The Best Little …house in Palau

From the most recent online edition of the California Bar Journal:

[An attorney] was disbarred in Illinois in 2008 for money-laundering in Palau and engaging in dishonest conduct by giving false testimony in his wife’s criminal trial. His actions amounted to moral turpitude, and the California State Bar Court determined he violated the state’s professional conduct rules. He did not participate in any of the proceedings brought against him.

[The attorney], who was licensed in the Republic of Palau and worked as an attorney for the Senate Legal Counsel Office, married a woman who operated a restaurant that fronted as a prostitution business. She deposited some of the funds from the business in a joint account she held with [him].

She was charged with money-laundering and, during her trial, [he] falsely testified that the money in their account came from his salary, his family and wedding gifts. He knew the money was from prostitution.

After the wife’s trial, [the attorney] was given an opportunity to respond to allegations by the Attorney Disciplinary Tribunal of Palau that he was aware of his wife’s business. He did not respond and the charges — giving false testimony, knowingly receiving proceeds from his wife’s illegal business and attempting to conceal the nature of the money — were deemed admitted. The charges constituted moral turpitude and he also was accused of once thwarting a police sting of the business. [He] was disbarred in Palau.

(Mike Frisch)