FBI gather clues in massive Goldman Sachs money scandal

Kimora Lee Simmons and Tim Leissner

By John Aidan Byrne
Fallout from Goldman Sachs’ involvement with the controversial Malaysian state fund continued last week.
US law enforcement officials are gathering sensitive documents — and identifying potential witnesses — in the massive money scandal that has ensnared the bank and one of its regional chairmen in a global probe, an international investigator told The Post.
The bombshell case involves Tim Leissner, 45, Goldman’s chairman for Southeast Asia, who recently decamped to Los Angeles to take a personal leave.
He’s married to the glamorous businesswoman and former model Kimora Lee Simmons, ex-wife of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons.
The fallout is widespread, and it affected both Goldman and Leissner badly because of their reputed close ties with high-ranking
government officials in Malaysia.
“My sources within the US government have told me that they are looking into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) on all fronts and are actively acquiring documents and identifying witnesses from around the world,” international investigator L. Burke Files, who heads up an
antifraud agency, told The Post. “They are not interested in fines this time,” Files added, without elaborating.
The fallout escalated as reports and allegations about the tainted 1MDB emerged — from the $681 million in fund money that mysteriously showed up in the bank account of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, to reports of “exorbitant” fees for transactions charged by Goldman.
The high-profile case has resulted in an international money-laundering probe by law enforcement agencies, and has involved international and domestic laws ranging from the Patriot Act to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, say people familiar with the case.
“I think Goldman is being heavily advised by probably three or four of the top law firms that are saying, ‘Basically, don’t say anything,’ ” said
Gary Swiman, head of compliance and regulatory consulting services at the accounting firm EisnerAmper.
The FBI said it can’t comment or confirm any investigations. Goldman declined to comment. -The Post