Letters submitted in New York ahead of sentencing.
By The American Bazaar Staff
NEW YORK: From the former prime minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, to new age guru Deepak Chopra, more than 300 letters of support have been written by prominent personalities to urge leniency for Indian American hotel magnate Sant Singh Chatwal, who will be sentenced next month after he pleaded guilty in April of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act in collecting more than $180,000 through straw donors for three political campaigns, including for Hillary Clinton.
The letters of support have been submitted in the Brooklyn federal court, in order to try and impress the judge and get some reprieve for Chatwal, 70, who may be sentenced to as much as six years in jail, apart from a hefty fine, on November 19th. Chatwal has also agreed to forfeit $1 million to the US government.
The supporters who have sent letters, include media baron, BET founder Robert Johnson and restaurant titan Geoffrey Zakarian, reported the New York Post.
“From powerful politicians to prominent surgeons to former New York City Police Commissioner Lee Brown, Chatwal appears to have retained a slew of friends in high places despite his fall from grace earlier this year,” reported the Post.
In his letter, Chopra wrote: “I can say with honesty that I have had the opportunity to know Sant as a businessman, as well as a dear friend, and have found him to be fair supportive and trustworthy in all business dealings.”
Johnson asked the court for a “measured” sentence for his friend so that he could return to serving the community.
Singh, a staunch Democrat, was captured on recordings explaining the importance of money in amassing connections and potent friendships in America. He is also accused of witness tampering in the straw donors case.
“That’s the only way to buy them, get into the system,” he said, according to court papers.
Chatwal’s playboy son, Vikram Chatwal, who has had his share of run-ins with the law, and substance addiction problems, also submitted a letter of support for his embattled father.
The letters of support include a November 2008 letter by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who expressed his “sincere appreciation” for Chatwal’s “personal efforts” in working for the successful conclusion of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
He congratulated Chatwal for his “important contribution” in bringing the two countries closer together and expressed confidence of his continued support to deepen Indo-US ties.
Former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India T.K.A. Nair said in a June 2014 letter that “as a devout Sikh and philanthropist, Chatwal has been rendering commendable service to society in different areas.” Nair noted the “remarkable passion” with which Chatwal committed himself to the cause of the civil nuclear deal.
Other prominent personalities who have submitted letters of support include the former Indian Consul General in India in New York, Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, and the CEO of YES Bank Rana Kapoor.
“We ask that the Court take these letters, together with a sentencing memorandum to be filed separately, into account in determining a just and appropriate sentence,” said Jonathan Sack, whose firm represents Chatwal, reported the Press Trust of India.
Notably, there are no letters of support from the former US President Bill Clinton and the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who are considered family friends of the Chatwals.
This is the second high profile case involving an Indian American in an illegal straw donors case.
Last month, the conservative writer, filmmaker and ideologue Dinesh D’Souza escaped prison time but was sentenced to five years’ probation and eight months of community service for violating federal campaign finance laws.
D’Souza, however, has taken this opportunity to make a film out of his ordeal. He revealed to Breitbart News that he will be documenting and broadcasting his court-ordered community service for the public to see. Part of his sentencing includes court orders to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to immigrants and minorities.
However, it’s not smooth sailing for D’Souza. A judge in New York has ordered that he cannot leave San Diego County in California till he completes his eight months’ time at the community center, and he also must obtain the approval of his federal probation officer to conduct any media interviews.
2 Comments
Notably, there are no letters of support from the former US President Bill Clinton and the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who are considered family friends of the Chatw << Ha
Disgraceful! Did Manmohan Singh or Nair bother to verify that Chatwal falsely claimed to be a pilot in the Indian Navy? More importantly, he defrauded Indian banks for millions of dollars while falsely claiming to them that he was “bankrupt”.