Thread: Luther Strange benefits financially from company selling visa access to wealthy forei

Luther Strange benefits financially from company selling visa access to wealthy foreigners

POSTED 6:52 PM,
SEPTEMBER 19, 2017,
BY BRIAN LAWSON
State Auditor Finds Visa
While immigration is among the hot-button issues in the Alabama U.S. Senate Runoff between Republicans Roy Moore and Luther Strange, WHNT News 19 has confirmed State Auditor Jim Zeigler's discovery that Strange currently benefits financially from a program that sells access to visas to wealthy foreigners.

Luther Strange`s Senate financial disclosure form says he owns a 16-percent share of Sunbelt LLC, which helps broker deals between wealthy investors and U.S. projects that need capital. Strange netted just over $150,000 for his role in helping a Birmingham Baptist hospital expansion.

Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler says," This is a program that allows wealthy foreigners to buy their way into the United States, bypassing the normal immigration process."

The EB-5 immigration program offers permanent residency status in exchange for big investments. Zeigler tells us, "You've heard of a green card? Well, this is called a golden card because it takes a half-million dollars, or $1 million dollars, depending on where they`re going."

The program allows wealthy foreigners, to earn a green card - permanent residency - for themselves and their children, if they invest their $500,000 or $1 million in an American business venture that creates at least 10 jobs.

The money is supposed to fund projects in low-income rural areas and create permanent jobs. But many Republicans have argued it's flawed. Zeigler points out, "U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa (R) has been extremely critical of this program, in saying that it is wrought with fraud, and mismanagement, it has security problems."

Records indicate most of the wealthy investors in the program are from China. The EB-5 website even offers instructions in Chinese.

Sunbelt, the company Strange owns a stake in, doesn't have records available on their site, but the company's website says it recruited 50 investors and raised $25 million to help pay for the expansion of the Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham.

Strange's disclosure form says he made just over $150,000 on the hospital project.

Strange`s campaign said today he has a record of supporting tougher immigration laws, and said;

"Luther agrees with the Trump administration that there are serious concerns over the EB-5 visa program, which is not being used as originally intended. It's time for Congress to get to work on these issues. He looks forward to working hand-in-hand with the White House on legislation like the RAISE Act which would overhaul the program."

The Roy Moore campaign also weighed in:

"Luther Strange is lying about Judge Moore's commitment to build the wall. Meanwhile, Strange is hiding his ownership in a company that sells EB-5 visas to foreign nationals. Strange says he is for a new tough immigration system that puts America first but profits off the broken system that takes much-needed jobs and business opportunities from Americans."

http://whnt.com/2017/09/19/luther-st...hy-foreigners/

Luther Strange Campaign Admits EB-5 Program ‘Not Used as Intended,’ Keeps Investment in It

by IAN MASON
20 Sep 2017

Sen. Luther Strange’s (R-AL) effort to paint himself as the true immigration hawk in the GOP primary campaign for a full term as the Yellowhammer State’s U.S. senator continued to flounder Wednesday in the face of reports Strange is a major stakeholder in a firm that profits from the issuance of visas to rich, mostly Chinese, foreign investors.

Reports rolled in Tuesday of Strange’s one-sixth ownership in Sunbelt EB-5 Regional Center, LLC, a firm that solicits big money foreign investors to put $500,000 to $1 million dollars into projects in the American Southeast in exchange for “golden visas” for themselves and their families. Huntsville, Alabama, CBS affiliate WHNT later reportedthat Strange profited to the tune of $150,000 from a single EB-5-funded hospital expansion project in Birmingham, AL.

The Strange campaign has been reluctant to address these revelations, declining to answer questions from Breitbart News as to whether the former Alabama attorney general who was appointed in the interim to serve in Jeff Sessions’ U.S. Senate seat would divest from Sunbelt EB-5. “Luther agrees with the Trump administration that there are serious concerns over the EB-5 visa program, which is not being used as originally intended. It’s time for Congress to get to work on these issues,” was the campaign”s response to WHNT Tuesday night.

Despite these “serious concerns,” Strange has made no indication he is seeking to sell his ownership of the Sunbelt EB-5 firm. Strange’s campaign did not respond to repeated questions from Breitbart News as to the appropriateness of keeping a stake in the company and the profits it made off a program he admits is not being used as intended.

The concerns over the EB-5 program that Strange’s team referenced in their statement are widely shared. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the chairman and ranking Democrat, respectively, of the Senate Judiciary Committee, for example, introduced legislation shortly before Strange took office to entirely eliminate the EB-5 visa.

At the time, Sen. Grassley justified the end of the EB-5 program, saying:

The EB-5 program has been rife with fraud and national security weaknesses. It has also strayed from Congress’ original intent to spur economic development in rural and depressed areas. For years, I’ve worked with bipartisan colleagues in good faith to reform it. Unfortunately, despite its many flaws, EB-5 proponents are apparently content with the status quo, and that’s unacceptable. I was hoping that it would not come to this point, but absent serious efforts to bring about reforms, we need to take the necessary steps to wind down the program and completely mitigate fraud, abuse and threats to our security.

Strange is not a co-sponsor and has not made any statement in support of the bill, nor has he made any statement clarifying what work he believes Congress must get to on the issue.
The campaign and allies of former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, Strange’s primary opponent, have stoked up the heat on Strange for his financial ties to what detractors consider the sale of American visas.

Moore himself tweeted Grassley’s quote about the program on Wednesday:

Judge Roy Moore @MooreSenate
"The program may be facilitating terrorist travel, economic espionage, money laundering, and investment fraud." - Senator Chuck Grassley https://twitter.com/whnt/status/910291314725572608 …
8:59 AM - Sep 20, 2017

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On Tuesday, Moore’s campaign told WHNT:

Strange is hiding his ownership in a company that sells EB-5 visas to foreign nationals. Strange says he is for a new tough immigration system that puts America first but profits off the broken system that takes much-needed jobs and business opportunities from Americans.

Alabama State auditor Jim Zeigler issued a statement Tuesday, stating, “Luther Strange is making big money off wealthy foreigners, enabling them and their families to come to America, get legal, and compete against American businesses. This is exactly the type of self-serving that we do not need in Washington.”

Zeigler later told WHNT, “You’ve heard of a green card? Well, this is called a golden card because it takes a half-million dollars, or $1 million dollars, depending on where they’re going,” an apparent reference to the term “golden visa” used by White House adviser Jared Kushner’s former family business while it solicited investments from Chinese businessmen touting Jared’s role in the administration.

Strange also referenced the RAISE Act, the first serious attempt to reform America’s eccentric “family reunification” immigration priority and half of the approximately 1.1 million legal immigrants allowed in each year under the 1965 Immigration Act. “[Strange] looks forward to working hand-in-hand with the White House on legislation like the RAISE Act which would overhaul the program,” the campaign told WHNT.

Strange, who did not co-sponsor the RAISE Act when Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and David Perdue (R-GA) introduced it in August, refused to publicly endorse the bill as recently as two weeks ago when he secured the open-borders Chamber of Commerce’s endorsement on September 7. Moore, by contrast, enthusiastically did so two days earlier.

Despite his apparent shift on the RAISE Act, Strange’s campaign did not reply to Breitbart News’s inquiry as to whether he was now prepared to co-sponsor the RAISE act nor what his earlier objections to the bill may have been.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...ps-investment/

Donald Trump Praises ‘Loyal’ Luther Strange Despite Filibuster Flip Flop

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty, Mario Tama/Getty

by CHARLIE SPIERING
20 Sep 2017

President Donald Trump again sent a message of support for appointed Alabama Senator Luther Strange as he faces a contentious Republican primary.

“I am supporting ‘Big’ Luther Strange because he was so loyal & helpful to me!” Trump wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
Looking forward to Friday night in the Great State of Alabama. I am supporting "Big" Luther Strange because he was so loyal & helpful to me!
7:29 AM - Sep 20, 2017

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But despite Strange’s support for most of Trump’s agenda, he struggled with the president’s desire to kill the 60-vote threshold for the Senate filibuster.

In April, Strange signed a letter with senators urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Charles Schumer to keep the existing Senate tradition of a 60-vote threshold.

After struggling in the first round of primary voting, Strange flipped his position, sending a letter to change the filibuster rule.

Strange has also failed to co-sponsor the RAISE Act immigration bill that was endorsed by President Trump during a White House, despite tepid support for some of the principles included in the bill.

The appointed Alabama Senator has largely voted with Republicans and Mitch McConnell on Senate bills, including the effort to replace Obamacare.

Strange also voted with Republicans and Democrats to impose more sanctions on Russia, something that Trump was vocally opposed to before he begrudgingly signed it.

Trump plans to travel to Alabama on Friday to campaign for Strange, despite polling showing more support for his Republican anti-establishment primary opponent Roy Moore.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...ter-flip-flop/

Strange has also failed to co-sponsor the RAISE Act immigration bill that was endorsed by President Trump during a White House, despite tepid support for some of the principles included in the bill.

That doesn't mean he doesn't support the bill. Most bills only have a few co-sponsors. Breitbart reported earlier that Strange opposed it and I pointed out that there was no quote or statement from Strange to support that report in Breitbart. Now they've clarified, Strange isn't a co-sponsor of the RAISE ACT. That is no big deal, most Senators or members of the House aren't "co-sponsors" of the bills they support and vote for. That doesn't mean they oppose the bill. Come on Breitbart, you're going to have to clean this mess up, the credibility of your news agency is on the line now. It's fine if you support Moore over Strange, write an endorsement. But don't fiddle with the facts. Strange may lose the election, probably will, and he'll go on with his life, but you'll lose your credibility and then where will you go??

Originally Posted by Judy

That doesn't mean he doesn't support the bill. Most bills only have a few co-sponsors. Breitbart reported earlier that Strange opposed it and I pointed out that there was no quote or statement from Strange to support that report in Breitbart. Now they've clarified, Strange isn't a co-sponsor of the RAISE ACT. That is no big deal, most Senators or members of the House aren't "co-sponsors" of the bills they support and vote for. That doesn't mean they oppose the bill. Come on Breitbart, you're going to have to clean this mess up, the credibility of your news agency is on the line now. It's fine if you support Moore over Strange, write an endorsement. But don't fiddle with the facts. Strange may lose the election, probably will, and he'll go on with his life, but you'll lose your credibility and then where will you go??

What you're saying doesn't mean he supports it. If he supported it, why wouldn't he just come out and say so. Perhaps there is information you don't have that Breitbart does. I'd say they probably know much more about Luther Strange than you or I do (investigative journalist perhaps).

After reading numerous articles on the guy over the last couple days, he's not someone I would want or support. He is an establishment guy that is supported by the Chamber of Commerce, big business, neoconservatives and their corporate cronies that support higher immigration numbers in the form of guest workers. Oh, and they support comprehensive immigration reform (illegal alien amnesty). We won't even get into his 16% stake in a EB-5 visa recruiting company or the potential unethical way he was given his Senate seat by the former Gov. Bentley (sp?).

I'm sorry, but just because Trump is going to bat for Luther Strange doesn't mean we should! IMO, supporting Strange is a Trump mistake.

Trump Is in Alabama Promoting Candidate Who Supports McConnell’s Agenda

By
S. Noble -

September 17, 20171

President Trump endorsed Luther Strange in Alabama and now he will campaign for him this weekend. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is backing Strange as is Karl Rove. Boatloads of money, more than $15 million, has been poured into defeating Strange’s opponent Judge Roy Moore. The money is coming from McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund and Karl Rove’s PAC.

Voters will likely save the President from himself and vote for Judge Moore.

Big Lutha

Moore fully supports the agenda Trump ran on while Strange is McConnell’s good ole boy. McConnell does not appear to support the President’s agenda and Strange has flip-flopped on it. McConnell doesn’t want another senator who will fight him on issues, but he seems okay with John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins.

With the election on September 26, Judge Roy Moore, the former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, is well in the lead.

Moore fully supports the agenda Donald Trump ran on. Yet, the President endorsed Luther ‘Big Lutha’ Strange.

“Senator Luther Strange has done a great job representing the people of the Great State of Alabama,” the President tweeted. “He has my complete and total endorsement!”

The President is campaigning for him this weekend. Strange is the establishment candidate, the same establishment that is anti-Trump.

Strange is Mitch McConnell’s, Karl Rove’s good ole boy

Strange is a cohort of Mitch McConnell’s, the Senate Majority Leader who has lied to us repeatedly on issues from the Ex-Im bank to Obamacare to the budget to the tax cuts. McConnell’s own state expanded Obamacare. Does anyone really believe McConnell wants to repeal and replace Obamacare or complete any of the President’s agenda items?

Strange has supported the 60-vote filibuster rule which prevents the President’s agenda from being passed.

McConnell’s worst lie was when he said he would implement a Republican agenda as soon as Republicans had the House, the Senate and the presidency.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund has already pledged $2.6 million in recent ad buys alone on Strange’s behalf, even though there’s little to no chance of a Democrat’s winning the race.

Luther Strange’s website makes him look like the perfect person to drain the swamp. His website includes a page on “Draining the Swamp” and “Fighting Corruption.” “Luther enjoyed many successes in the fight against Montgomery insiders,” Strange’s campaign website states. “As senator, he’s ready to help President Donald Trump do the same in Washington.”

However, In an April interview with the Washington Examiner, when asked whether he believed that there was a public corruption problem in Washington, Strange replied: “I have not seen that in my short time here.”

So what will he drain?

He was maneuvered into the incumbent position through his sketchy dealings with the disgraced governor who was forced to resign. Strange is a swamp critter.
Most believe former Gov. Bentley appointed Strange to the interim position to get himself a pardon. But State Rep. Ed Henry has a different take based on a conversation with Bentley. He says Bentley said he appointed him to get him out of the AG’s office which is filled with corruption. Bentley denies it. Al.com has the story.

Bentley ended up resigning amid scandal while he was under impeachment proceedings. Luther Strange stopped impeachment investigations by the Legislature into Robert Bentley’s misconduct on two occasions.

Columnist Kyle Whitmire wrote that the appointment of Strange set “a new benchmark for Alabama corruption,” adding: “It’s so nakedly political that someone should charge them with indecent exposure.”

There are many credible allegations against Strange, a political swamp critter.
The important point in all this is “Big Luther” Strange will grow McConnell’s power base and at least two of his opponents for the seat, Brooks and Moore, want McConnell to go.

Strange is backed by anti-Trumper Karl Rove and anti-Trump Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, polls show Moore leading by about 30 points.

Moore has secured the endorsements of both Brooks and state Sen. Trip Pittman. Combined, Moore, Brooks, and Pittman got 65.5 percent of the vote in the first round—meaning Trump’s endorsement of Strange did little but limp him through to the next round. Strange only got 32.8 percent, with Trump’s endorsement and millions of dollars spent.

Sean Hannity, the Fox News anchor and nationally syndicated radio host, has endorsed Moore. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the father of White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is supporting Moore, as is the staunchly pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC). Most of Trump’s in-state supporters in Alabama are on Moore’s team, like state Rep. Ed Henry—who was a co-chair of Trump’s Alabama campaign.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a key early Trump endorser, has endorsed Moore and plans to campaign for him in Alabama this coming week.

Moore supports Trump’s agenda, Strange won’t. For example, Moore supports the RAISE Act but Strange won’t. Moore also supports the president on the Second Amendment and on education policy, as well as trade policy, something Strange refuses to do on each of those things and more.

https://www.independentsentinel.com/trump-is-in-alabama-promoting-candidate-who-supports-mcconnells-agenda/

Originally Posted by MW

What you're saying doesn't mean he supports it. If he supported it, why wouldn't he just come out and say so. Perhaps there is information you don't have that Breitbart does. I'd say they probably know much more about Luther Strange than you or I do (investigative journalist perhaps).

After reading numerous articles on the guy over the last couple days, he's not someone I would want or support. He is an establishment guy that is supported by the Chamber of Commerce, big business, neoconservatives and their corporate cronies that support higher immigration numbers in the form of guest workers. Oh, and they support comprehensive immigration reform (illegal alien amnesty). We won't even get into his 16% stake in a EB-5 visa recruiting company or the potential unethical way he was given his Senate seat by the former Gov. Bentley (sp?).

I'm sorry, but just because Trump is going to bat for Luther Strange doesn't mean we should! IMO, supporting Strange is a Trump mistake.

I'm not saying he supports it. I'm saying there's no statement or quote that he opposes it. I don't care who wins the Republican primary, whether it's Strange who I know almost nothing about or Roy Moore whom I know nothing about. Alabama will decide and hopefully choose one that can win the General Election.

Judy wrote:

I'm not saying he supports it. I'm saying there's no statement or quote that he opposes it. I don't care who wins the Republican primary, whether it's Strange who I know almost nothing about or Roy Moore whom I know nothing about. Alabama will decide and hopefully choose one that can win the General Election.

I'd say there has been plenty of information provided on here over the last few days to make an easy call on which of the two would better serve our interest. Furthermore, I think we all should care very much who wins this primary race. Let's not underestimate the importance of this specific race.

I got turned off on the Breitbart reporting on this one.

Originally Posted by Judy

That doesn't mean he doesn't support the bill. Most bills only have a few co-sponsors. Breitbart reported earlier that Strange opposed it and I pointed out that there was no quote or statement from Strange to support that report in Breitbart. Now they've clarified, Strange isn't a co-sponsor of the RAISE ACT. That is no big deal, most Senators or members of the House aren't "co-sponsors" of the bills they support and vote for. That doesn't mean they oppose the bill. Come on Breitbart, you're going to have to clean this mess up, the credibility of your news agency is on the line now. It's fine if you support Moore over Strange, write an endorsement. But don't fiddle with the facts. Strange may lose the election, probably will, and he'll go on with his life, but you'll lose your credibility and then where will you go??

I think that it is not so much a question of him sponsoring the RAISE Act. Initially, he did not support it until NOW, supposedly. Make no mistake, Luther Strange is a professional politician that worked as a lobbyist in DC for years before coming to Alabama to get into politics. It reminds me of the way the Clintons used Arkansas.