The Presidential Pardon… One of Many… Shulem a/k/a Sholem a/k/a Sholam Weiss

The below commentary has been published with the Permission of the Author. The following article on his site can be found at: https://larrynoodles.com/otisville-pardon-party/ Before posting, however, we have provided a backdrop.

Note to Reader:

Before posting the below commentary we want to provide you with some political backdrop from the New York Times that may provide some color regarding the relationship between Weiss and the former US President.

845 Years in Prison, If the Authorities Can Catch Him; F.B.I. Says Fugitive Has a Flair For Fraud and Hiding Stolen Cash

From the New York Times

OTISVILLE PARDON PARTY

Two days ago Otisville inmate Sholam Weiss was counting the days until the year 2738, the day he was scheduled to be released from Federal prison. Weiss got the longest sentence for white collar criminals in the history of the Republic, 600 years longer than Bernie Madoff, even though Weiss paid his $125 million restitution in full. Today, thanks to a Presidential pardon, Sholam Weiss danced with his family and friends in upstate New York. Sholam is the guy above with the white beard. Sholam and a few other guys scammed National Heritage Life Insurance Company, based out of Florida, out of $450 million.

Sholam, a member of the bearded Satmar sect, was clean shaven before he got COVID19 in Otisville. After COVID19 Sholam turned to religion. You won’t find any athiests in a foxhole. Sholam grew his Hasidic beard and survived the plague, and lived to see his 700 year prison sentence reduced to gornisht, nada, nothing. Sholam lived to see his day of freedom and redemption.

Sholam lived on the lam for a year in Europe with his stripper shiksa girlfriend hiding from the Feds before he was caught. Sholam’s long sentence was meant to deter others from fleeing from the long arm of the Justice Department. Sholam invested some of his ill begotten gains in Scores strip club in Manhattan. Sholam was partners at Scores with John Gotti Jr. and other mobsters. The party ended when the Feds raided the club and wired up a few guys who were connected to Sholam’s insurance company. The Feds in New York used these informants to bust the mob for extortion. The Feds in Florida used these same informants to bust Weiss and his assocites for the massive fraud they committed at National Heritage Life Insurance Company.

Weiss was locked up in the Otisville medium with Sholom Rubashkin, who got a commutation of his 27 year sentence a year ago. I was locked up in the Otisville camp, which was separated by the medium with a barbed wire fence. Every now and then I could look through the fence and see Rubashkin or Weiss, or Mordechai Samet, who got an early release this past September. Rubashkin and Weiss ran the chapel for the Jewish inmates locked up in the medium. Samet and Weiss were cellmates. I heard from guys in the medium that Weiss and Rubashkin didn’t get along. Weiss had shaved his beard and was not as religious as Rubashkin and Samet. Weiss, Samet and Rubashkin were the only religious Jews in the medium for several years. I used to watch Samet jog every day in the medium with an African American inmate.

There was never more than a dozen Jewish inmates in the Otisville medium. In the camp there was always about 80 or more Jewish inmates out of a total of 118 inmates. The medium had about 700 inmates. Today the camp probably has less than 30 Jewish inmates and around 65 total campers, due to COVID19. If you had under ten years you went to the camp, if you had more than ten years you went to the medium. The Otisville medium was not as violent as most medium prisons, State or Federal, but there were reformed gang members and lifers locked up there, as well as aging mafioso who were sentenced in the 1980s.

Otisville inmate Jonathan Braun was scheduled to be released in 2027. Braun was an international pot dealer. Braun got ten years. Braun is a very wealthy man. Braun ran a high interest money lending operation for years while he waited to be sentenced. Borrowers filed lawsuits against him for his strong arm collection practices. Braun is currently celebrating his pardon with his wife and children in his new house he purchased recently. Braun said goodbye to New York Democratic political power broker Sheldon Silver, who is still locked up in the Otisville camp. Silver has four years to go. Silver tried to get a pardon but was stymied by Republicans as well Democrat Andrew Cuomo, who called the Donald to object to 76 year old Silver’s early release. According to the New York Times, Cuomo suggested that “the Jewish community” was lobbying the Donald to pardon Silver. Cuomo would be called a racist if he said that Snoop Dogg and the African American community lobbied to get Death Row Records founder Michael Harris a commutation. Harris was doing a life sentence for conspiracy to commit murder and drug dealing. Harris was a model inmate after 25 long years in Federal prison. It was time to go home.

Former Otisville inmate 43 year old Helle Nahmad was granted a post prison pardon. Helle did about 6 months in the Otisville camp for his role in a high end illegal sports betting ring, which also included Molly Bloom, who was the main character in the movie “Molly’s Game.” The Nahmad family is worth billions of dollars and owns the largest collection of Picasso paintings in the world. I was locked up with Helle. I taught Helle how to mop a floor in Otisville. Apparently billionaires don’t teach their children how to mop. Al Capone’s nickname at Alcatraz was “the wop with the mop.” Helle’s nickname at Otisville was “H’ell.” Helle was a decent guy. Helle regaled us with stories about the high life, where he partied with the rich and famous. Helle’s best friends were Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady and Tom’s wife supermodel Gisele. Everyone wanted to be Helle’s friend. But Helle didn’t like phonies. Helle liked to spend every night playing backgammon with a heavy set Italian guy from Maine, who was missing a few teeth, named Sonny. Sonny told everyone that Helle and him were besties and Helle was going to set him up in the art business when he got out. Sonny ended up getting shipped out of Otisville because he failed to pay a big gambling debt he had with another inmate. Sonny almost had a heart attack in my cell. Helle kept in touch with some of the guys after he got released, but he was not the type to give away money to ex-cons. He was a businessman. He sometimes compained about people on the outside who tried to rip him off. Helle had one of the actors from the Wolf of Wall Street visit him in Otisville.

45 year old real estate fraudster Eliyahu Weinstein was locked up in Fort Dix and was scheduled to be released on December 25, 2033 when he got a commutation of his sentence. Eli operated a real estate investment scheme out of Lakewood, NJ, and scammed Jewish investors in Lakewood out of a half a billion dollars, if not close to a billion. Eli is celebrating his freedom in Lakewood, but he will be back in Fort Dix if he violates his probation and starts up new scams. I predict that Eli will end up back in prison in a couple of years. Guys like Eli are addicted to crime.

Two Otisville guys who tried to get pardons and commutations apparently didn’t make the cut, Hassan Nemazee and Rabbi Mendel Epstein. Iranian-American Hassan Nemazee was a big time fundraiser for the Democratic Party. Nemazee was close to the Clintons, but not close enough to get pardoned by the Democrats. Nemazee was able to scam Citibank out of $200 million dollars by submitting a few phony brokerage statements of his net worth. Nemazee got ten years in Otisville. I was locked up with Nemazee. Nemazee was an arrogant old man. Nemazee was the Persian prince. Nemazee finished his sentence a couple of years ago. Before Nemazee got released he got in a physical fight with another old man. The guards laughed at them and threw them in solitary. I assume the Donald rejected Nemazee for the same reason that the Donald rejected Democrat Sheldon Silver, which is strange because there is speculation that the Donald will form his own political party. 75 year old Rabbi Epstein is locked up in Butner, after getting transferred out of Otisville for medical reasons. Epstein got COVID19. Epstein is scheduled to be released in 2024. I don’t know why the Donald passed over Epstein. Epstein and Nemazee may have better luck with Joe Biden.

A video of Shulem Weiss a few hours after his release from Otisville was posted on Youtube. Weiss, along with the other guys who were pardoned, were very wealthy and had big time political connections. Its not fair that they got released while hundreds of thousands of other guys are still locked up in animal cages. But anyone who has ever been locked up for a substantial period of time is celebrating their release. Nobody forgets the day of their liberation. The punishment does not always fit the crime. I met hundreds of guys in Otisville. I only know of two guys who ended up back in prison.

Sholem Weiss in the Otisville prison parking lot after his release today

Apples and Trees, Kings County, Q-Anon FBI Arrests, DC Coup, Radical Fundamentalism…

Orthodox Jews waving Trump flags in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, October 7, 2020.Credit: YUKI IWAMURA/ REUTERS

How Far Will We Go In Our Support of…

Dear Readers:

This is being written in direct response to calls to publish more about the arrests in Washington, DC, particularly as they relate to the Jewish community and the arrest of a resident of Kings County. For a host of reasons I decided to stay away from the topic; but its absence on these pages has raised as many questions as it has avoided. I will begin by stating that I have shied away from this topic because, on the one hand, if there is one thing I have come to adopt in the last few years it is a firm belief that the system of electing judges and politicians in Kings County, NY is entirely corrupt. The law firms who are on the committees to elect judges, who control the slate, and who are in positions within the power structure in Kings County are in direct conflict of interest with the public’s right to judicial integrity. As such, both the attorneys and their hand-picked elected judges and politicians are ripe for manipulation and all is lost for a fair playing field for anyone on the other side of the kingmakers. I posit that only a judge who is independent can possibly be impartial. And it is my belief that absolute power corrupts absolutely. On the other hand, and taking a consistent view on fairness, reporting the subject of those arrested should also be fair. And, I do not believe it has been.

If I am honest, my feelings about Kings County politics, both judicial and governmental have tempered my approach to anything related to that subject. However, my position as a parent, an idealist and someone who believes that we should be more charitable and kind and that sites like mine should have integrity provides guidance on how I will treat the arrest of a Kings County native, something that will be clear as you continue reading.

Before you read further, be warned. I was not a fan of Trumpism. But, that was more about his brash, childish, vindictive, narcissistic and self-serving traits as a human being. Old-school Republicanism is something I go back and forth on. The office of President in all of its old school formalities are requirements to which I ascribe whomever holds that position. We spent years building up our government; and the office of President should be dignified regardless of the affiliation of the politician who sits there. Even Nixon respected the office and wanted to leave with dignity. Trump, not so much. And Trumpism, the embodiment of the man and his politics, is a frightening window into extremism American style. The following editorial will reflect this view. If you are a forever Trumper, my comments after the first few paragraphs will not be for you. Let’s agree to disagree.

I will start with this: HOW THE DC ARRESTS ARE BEING REPORTED AND SIGNIFICANT BIASES

The arrests of the people in Washington, DC for the role they played in the coup d’etat has highlighted famous figures, likely because it seems so shocking. I premise later some thoughts on that. For now, all of the arrests should be about the individuals, not their families. Some of those arrested are police officers, some governmental figures, GOP lawmakers, some military figures, some violent, some less so, and some Olympic athletes. They were each, in my view, a victim of ideological, neo-Fascist indoctrination with few exceptions. They were following what I firmly believe to have been a false narrative: “Stop the Steal.” That narrative has been a recurring theme through Trump’s entire Presidency, one that attributes his failures to things “stolen from him.” Each person that attended that rally but crossed the line of violence and organized coup is individually accountable for his or her actions. But collectively their leaders, whether governmental, social or religious are no less culpable.

The media coverage of each arrest has focused on the name of the person, not who that person’s parents are, with extremely rare exception. In New York the high profile arrest of a 34-year-old son of a Kings County Practicing Orthodox Jewish judge is one such exception and an unfair stain on the father for the actions of the son. The subject’s father is a registered Democrat and his brother is the executive director of Chovevei Zion, a politically conservative Orthodox advocacy organization as well as a Brooklyn district leader and vice president of the South Brooklyn Conservative club. Clearly there is a difference of opinion on politics within that family. Sitting at the Passover Seder must be an interesting, if not potentially volatile experience. Both of the sons are adults. They both can think for themselves. What happens next is up to the family; but unless the arrested man’s father convinced him to take an active stand in DC, a potentially violent stand, his father should be given his privacy and not made the focus of news articles or media attention.

Esformes – Convicted of one of the Largest Healthcare Frauds in History Gets Sentence Commuted

Dear Reader:

Our theory is that someone in Trump’s government or advisory group is in the process of going into business with Philip Esformes and the commuted sentence helps to facilitate that. Just a theory…

Suffice it to say, we have no other statement than that this is a disgraceful decision. It is everything wrong with the Presidential pardon power and a shining example of Trump’s failures as a human being, setting aside his failures as President. Yes. Some would disagree.

It is hard, however, to make a case for commuting the sentence of Esformes, though some have done it and we question their judgement. It would be like setting Bernie Madoff free. That, at this point, would come as no surprise.

Esformes spent years perfecting the craft of defrauding the healthcare industry and patients in nursing homes paid the price. He is a godless creature of habit and no amount of prayer in our view diminishes the harm he caused to vulnerable people and the healthcare industry at large. This opinion is yet another condemnation of the lack of nursing care oversight in the United States.

We submit that Trump should spend a few months in one of Esformes’ worst homes and see what he thinks afterwards. It could be almost like “Undercover Boss.” Trump would be forced to allow no one to know he is the President and get treated like other patients. If only…

Trump Announces Wave Of Pardons Including Orthodox Jew Phillip Esformes

Philip Esformes – Today, President Trump commuted the term of imprisonment of Philip Esformes, while leaving the remaining aspects of his sentence, including supervised release and restitution, intact.  This commutation is supported by former Attorneys General Edwin Meese and Michael Mukasey, as well as former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson.  In addition, former Attorneys General Edwin Meese, John Ashcroft, and Alberto Gonzalez, as well as other notable legal figures such as Ken Starr, have filed in support of his appeal challenging his conviction on the basis of prosecutorial misconduct related to violating attorney-client privilege.

While in prison, Mr. Esformes, who is 52, has been devoted to prayer and repentance and is in declining health.

To read the article in its entirety in Yeshiva World News, click here.

Epstein and His Lust for Young Girls, The Arrest of Maxwell – and Trump Wished her Well…. [60 Min. Australia]

Jeffrey Epstein and President Trump – Indictment – [Video] – So Was that a Threat or a “Have Your Back”…?

 

Lincoln Project releases new video targeting Trump comments on Ghislaine Maxwell

[EXCERPTED]

Both Epstein and Maxwell have been seen in photos with Trump, as well as with other prominent figures such as Bill and Hillary Clinton.

“I just wish her well, frankly,” Trump said Tuesday when asked about the case at a press conference.

Trump said that he met Maxwell “numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach.”

“But I wish her well, whatever it is,” he added.

 

 

Prosecutors allege Maxwell helped persuade and transport minors to engage in sexual acts with Epstein and others in the mid-1990s, and at times participated in the abuse herself. Her trial is scheduled to begin in July 2021.

Comments to the Presidential Proclamation on Chabad and Education

This was Posted as a Comment – We Are Posting it As a Feature –

NATIONAL EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY, USA

“For members of Chabad, the year is 5781.

This what Brooklyn, NY resident Chaim Levin wrote on Huffington Post about National Education Day in April 2012:

Yesterday was proclaimed “National Education and Sharing Day, USA” in tribute to the late Chabad Lubavitch Rabbi Menachem Schneerson’s birthday. President Obama wrote:

For centuries, the pursuit of knowledge and the cultivation of character have driven American progress and enriched our national life. On Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A., we renew our commitment to these timeless aspirations, and we rededicate ourselves to fostering in our sons and daughters inquiring minds and compassionate hearts.

In a global economy where more than half of new jobs will demand higher education or advanced training, we must do everything we can to equip our children with the tools for success. Their journey begins early, and it demands stewardship from throughout the community — from parents and caregivers who inspire a love of learning to teachers and mentors who guide our children along the path to achievement. Our Nation’s prosperity grows with theirs, and by ensuring every child has access to a world class education, we reach for a brighter future for all Americans...

Reading the President’s proclamation deeply saddened me as I thought about the education I missed out on in the Chabad school Oholei Torah (Educational Institute Oholei Menachem) in Crown Heights. Basic reading, writing, spelling, math, science and history were not part of the curriculum at any of the Chabad schools I attended. My classmates and I did not have access to a world class education.

I have profound respect for the late Rebbe and his legacy. However, I remember very clearly those talks that he gave — the ones we studied every year in elementary school about the unimportance of “secular” (non-religious, formal) education, and the great importance of only studying limmudei kodesh (holy studies). As a result of this attitude, thousands of students were not taught anything other than the Bible throughout our years attending Chabad institutions.

Until this day, Oholei Torah and many other Chabad schools — particularly schools for boys and a few for girls in Crown Heights and in some other places — do not provide basic formal education. It pains me to think of all the the doctors, lawyers and other professionals and leaders that could have come out of these institutions. These institutions have cultivated the character, compassion, cooperation and goodwill the President also speaks of, producing thousands of shluchim (emissaries) for Chabad all over the world. However, that is the goal of such schools; if you do not become an emissary, you fell through the cracks and are not prepared for anything else. The mantra of Oholei Torah, what most people say when asked why they send their kids to such a school is: “That’s what the school wants for their students, and that’s what their parents want; they hope for their kids to become emissaries of the Rebbe.”

The big question remains unanswered though: What happens to all of us whose futures do not involve becoming emissaries? The majority of students do not go on to become emissaries and lack even a basic formal education, and, hence, the brighter future the President refers to is difficult to reach. As I attempt to make up for a lack of education in anything other than the Bible and a language not relevant to the workplace, I have more and more questions about how such a harmfully unbalanced educational system still exists.

Four and half thousand people have become emissaries, a few people have managed to go on to college and a few Chabad schools do include formal non-religious curricula. Many people within the community of Crown Heights still rigorously defend Oholei Torah, excusing the failings of the school by pointing to the “many success stories.” Yet, they fail to notice the largest crowd, those of us who have been ignored, who miss and always will miss the basic education that the President extols.

In honor of National Education and Sharing Day, we should examine whether we are doing everything we can to equip our children for success. Failure to provide basic formal education cripples children within Chabad communities. We cannot ignore the harm done, and I refuse to remain silent. By opening discussion on education, we risk only improving the Chabad community and honoring the Rebbe’s humanitarian legacy as an advocate for youth.

On National Education and Sharing Day, I hope we all reach for a brighter future for everyone and strive for schools that cultivate not only character, compassion, cooperation and goodwill, but basic education and tools for success. As we celebrate Passover and overcoming the chains that held us back, I hope we reflect also on things things that keep us from personal freedom today.”

While No One is Paying Attention US President Trump is… – Chabad and Ukraine and Education – Part I

The Presidential Orders That Have the Greatest Impact Worldwide are Being Signed While the Rest of Us are Worried About Covid-19, and the President…

Edited 4.5.20

On April 3, 2020, under the cloak of education, virtues and values, President Donald Trump honored the seventh Chabad Rabbi who died in 1994. Some within the  Chabad-Lubavitcher,  Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who some believe to have been the founder of today’s Chabad spiritual teachings.

In affixing his signature to the proclamation below, President Trump told young Chabad children that the United States does not actually value their education at all. In so doing, under the laughable guise of virtues, President Trump spat in the faces of young boys who suffered abuse around the world within the Chabad movement. The abuse hidden by Chabad in Australia sparked an entire Royal Commission and an award to one of many victims, Manny Waks, for his suffering.  Chabad is embroiled in numerous  investigations in the United States for the abuse of children in their Yeshivas. The President does not seem to care. While no one was looking he sent a message to his religious followers that the United States values religion over all else, even when that religion is threatening the very threads of American democracy and the separation of church and state.

On April 3, 2020, while everyone was distracted with Covid-19, President Trump repaid those who helped him get elected in spades. Commuting the sentence of Shalom Rubashkin was apparently not enough.  For his  religious supporters, President Trump gave legitimacy to the non-education of children by way of a Presidential Education Honor. The irony is like a punch in the gut. It is laughable, were it not so utterly ignorant, misguided and devoid of any notion of reality.

Which little birds were whispering in his ear?