A grand jury in California’s Santa Clara County last week indicted Thomas Moyer, Apple’s head of global security, on bribery charges. Moyer is accused of offering 200 iPads to the Santa County Sheriff’s office in exchange for concealed carry permits for four Apple employees.
Timothy B. Lee for Ars Technica:
Moyer’s attorney says that he did nothing wrong, and notably Apple is standing behind its executive.
“We expect all of our employees to conduct themselves with integrity,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “After learning of the allegations, we conducted a thorough internal investigation and found no wrongdoing.”
Also indicted were two officials in the office of Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith. These officials are accused of soliciting the alleged bribe.
California law gives sheriffs broad discretion to decide who gets permits to carry concealed weapons in the state. Smith has previously faced accusations that her office deliberately withheld permits to carry concealed weapons until applicants did favors for Smith. A June investigation by NBC Bay Area found that donors to Smith’s re-election campaign were 14 times more likely to get concealed carry permits than those who didn’t donate…
While two individuals in Sheriff Smith’s office were indicted, no charges have been filed against Smith herself. Rosen says the investigation is ongoing. A common prosecutorial strategy is to focus on lower-ranking employees first in order to pressure them to provide evidence against their boss.
MacDailyNews Take: Again, wherever the laws stipulate that “permits” are required, the potential for corruption by the permit issuers is increased. When the issuer is “the government,” it creates an impedance to reporting abusers for fear of retaliation. To whom do you report attempted bribery when it’s the police doing the extorting and you have no idea how far the corruption goes with “the government?”
If Sung et al. are found guilty of holding back issuing concealed weapons permits in order to extort goods, services, etc., they should be charged with the maximum penalties possible, but Moyer and others, who were simply trying to achieve California “permits” just to be able to perform their jobs are largely the victims here, not the criminals.
According to a November 24th Washington Post report, “Through his attorney, Ed Swanson, Moyer denied the allegations and said there was no quid pro quo. Moyer helped arrange a donation of iPads to a new education center for the sheriff’s office, Swanson said, but that donation was not connected with four concealed-carry permits issued to Apple employees. “He did nothing wrong and has acted with the highest integrity throughout his career. We have no doubt he will be acquitted at trial,” Swanson said in a statement.”
Sound like Apple tried sweeping it under the rug. Bad choice.
All officials who refused to issue carry permits to law-abiding citizens should be jailed for treason
The MDN take is nuts. Bribery, like prostitution, requires two parties. Both are equally culpable. It is apparent that the local Sheriff and DA are political enemies, so Apple security could have notified the DA, or state-level law enforcement, or the Feds. Instead, the Grand Jury has found that the defendant voluntarily committed a felony. Criminals are not innocent victims.
You’ve clearly never had to do any construction in NYC. Keep living in Neverland.
Never done construction in NYC, and never committed a felony. Apparently, you are two up on me.
You Trump Inc…sub contractor killer…..
When a crooked cop wants a handout you report them…
All aspects considered, sounds like the Biden family way to me. At least no crack pipes were involved. I guess the DA just felt left out.
Really? You just had to make a Biden comment even though it is totally unrelated. Listen bud, the election is over and this sort of crap should disappear, just like you. Everyone is trying to return to a normal life, if you have issues go see a professional.
Wow.
After 4 years of crying.
How appropriate.
Let me repeat, go see a professional.
Let ME repeat.
After four years of total fucking bullshit lies and investigations over nothing Nothing, NOTHING! you have the gall to claim looking into voting irregularities calls for professional help?
If these are found to be true and sway the results, we can come back and visit your advice during what will surely be your Total Toddler Meltdown.
Can’t wait to see how it plays out…
@TT
Calm down there Buckingham before you get a stroke. I had no problem with recounts but at some point it just gets pathetic. As for the previous 4 years and nothing? Seriously? Are we on the same Planet? Stone, Flynn, Cohen,Manafort… lying and in jail? Impeached. Boinking porn stars and paying them from campaign contributions. It seems like you approve of all this but clearly the majority of Americans did not this time around. The great ‘Experiment’ failed as it became clear that the swamp got much worse with dickhead in power.
Now he is failing in every legal attempt…fail fail fail. He is pretty good at that. Failed in the economy, caused unnecessary COVID deaths, shall I go on? No need because come Jan 20th, the swamp king will be headed for a state court room and hopefully jail.
Notice that around the globe, all world leaders are public ally stating that they are happy to see America back.
Now, go relax before your health deteriorates.it’s over…..bye.
You been watching the Pee Pee tape again? You’re crosseyed!
Thanks inspector Clouseau. Any other earth shattering findings in this case? TxUsr …he always gets his man. You are a regular gumshoe.
Based on the things I’ve read, due to irrational gun control, most cc permits are handed out on a quid pro quo or who you know basis anyway.
Only in blue counties. It’s actually not that bad in the rest of the sane counties (red), still not as easy as red states, but way easier than say Santa Clara County.
So can we get a gun emoji now?
I hear Apple is extending education discounts to Chinese Re-education camps as well.
Grand jury indicts Apple’s head of security but Apple says he did nothing wrong.
Apple uses slave labor to make it $billions and Apple says it did nothing wrong (they knew).
See the pattern here?
Tim Cook is a POS.