Why pay? From the defence teams position - risk mitigation.

I have worked with top barristers a couple of times in cases heard in the High Court, and- apologies for going into legal-speak here - they all talked about the 'buggeration factor'. No matter how sound your case, there is always a risk of something going wrong and the Judge ruling against you.

I am not for a second suggesting that Bernie's case was watertight - I have no idea, but I suspect not - but from the his and the defenses point of view, this settlement avoids the buggeration factor.
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He wouldn't have stood a chance, with the guy who took the bung already doing time for it. If Bernie had been found not guilty they whould have had to let the other guy out and probably face paying him off. I think Bernies case whould have been as tight and sound as a sieve. And being found guilty stood to loose his freedom and his fortune as every other bribe and bung emerged. As Fester said with the money he has some has got to be dirty, he just had a way of cutting his losses.

If this was Monopoly it would be "Pay $100M do not go directly to gaol"
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Plus, anything to avoid anything as corrupt as a 'justice system'. You could do another 100 bag in legal fees, like Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce.

Life is a shit sandwich; the more bread you got, the less shit you have to eat.

Morality is the curse of the poverty-stricken, who cannot afford to join the gravy train.

 

HUGELY ironic that he gets off a bribery charge by bribing the prosecution side/judge. Austrian justice

Nearly as ironic as all those tears being shed over the 100 years ago Great War and men going over to top to be scythed down (machine guns designed by an American based in England) when we all tune out the Gaza conflict as insoluble.

 

Just as ironic as the US Bankster & Israeli Zionists acting just like German Nazis & attempting to wipe out the Gazans for Lebensraum.

 

... or is the amorality of the privileged on the gravy train the curse of the poverty-stricken?

 

Their curse is being cajoled and threatened by the paid bullies of the privileged into doing exactly as they say, not as they do!

 

I was speaking to one of the senior CVC people earlier in the week, and this was naturally causing them some issues. *

* Understatement.