversations of board meetings is unusual, corporate legal experts say, because of the potential such recordings could be used against the company or its directors in a legal proceeding. Written minutes, often sanitized of colorful statements or even give-and-take among directors, are usually the only records kept of what board members say to one another.

....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27359-2004Sep16.html

Smoking gun!

[napi21]

1. Oh oops! Those darn 125 tapes we stuck in the back corner of

a drawer somewhere! WE're sorry judge, the cleaning lady just found 'em. (sarcasm!)

You know, companies have been found in contempt in situations like this!

[struggle4progress]

2. kick for Riggs

:kick:

[seemslikeadream]

3. You got it!

[Snazzy]

4. Where the heck is Spence anyway!

"What is true for me may be blasphemy for others"

"A new fascism promises security from the terror of crime. All that is required is that we take away the criminals’ rights – which, of course, are our own. Out of our desperation and fear we begin to feel a sense of security from the new totalitarian state."

"Nearly every day on the television set the hero cop breaks into the bad guy’s house and beats a confession out of him and we cheer on the cop. Propaganda smears our clear vision. It causes us to accept the diminishment of our constitutional protections as something to be lauded – after all, the cop was protecting us."

"While birds can fly, only humans can argue. Argument is the affirmation of our being. It is the principal instrument of human intercourse. Without argument the species would perish. As a subtle suggestion, it is the means by which we aid another. As a warning, it steers us from danger. As exposition, it teaches. As an expression of creativity, it is the gift of ourselves. As a protest, it struggles for justice. As a reasoned dialogue, it resolves disputes. As an assertion of self, it engenders respect. As an entreaty of love, it expresses our devotion. As a plea, it generates mercy. As charismatic oration it moves multitudes and changes history. We must argue -- to help, to warn, to lead, to love, to create, to learn, to enjoy justice, to be."

"The Internet…has become the voice of the people in the first genuine experiment in democracy yet conducted in America. It stands ready to serve every facet, every faction."

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Can't wait to hear these tapes, channeling Nixon at the new made in America BCCI. We might get another source at those 27 pages of redacted Saudi/911 connections at last. Or will there be gaps in the tapes? Did J. Bush attend? Probably. This thing is so under the radar (I know I've said that, but, it is!). This is Bushco. Kryptonite strength scandal material if anybody who writes the front page gave a hoot to look at the front page of the biz section.


-------

I stuck a whole bunch of recent Riggs & Pinochet related stuff in this thread (had some sluggish DU days for some of that):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=826447&mesg_id=826447&page=

[seemslikeadream]

5. But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones?

You hand in your ticket and you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you when he hears you speak
And says "How does it feel to be such a freak?"
And you say "Impossible" as he hands you a bone....



You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone?"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To just give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations

You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read
It's well known

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?"
And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

DYLAN