What started as a rather simple wrongful termination case between Steven Jacobs and his former employer Las Vegas Sands and Sands China Ltd. has spiraled into something very few saw coming. Jacobs, who ran the company’s Macau branch before being let go, claimed he was asked to do quite a bit of dirty work overseas, including, but not limited to, digging up dirt on local officials which the company could then use as leverage against the government.
Jacobs has also tried to expose Sands for having ties to organized crime, which major media outlets have jumped on. Guardian News & Media, publisher of The Guardian and watchdog organization Campaign for Accountability has asked Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzales to unseal Exhibit 1100, known as the Vickers Report. The report is named after private investigator Steve Vickers, who previously was a Hong Kong police official.
The motion set forth argues that the reports involve news that is of extreme public interest. The group wants access “to serve the compelling public interest in learning the extent to which Sheldon Adelson has used money acquired through criminal activity in Macau casinos to make campaign contributions to candidates for public office.”
It is alleged Sands has ties to organized crime groups in China, also known as triads. The triads are thought to have tremendous influence and power over the high-end junket operators, which bring in VIP gamblers to Macau. The group said in the motion, “Adelson was the largest single donor funding the 2012 presidential race and has indicated he will spend significant amounts in the 2016 race.”
“Access to the requested documents will inform and enhance public awareness of Mr. Adelson’s role in electoral politics and provide the transparency necessary for the public to hold responsible the officials and candidates for public office who accept his money,” the motion also said. It went on to argue, “The public has a right to see the contents of these reports, not only to allow it to evaluate this public corporation and its financial oversight, but also to help it assess the actions of the judicial system and litigants.”
