Omissions, Inconsistencies Found in John Liu's Campaign Finance Disclosures

Fundraising by organizations with strong ties to Chinese Communist Party

By Joshua Philipp

Epoch Times Staff Sep 9, 2009

NEW YORK—After reviewing New York City Comptroller Candidate, John Liu’s campaign finances, discrepancies were found between contributions from donors as listed by the campaign, and information obtained directly from the donors.

Several of Liu’s fundraising events were held by Chinese Associations in New York—most of which have strong connections with the Chinese Consulate and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Required information is also missing on several donors.

A source in the Chinese community in Flushing said several of the names listed on Liu’s financial disclosure never donated. After calling some of Liu’s more than 4,500 listed donors—although many refused to speak—some revealed inconsistencies between their records and Liu’s.

One man (name withheld) is listed as having donated $1,000 to Liu’s campaign. When The Epoch Times phoned him, he said he donated only $50.

Another man (name withheld,) the manager of a business, said he and several others pulled together $1,000 to donate to Liu under a single check. According to the New York City Campaign Finance Board, gathering funds from multiple people and donating them under a single name is called a “nominee contribution,” which is against New York City Campaign Finance Board’s (NYCCFB) laws.

“I wrote the check two years ago,” said the donor. “A few of us put it together.”

After reviewing Liu’s campaign financial disclosure, more than 140 of Liu’s contributions were found to be missing required information. The total donation value of them is more than $112,000. According to the NYCCFB, in order for a donation of more than $99 to be accepted for an individual, it must include the donor’s occupation, employer, and business address. All of these items were missing from the 140-plus donations found in disclosures as of Sept. 8.

Fundraisers and a trip to China

A fundraising event held by the New York Chinese Business Association (NYCBA) for Liu on Aug. 22, 2008 in Flushing raised at least $40,000 for Liu, according to their Web site. In a photograph on the Web site, John Liu is pictured with members of the organization. A Chinese-language banner behind them reads, “Chinese Business Association wishes John Liu campaign success.” see link

The NYCBA held another fundraising event for Liu on Jan. 3, 2006, where they raised more than $20,000. They also held a press conference encouraging people to donate more. In the report, Liu is pictured with the leaders of the organization.

Part of the Web site reads (in Chinese), “To support John Liu to elevate higher on the political stage, association headquarter donated $20,000 campaign money.” See link

Aside from holding fundraisers for Liu, the NYCBA’s chairman, Lü Chengrui, also arranged Liu’s trip to China in 2007. During his trip, Liu met with Xu Yousheng, the vice director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, one of the three offices of the United Front Work Department, and part of the CCP’s intelligence and foreign infiltration operations.

Lü Chengrui is also the president of the Shandong Association of Fellow Provincials from New York, a group also known to have close ties to the CCP and which also played a role in Liu’s China visit.

The NYCBA has a close relationship with both the Chinese Consulate-General in New York and the CCP in China. When Peng Keyu, the current Chinese Consul-General, assumed his position in New York on Jan. 12, 2008, the NYCBA organized 300 people to attend his welcoming party, according to the consulate’s website. The Chinese Consul-General is a key figure in the CCP. See link

Flushing resident and practicing attorney for the state of New York, Ning Ye, said he is concerned about how well-financed John Liu's campaign appears as he walks around Flushing.

“I see a lot of people, like a rally, like a popular demonstration, holding John Liu’s picture, with slogans...the size of the campaign is unprecedented,” Ning said. “It involves so many well-organized people and so much funding.”

Ning says Chinese people don't tend to make large donations.

“So this sizable campaign concerns me deeply,” he said. “I am deeply concerned about any foreign infiltration, interference of the democratic process in the United States.”

More Chinese Association Fundraisers

According to Chinese-language media Sinovision, the Eastern U.S. Chinese American Physicians organization IPA held a fundraising dinner at the Bowery Street Congee Home restaurant for Liu on June 28, 2008. More than 20 physicians attended and raised more than US$20,000 for Liu's campaign. Three photos show Liu at the event. See link

Prior to that, on May 19, 2007, the Eastern U.S. Chinese American Physicians organization, IPA, held a fundraising event in Flushing, Queens, for Liu that brought in $23,500.

According to an article published in Chinese-language newspaper World Journal (shijie ribao) on July 2, 2008, the Fukien American Association raised at least $70,000 through fundraising events.

The Fujianese.com Web site announced a fundraising event at the East Market Restaurant on East Broadway in Manhattan's Chinatown held by the Fukien American Association on July 10, 2007 for Liu. The amount raised at the event is unknown. See link

The Fukien American Association is active in human trafficking, according to police testimony cited at the 1992 U.S. Senate hearings on Asia organized crime, which was cited in the book, Global Human Smuggling, by David Kyle and Rey Koslowski.

They are also affiliated with the Fuk Ching gang which is known for human trafficking, according to a report from the NIJ International Center, United Nation Activities.

The Epoch Times reported on Sept. 3 that the Fukien American Association held an event on June 3, 2009 that was attended by John Liu, Peng Keyu, and the association’s president, who were seated next to each other. The day after the Epoch Times cited the event in a Sept. 3 article, the Web page was removed, although copies of all photos previously on the site have been retained.

Last Updated

Sep 11, 2009