And all this pressure is coming down on John Saldivar and the UDP even after he resigned from Cabinet. Indeed, he told the Prime Minister he was resigning, quote, "to give himself an opportunity to get out from under the cloud of suspicion.."
But, that's the thing: it's not a cloud; it's a full out storm raining down on Saldivar and the UDP. And that's because no politician has ever been caught as exquisitely as he has, on text messages, soliciting large donations. It's no crime, but in the public mind, it confirms many long held misgivings about politicians.
Tonight, in a commentary on recent events, Jules Vasquez looks at the rapid rise and fall on John Saldivar, and asks if he can have a political rebirth:
Throughout the Lev Dermen ordeal, perhaps what has been the most amazing is John Saldivar's insistence that he did nothing wrong with Jacob Kingston or Lev Dermen.
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Do you look to Utah next week with anxiety?"
Hon. John Saldivar, UDP Leader Elect - Feb 09
"No, not at all, I know that there's nothing that's gonna come form that that's gonna affect me in any negative way."
How wrong he knew he was - in less that 72 hours, John Saldivar went from the political pinnacle to the political dumpster.
And his demise was cemented with the release of these text messages with Jacob Kingston. Saldivar - on his known cell phone number - is seen to ask Jacob Kingston to send 50 thousand US dollars to Miami for him to pick up. Saldivar tells Kingston he is, quote "out of cash" and, quote, "Really need(s) the February tranche". He declined a wire transfer - which leaves a paper trail, saying, "Hmmm. Not sure that's a good idea." Saldivar says he could fly to Miami to pick it up. How much? Well "the usual" as he refers to it is 25k monthly, but Saldivar asked for the March disbursement at the same time. One has to ask, with such regular monthly payments, what was Lev Dermen and his associate buying or paying for? Saldivar says nothing.
For sure the business they were doing needed no invoice and no receipt, just a casual "Nuff thanks," for a hundred grand delivered to Miami, with love from Utah. Perhaps that casual rejoinder is an illustration of how commonplace it was, perhaps not.
The thing is, while it looks terrible and is politically toxic, there's no crime in Saldivar getting such a donation - under Belize's non existent campaign laws - he can get donations of any size, with no disclosure:
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Might be that the minister could make a hell of a case, saying where is the proof that this was other than a campaign contribtiuion from someone that I knew who supported me and there are no laws in Belize, that regulate campaign financing contributions, you lied to me and lied to the cabinet in saying that you did not receive any money. QED. That in itself is a basis for me to say sir/madam you cannot stay in any cabinet that I lead."
Saldivar made it easier for the PM; with civil society sabres rattling, he resigned, and is now political damaged goods, if not dead meat. But, his colleague friend and sometimes adversary thinks he can still make a comeback
Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Area Rep
"Saldivar is a fighter and is one who keeps coming back."
But, to come back from this, cash money political fundraising in plain view, and possibly money laundering laid bare, will be difficult, if not impossible. But he came back from a convention defeat in 2010, and 2016, still to gain the greatest heights in the UDP political pantheon - even with a very dark cloud directly above his head - a feat of unmatched daring, not to be underestimated. But now that he has gone from victor to vapor in less than 72 hours, it will be interesting to see if Saldivar stages another comeback.
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