Sant Singh Chatwal is a multi millionaire convicted felon.  He made his money in the hotel business.

Chatwal used straw donors to violate campaign finance laws.  He gave more than $180,000 to Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd and former Florida congressman Kendrick Meek.  There is no evidence that the recipients knew the money was coming from made-up donors.

A government informant secretly taped Chatwal explaining his views on politics: “Without money nobody will ever talk to you.”

No shoot, Sherlock.  That is the American way, thanks to the Supreme Court.

The prosecutors wanted 56 months jail time.  But, the judge gave him a year’s probation.  Nice, right?

His friends wrote letters to the judge pleading his case.  I’m not saying that all of them were paid to write the letters, but they probably were.

My personal favorite?

Chatwal’s 43-year-old son Vikram, who frequently appears in gossip columns for dating models, wrote a letter to the judge admitting that he is an addict who has been in rehab 10 times.

“I am not ready to go it alone without the encouragement and guidance of my father,” Vikram Chatwal wrote under the letterhead from the Soho Mews condo.

Ahhhhh, so your Dad’s guidance didn’t help the first ten times but the 11th time will be the charm?  You’re 43 years old – go it alone dammit.