So did Brazilian government extort money from US swimmers?

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133743Hokie
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So did Brazilian government extort money from US swimmers?

Post by 133743Hokie »

Latest reports and interviews indicate that all the 4 swimmers did was urinate around back of the gas station (the bathroom door was locked) and then Lochte pulled down a wall poster. They never went into the bathroom that the authorities said they trashed (so both parties appear to have lied). They get back in the taxi and a guy with a badge and gun shows up (off duty prison guards) and orders them out. They pay him $50 for "damages" and go on their way.

Now the Brazilian government pulls passports and interviews those still in the country. They say they can stay for about a month while the whole thing is fully investigated or they can pay a $36k fine. When the fine is balked at they raise it to $45k. Finally US attorneys negotiate $11k so the kid can get his passport and leave. Sounds like extortion to me.

Lochte messed up by embellishing his story, but Brazil is no doubt a crooked third world country.
Vienna_Hokie
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Re: So did Brazilian government extort money from US swimmer

Post by Vienna_Hokie »

Probably yes to your question...but don't forget, what they were held for was for filing a false report, not public urination or whatever they did.

They lied in a police report (or greatly exaggerated) and caused law enforcement resources to be used to investigate a crime that didn't happen. While they were probably shaken down a bit because they embarrassed the Brazilian gov during their little party, let's not make this out to be a $11k shakedown for public urination because that is not at all what happened. Once again, the lie and the coverup was a whole lot worse than original act.
Looks like the only thing 1984 got wrong was the date.
133743Hokie
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Re: So did Brazilian government extort money from US swimmer

Post by 133743Hokie »

Vienna_Hokie wrote:Probably yes to your question...but don't forget, what they were held for was for filing a false report, not public urination or whatever they did.

They lied in a police report (or greatly exaggerated) and caused law enforcement resources to be used to investigate a crime that didn't happen. While they were probably shaken down a bit because they embarrassed the Brazilian gov during their little party, let's not make this out to be a $11k shakedown for public urination because that is not at all what happened. Once again, the lie and the coverup was a whole lot worse than original act.
My understanding is they never filed a police report. Lochte lied to his mother, who then told the story to the media, who then interviewed Lochte, who then lied during the interview.
133743Hokie
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Re: So did Brazilian government extort money from US swimmer

Post by 133743Hokie »

Vienna_Hokie wrote:Probably yes to your question...but don't forget, what they were held for was for filing a false report, not public urination or whatever they did.

They lied in a police report (or greatly exaggerated) and caused law enforcement resources to be used to investigate a crime that didn't happen. While they were probably shaken down a bit because they embarrassed the Brazilian gov during their little party, let's not make this out to be a $11k shakedown for public urination because that is not at all what happened. Once again, the lie and the coverup was a whole lot worse than original act.
To your second part, the $11k shakedown was for making Rio and Brazil look bad; and because they could (i.e. they are corrupt and it is a way of life/business for them)
cwtcr hokie
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Re: So did Brazilian government extort money from US swimmer

Post by cwtcr hokie »

133743Hokie wrote:Latest reports and interviews indicate that all the 4 swimmers did was urinate around back of the gas station (the bathroom door was locked) and then Lochte pulled down a wall poster. They never went into the bathroom that the authorities said they trashed (so both parties appear to have lied). They get back in the taxi and a guy with a badge and gun shows up (off duty prison guards) and orders them out. They pay him $50 for "damages" and go on their way.

Now the Brazilian government pulls passports and interviews those still in the country. They say they can stay for about a month while the whole thing is fully investigated or they can pay a $36k fine. When the fine is balked at they raise it to $45k. Finally US attorneys negotiate $11k so the kid can get his passport and leave. Sounds like extortion to me.

Lochte messed up by embellishing his story, but Brazil is no doubt a crooked third world country.
graft and corruption are how the rest of the world mostly operates, of course the Clintons are very good at it here in the good ol USA. But yes they were extorted by the Brazilians, not shocking at all. Brazil is a mess
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Re: So did Brazilian government extort money from US swimmer

Post by awesome guy »

The corrupt Latino culture some want imported here.
Unvaccinated,. mask free, and still alive.
133743Hokie
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Re: So did Brazilian government extort money from US swimmer

Post by 133743Hokie »

cwtcr hokie wrote:
133743Hokie wrote:Latest reports and interviews indicate that all the 4 swimmers did was urinate around back of the gas station (the bathroom door was locked) and then Lochte pulled down a wall poster. They never went into the bathroom that the authorities said they trashed (so both parties appear to have lied). They get back in the taxi and a guy with a badge and gun shows up (off duty prison guards) and orders them out. They pay him $50 for "damages" and go on their way.

Now the Brazilian government pulls passports and interviews those still in the country. They say they can stay for about a month while the whole thing is fully investigated or they can pay a $36k fine. When the fine is balked at they raise it to $45k. Finally US attorneys negotiate $11k so the kid can get his passport and leave. Sounds like extortion to me.

Lochte messed up by embellishing his story, but Brazil is no doubt a crooked third world country.
graft and corruption are how the rest of the world mostly operates, of course the Clintons are very good at it here in the good ol USA. But yes they were extorted by the Brazilians, not shocking at all. Brazil is a mess
"baksheesh"
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