Anyone seen Inside Job? There are a few people that might want Mr Strauss-Khan embarrassed and shut up.
Not for one second suggesting a set up - but strewth - just how much more critical could he have been of the big Wall Street and Treasury players and aportioniong blame for the worldwide economic crisis?
Ben Bernanke and Robert Paulson are probably chuckling away at Mr Strauss-Khans misfortune today.
A chamber maid ffs!
He should have known better at his age and with his "worldly" experience.
Still, opens up a few interesting options now for the PS in the run up to the Presidential elections. DSK (as he is known here) was expected to resign soon as head of the IMF and announce his candidature for the PS primaries with Martine Aubry and Segoline Royale still scratching each other's eyes out for the nomination. DSK was expected to win, hands down but the recent events will have put paid to that without a doubt.
Unless they can find a strong candidate quickly, Sarkozy must be favourite to win a second term.
How the mighty fall from grace eh?
Fox News:
"IMF Head Was In Produced Movie By Luries
PHILADELPHIA - Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF chief jailed on attempted charges, was one of the key experts interviewed in an award-winning documentary produced by Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie.
Jeffrey Lurie and his wife, Christina Weiss Lurie, were the executive producers of "Inside Job," which won an Oscar in 2011 and many other awards.
Strauss-Kahn was one of the financial experts interviewed in the documentary who were critical of some banking policies.
In 2010, "Inside Job" filmmaker Charles Ferguson told POLITICO he was surprised Strauss-Kahn would speak on camera about a film that ripped the financial industry.
"He was much more direct than I thought he would be," Ferguson said.
Fox 29 contacted the Philadelphia Eagles for comment from the Luries about Strauss-Kahn, and they had no comment.
Strauss-Kahn must remain jailed at least until Friday, the day of his next court hearing for attempted and other charges, a judge ruled Monday.
Strauss-Kahn is accused of attacking a maid who went in to clean his penthouse suite Saturday at a luxury hotel near Times Square.
"This battle has just begun," defense attorney Benjamin Brafman told scores of reporters gathered outside the courthouse. "Mr. Strauss-Kahn is innocent of these charges."
Strauss-Kahn, a member of France's Socialist party, was widely considered the strongest potential challenger next year to President Nicolas Sarkozy. "
There is much more to be heard about this case. Did you see Timothy Geithner on the news? He could hardly contain his smirk. This was the man who was President of the New York Federal Reserve Bank at the height of the crisis and in March 2008 played a supporting role to Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, in the decision to bail out AIG just two days after deciding not to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy. Some Wall Street CEOs subsequently expressed the opinion that decisions in which Geithner participated, especially the failure to rescue Lehman, contributed to worsening the global financial crisis. It was not just Wall Street CEO's who were critical and remain critical of the personalities in power in the USA.
Watch this case unfold - it could be very interesting.
Yes neil; I wouldn't doubt that the hand of an "insider" isn't far from the truth.
The French are not usually ones to "kiss and tell" but there is a great interest developing here in France over this matter and new revelations emerging about him daily.
I can understand that people outside of France might not know of him particularly well but interest in him has grown here since the very public spat between Royal and Aubry for the leadership of the Socialist Party where Royal accused Aubry of fiddling the result. It was a very close call anyway and the membership are nonplussed with Segoline Royal for losing the last Presidential elections at the first round to a run off between Sarkozy of the UMP and the ageing Jean-Marie Le Pen of the Front National. Sarkozy was bound to win in what has always been seen as a traditionally Socialist, left of centre, country (despite the UMP being centrist with centre right tendencies).
In public, Sarkozy and DSK are predictably pleasant to each other in spite of their political differences. However, recent polls here (before this incident) have suggested DSK leading by a significant margin - even to the extent that "ball breaker" Marine Le Pen, daughter of the last leader and now leader of the FN in her own right polling better than Sarkozy! The sparkling Royal and the rather dour Aubry not doing quite so well as Sarkozy in current popularity polls.
So for the Presidential elections here next year, the loss of DSK to the PS is significant. It puts Sarkozy back at the top of the pile with no likely challenges from within the ranks of the UMP, the ruling party.
Now, very interesting I hear you cry, but what has all this to do with DSK (allegedly) getting it down and dirty with a chamber maid in New York?
DSK's sexual preferences will be well known in political circles and he is currently in his 3rd marriage. He is 62 and well renown as a womaniser, preferring young cute things as playmates, willing or not. He is a born target, if there ever was one, for the traditional "honey trap". The interesting bit is that the French usually regard sexual infidelity as a plus point in a politician.
Not only will there be much rubbing of hands in the US but here at home too. Who pressed the "go" button? There are seemingly lots of very high profile people with deep pockets and very good reasons to "take him out of circulation just now" as likely candidates but who can tell for certain.
Is he innocent? Only if he kept it in his trousers which at the moment seems unlikely.
Poor chap's been done up like a kipper. Hook, line, sinker, the full works. His legal team will be ordering their new Lincolns on the back of this just about now I should think.
Conspiracy? Almost certainly.
Is Geoffrey Archer still writing political fiction? He could make a mint on this one :thumbup:
Interesting that Mme Lagarde is front runner to replace DSK.
If the Americans did set DSK up then they really have shot themselves in the foot if Christine Lagarde replaces him. She is no friend of the high and the mighty in the US Treasury.
My flying instructor was called Fox...
best one ever.....
So Prosecutors have now asked the Judge to dismiss the case against DSK.
What next I wonder?..............
So much for American justice eh?
I guess they're trying desperately to get it dropped so that DSK can still stand a chance in the PS primaries in September for the Presidential elections next year but he now seems to be damaged goods here in France with (unusually for the French) other females coming out and claiming he abused them - including I believe a relatives daughter.
There is still the matter of the civil case which DSK will still have to face but suggestions are, if he is released from bail, he will return to France/Europe and not answer the case. His Wife is a very well heeled heiress and I doubt the left of centre politicos can now take him seriously as a contender unless he jumps ship to Marine Le Pen's FN (highly unlikely as she wants the prize for herself and is a real 'ball breaker').
Effectively, he's a dead fish and there is as much a funny smell about him too.
The whole incident does however speak volumes about the American non-justice system.
The latest news in the papers tell of him frequenting a hotel in Lille that was a front for an upmarket brothel. They are trying to link him with underage prostitutes, which in France is under the age of 18.
