DOJ Antitrust Division Considering Launching Investigation Into Silver Market Manipulation By JPM
by ilene - May 1st, 2010 9:36 am
Courtesy of Tyler Durden
Eric King reports the breaking news that in a letter obtained by Ted Butler, the DOJ’s Antitrust department is considering launching an investigation into silver market manipulation by JP Morgan. Should an announcement of a full formal probe of manipulation by JPM follow, it would be tantamount to a confirmation of what numerous individuals have been claiming over the years, that JP Morgan, the LBMA, the CFTC, various banks, and even that kindly old grandpa who was so much against derivatives except when he was about to lose money as a result of regulation that he is spending the whole weekend telling his investors in Omaha to run, not walk, to Borsheim’s, and buy all their massively overpriced trinkets (you can’t be a quadrillionaire without first being a trillionaire), are nothing but a borderline criminal cabal that traffics in wealth extraction courtesy of a few monopolist players. As Eric King discloses in its letter the Anti-Trust division announces that "it will carefully consider the issue of silver market manipulation by JP Morgan and other traders. Generally the CFTC investigates these types of market manipulations. However, the suggestion that JPMorgan Chase may be signaling other traders, warrants further analysis. The DOJ will carefully consider the issue you raise, and you can be assured that if we conclude that silver traders have engaged in anti-competitive conduct, we will take appropriate enforcement action."
Ted Butler, always cutting to the point, says: "It’s about time a major government organization stepped up to end what has been a very serious crime in progress that has basically covered two decades…[JP Morgan's] level of concentration only exists in the silver markets. Concentration is the hallmark of manipulation or a monopoly. Our markets are supposed to be free markets, they are not supposed to be controlled by anybody. Right now the silver market is a monopoly, the chief monopolist is JP Morgan, and the only entity that can step up to JPM is the Antitrust division of the DOJ…If you want to put it into perspective, more important and more serious than what is currently happening with Goldman Sachs. This is a crime in progress, this is an allegation of current market manipulation. This is as serious as you get. You don’t get bigger than market manipulation."
And, as a scheduled daily reminder to Christine Varney: if you are evaluating JP Morgan…
News Coverage of the Maguire ‘Whistleblower’ Car Accident in the States
by ilene - March 31st, 2010 2:51 pm
News Coverage of the Maguire ‘Whistleblower’ Car Accident in the States
Courtesy of JESSE’S CAFÉ AMÉRICAIN
I received this news story from an astute reader.
I also asked a GATA news source why Mr. Maguire had not discussed the accident in his interview with King World News. He is reported to be ‘very concerned’ for his safety and is reluctant to discuss this aspect of his coming forward. I think this is understandable. It must be very hard to do this sort of thing.
The mainstream media in the US is very slow to pursue investigative pieces, with a few notable exceptions. It has in too many cases become an extension of the corporations that own the once proud newsrooms.
Here also is a new interview by Eric King of King World News with Chris Powell, Adrian Douglas, and Bill Murphy on this and related topics.
NYPost
JPMorgan ‘chase’ story in UK
By MICHAEL GRAY
March 29, 2010
A London-based precious-metals trader who had accused JPMorgan Chase of manipulating the gold and silver markets was involved in a bizarre weekend car accident that triggered a police chase before the suspect was nabbed.
Andrew Maguire, a metals trader at the London Bullion Market Association, and his wife were traveling in their car when a second car coming out of a side street struck their vehicle. That car then hit two more vehicles before fleeing.
London cops using helicopters and patrol cars chased the hit-and-run driver before nabbing that person, whose name has not been released by authorities.
Maguire and his wife were released from the hospital yesterday. London police would not comment on the accident investigation.
The hit and run occurred after Maguire’s name came to light Thursday during a US Commodities Futures Trading Commission hearing on limiting gold and silver positions held by large market participants in order to prevent manipulation.
During the hearing, Maguire was identified as having sent e-mails to Bart Chilton, a CFTC commissioner, and Eliud Ramirez, head of the commission’s enforcement division, alleging that JPMorgan had used its massive metals positions to manipulate the commodities markets.
In one e-mail, Maguire wrote, "It is common knowledge here in London among the metals traders that it is JPM’s intent to flush out and cover as many shorts as possible prior to any discussion in March about position limits," referring to last week’s CFTC hearings.