It is interesting to note about Montana that Michael Mansfield is the long-time ambassador to Japan. Also the Japanese have a cultural centre right in the heart of Helena, a gift to the state capital of Montana.
Regarding mining and the labor union movement in Montana, according to a confidential source, "the labor union movement is very strong ... and centered in [the] Butte-Anaconda region. This is where the mines were originally developed that built the economy [of Montana]."
The source, who wishes to remain anonymous for personal reasons, goes on to mention a lawyer who has ties with organized crime in Montana:
"One attorney who I have tangled with before in the area is (name omitted by editor). He is about 70 years old and is rumored to be heavily involved with organized crime in Montana. The Montana news editor has continually stressed that (omitted-ed.) is the mafia chieftain for Montana. The labor unions often use him to represent them on a variety of causes in the court system. A [local newspaper] editor advised me that his contact in Salt Lake [City, Utah] says the FBI cannot do much in Montana because of the corruption."
As a result, there is "no co-operation from law enforcement" in the state of Montana today. A quick search for news from Montana reveals very little. In Libby, Montana, the small newspaper there has a website with two marijuana-related news stories (as of March 1996). The first concerns the Libby marijuana activist Renee Rucker and her acquittal on marijuana trafficking. In the second, a man with alcohol problems was caught with marijuana for trafficking and convicted. He was sentenced to five years.
Corruption in Montana may extend beyond its borders. You may be aware of the state corruption involving drug smuggling, from the governor on down to its legal enforcement officials and a few bankers. You may wonder if there might be someone who isn't crooked, who is just out to make a quick bust. Well, here's someone: Dennis Washington.
Dennis Washington, in his bid to acquire more money, has one pet project that has been thwarted by environmentalists on Montana. He has tried for years to get a pipeline built from the West coast of the U.S. to Minneapolis. So far, Washington has remained unsuccessful in seeing his dream fulfilled.
As for his molybdenum mine, it's an open pit mine near Butte, Montana near the Rocky Mountains. Formerly a copper mine, it was bought by Washington and resurrected as a molybdenum mine. The ore from this mine, according to my Montana source, is shipped on a regular basis north to a milling plant south of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, despite its rating as strategic metal. What's more, this mine appears to be one of the largest sources in the U.S. for molybdenum.
(Another source here in British Columbia tells me that Washington probably took advantage of Canada's economic development plan for creating new industries. With Alberta's low tax rates as a lure, it wouldn't be too difficult to propose and win approval for a milling plant for recovering molybdenite pellets from ore trucked in from Washington's mine. -shk)
According to another confidential source, the only facility that recently changed hands at a loss to the Alberta government which fits the description for a milling plant is located in High River, Alberta. The Alberta government had sold several government-owned businesses to foreign and domestic interests at a loss, including Novatel (now JRC International). During recent visits to Alberta in 1995 I recall seeing a moderate-sized facility with heavy trucks on the property about thirty minutes south of Calgary.
One wonders what kind of sweet deal Washington has with Canadian officials and with Alberta regarding the High River milling operation if it exists. How else can a strategic resource such as molybdenum ore cross international borders, especially from the only molybdenum mine in Montana?
This question should be considered as we turn our attention to the Canadian port of Vancouver, where -- among other things -- Dennis Washington has been drawn to monopolize the tow boat industry in the Pacific Northwest.
His story on the Canadian Pacific coast port of Vancouver, British Columbia involves buying out Norsk Pacific Steamship Company and C.H. Cates in 1992. But he hasn't stopped there. Recently, he's decided to buy out Seaspan International Limited, which his sons own some shares in. Washington is aided and abetted by K & K Enterprises Ltd. Yet the Competition Bureau of Canada doesn't take kindly to Washington owning a monopoly in the tow boat and shipyard industry in Vancouver.
On March 1, 1996 the Competition Tribunal of Canada has filed a Notice of Application Under Section 92, Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34 (File No. CT-96/1). In this notice, the applicant Director of Investigation and research directs K & K Enterprises and Dennis Washington of Washcorp of Missoula, Montana, to dispose of all their shares and assets in Seaspan International Ltd. in such a manner as the Tribunal may direct; or direct the respondents listed below to disoolve the Seaspan merger in such manner as the Tribunal may direct; or pursuant to subparagraph 92(1)(e)(iii) and section 105 of the Competition Act, any order that the Tribunal considers appropriate to which the respondents and the Director consent; or such further or other order as the Tribunal deems advisable pursuant to section 92, and in particular paragraph 92(1)(f) of the Act. This notice gives until April 15, 1996 for any requests to leave to intervene to be filed with the Registrar.
List of respondents:
- Dennis Washington
- K & K Enterprises
- Seaspan International Ltd.
- Genstar Capital Corporation
- TD Capital Group Ltd.
- Coal Island Ltd.
- 314873 B.C. Ltd.
- C.H. Cates and Sons Ltd.
- Management
- Shareholders
- Preference Shareholders
- Norsk Pacific Steamship Company
- Fletcher Challenge Ltd.
Interestingly, Fletcher Challenge Canada Ltd. is the company formed from the merger between N.Z.-owned Fletcher Challenge Ltd. and Crown Zellerbach. Fletcher Challenge(NZ) is reportedly one of the front companies for the New Zealand mafia, who have links to the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission including the Rockefellers and others.
Dennis Washington through his sons controls Washington Corporation (WASHCORP), in Missoula, Montana. They own C. H. Cates and Sons Ltd. which acquired Norsk Pacific Steamship Company, Limited of Walnut Creek, California. He and K & K Enterprises of San Jose, California are trying to buy all shares in Seaspan International Ltd. of Vancouver B.C. Canada from Genstar Capital Corporation.
According to an article in the North Shore News, a North Vancouver (B.C. Canada) publication, Dennis R. Washington is worth over $800 million. He had bought out C.H. Cates and Sons Ltd. in 1992. Genstar Capital Corporation of Toronto has agreed to sell its ownership interest in Seaspan International Ltd to K & K. Two years ago, Genstar bought Seaspan for $125 million.
If the sale is approved, Washington's purchase of Seaspan would give him control of subsidiaries such as Vancouver Shipyards and Vancouver Drydock, both located on the North Vancouver waterfront.
Locally in Vancouver, Norsk Pacific Steamship Company Ltd. is a tugboat towing operation with berths on the waterfront overlooking Burrard Inlet. Its parent company under the same name has a corporate office in Walnut Creek, California.The Director of Investigation and Research of the Competition Tribunal is questioning the merger through which Washington acquired Norsk Pacific.
In additon to the proposed purchase of Seaspan, in a Washington Corporation statement, the millionaire declared his intention of buying BC Rail once it is privatized. Of course, this may put BC Rail in conflict of interest with Seaspan, considering BC Rail's recent purchase of Vancouver Wharves.
Washington is also interested in several railroad companies including Southern Railway of B.C. which serves Greater Vancouver.
K & K Enterprises, Genstar and Norsk Pacific all have parent companies in California. It should prove interesting to see if any of these companies have ties with Wells Fargo Bank, Household International, and Bank America, known Yakuza-owned banks in California [which are] now being sold to recoup losses back home when the real estate boom in Japan collapsed in the early 1990s.
Dennis Washington's plans to monopolize the Port of Vancouver waterfront is timely, considering the problems the state of Montana has had with a drug conspiracy going back to the 1980s, involving Governor Racicot and key legal enforcement officials in eastern Montana. It is interesting to note that while Washcorp runs out of Missoula, Montana, local papers in Vancouver reported Washcorp's home base as Helena, Montana. While this inaccuracy may prove the lack of professionalism in one certain Vancouver newspaper, it does indicate proof, however dubious, that possible media misinformation is not impeded by the Canada/U.S. border.
Fletcher Challenge Limited's involvement in this tow boat/shipyard monopoly is not puzzling, given that it owns Crown Zellerbach and needs the tow barges to shuttle logs and perhaps wood chips from its mills to freighters exporting wood products to Japan and around the world. If it owns a share in any of the companies listed above, especially one of the towing companies such as C. H. Cates and Sons, Norsk Pacific, or Seaspan International, then even if it pays full towing fees, it will get a share of the profits.
In conclusion, the Washington monopoly of the Vancouver waterfront is being challenged by the Competition Tribunal. Hopefully, as the evidence comes out, we can see who is really behind the three companies with Californian ownership, Genstar, K & K Enterprises, and Norsk Pacific. At the moment, we can only speculate that Dennis Washington may be a front for organized crime in Montana. Through the monopoly of these tow barge companies, he may be trying to launder drug money profits for a Mafia don operating in Montana.
On April 21, 1996, the Competition Bureau will rule on the Washington bid on Seaspan. If he suceeds in getting his way, then be prepared for his future buying out of B.C.-owned railways.
Perhaps in the months to follow, we'll find out what happens next.
- Major port deal in the works, North Shore News, January 18, 1996
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