The Chinese billionaire who pled guilty this week to illegally funneling money to New York politicians has a colorful business history in China, owning a notorious Beijing nightclub and amassing a media empire — all while stacking up a long list of legal troubles.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a press conference, July 10, 2023. Credit: Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
When Chinese billionaire Qin Hui pled guilty last Monday to illegally funneling more than $11,000 worth of donations to politicians in New York and Rhode Island, much of the reporting focused on his alleged ties to beleaguered New York mayor Eric Adams.
The charges in a New York federal court against Qin — who faces up to 27 years in prison — didn’t mention Adams by name. But the New York Times reported that the mayor was one beneficiary of a so-called ‘straw donor’ scheme, through
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