Major Democratic donor Marc Lasry, who was forced to withdraw his name for the France ambassadorship due to ties to a New York City poker ring run by the Russian mob, said that as owner of a NBA franchise he has "a moral responsibility to the community."
Lasry, who purchased the Milwaukee Bucks for $550 million earlier this year, has contributed nearly half a million dollars to Democratic candidates over the years and raised an additional half a million in support of Barack Obama's presidential campaigns.
Lasry said at a Bloomberg Sports Business Summit last week that NBA team owners "have a moral responsibility to the community," according to CNBC.
The hedge fund billionaire has not been such a shining asset for the "community."
After he was nominated by President Obama to be the U.S. ambassador to France, it was revealed by the New York Post that he was a close friend of a Russian mobster who was arrested last year for his role in an alleged gambling racket in New York, forcing him to withdraw his name from contention.
Lasry, who was described as a "big time gambler," had his name surface during an FBI investigation into the poker ring which was used by celebrities and wealthy members of the financial industry who wanted to put millions on the line in games held in luxurious city apartments.
Lasry's son has also revealed fears that his father was "going to kill [him] in [his] sleep" over the Bucks position in last year's NBA draft.