Kerry Lobbied for Contractor Who Made Illegal Contributions
From The Los Angeles Times
By Lisa Getter and Tony Perry, Times Staff Writers
February 19, 2004
WASHINGTON - Sen. John F. Kerry sent 28 letters in behalf of a San Diego defense contractor who pleaded guilty last week to illegally funneling campaign contributions to the Massachusetts senator and four other congressmen.
Members of Congress often write letters supporting constituent businesses and favored projects. But as the Democratic presidential front-runner, Kerry has promoted himself as a candidate who has never been beholden to campaign contributors and special interests.
Between 1996 and 1999, Kerry participated in a letter-writing campaign to free up federal funds for a guided missile system that defense contractor Parthasarathi "Bob" Majumder was trying to build for U.S. warplanes. …
Kerry's letters were sent to fellow members of Congress - and to the Pentagon - while Majumder and his employees were donating money to the senator, court records show. During the three-year period, Kerry received about $25,000 from Majumder and his employees, according to Dwight L. Morris & Associates, which tracks campaign donations.
Court documents say the contractor told his employees they needed to make political contributions in order for him to gain influence with members of Congress. He then reimbursed them with proceeds from government contracts.
Federal prosecutors initially determined that $13,000 of the donations were illegally reimbursed, but they now say that nearly all of the money was tainted. They said there was no evidence Kerry or other members of Congress would have known that.
Asked what he did to repay the money, Kerry's campaign said Wednesday he had donated $13,000 to charity on Feb. 9 - which was two days before Majumder's guilty plea. …
Campaign senior advisor Michael Meehan said Kerry was concerned that the military project was on hold and might jeopardize work for people in his home state. …
Kerry sent at least 21 letters to the secretary of the Navy, the secretary of Defense, the Defense Department comptroller and to members of the House and the Senate committees that control and finance military contracts. …
All include Kerry's appeal that the project be funded, and each year, the letters seemed to produce results. The federal money followed.
"It obviously raises questions about whether the campaign contributions bought action from Kerry," said Steven Weiss, communications director of the Center for Responsive Politics …
Last week Majumder, 52, pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal campaign contributions. He could be sentenced to six years in prison. The government dropped 38 other counts.
Majumder admitted giving illegal contributions to Kerry and Reps. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-San Diego), Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) and former Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.), totaling more than $95,000. To settle a civil suit, Majumder has agreed to repay $3 million to the federal government. …
Majumder, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in India, began working on the missile program in 1989 - and established his company - with a $50,000 grant from the federal government. Federal funding increased over time. But in 1996, the Defense Department proposed rescinding $35 million for the project and not funding it in the future.
Kerry joined with other senators to protest. Congress reinserted the money into the budget, but the Navy held onto the funds. …
In 1997, funding for the program was put on hold again. Kerry joined Sens. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Dianne Feinstein of California in writing to then-Undersecretary of Defense John Hamre on March 10, 1997. …
The letter from the three Democrats seemed to work. On March 27, Hamre wrote back to say he had released the money.
Kerry wrote other letters to Republican and Democratic senators on the appropriations committee, asking that they include $55 million in the 1998 spending bill for "an important military research and development program that will greatly improve the self-protection capability of our close air support aircraft."
He wrote again in 1998, urging that senators give the program an additional $15 million.
Meehan, his campaign advisor, said Wednesday that Kerry felt that, as a Massachusetts lawmaker, he should question why the money was being held up. …
John Valkus, a close friend of Majumder, said the contractor turned to making political contributions "so he could play in the same league as the big boys: Lockheed and Raytheon." …
Majumder told his employees, subcontractors and friends that he would pay them back for their contributions, which is illegal. …
The Majumder case isn't the first time that Kerry received tainted campaign money.
In September 1996, Taiwanese American entrepreneur Johnny Chung held a fundraiser for Kerry in Beverly Hills. He later pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions, including $8,000 raised at the Beverly Hills event.
Kerry's Senate office arranged a high-level meeting for Chung at the Securities and Exchange Commission within a few days of the fundraiser.
The contract to Majumder's firm involved an effort to improve technology to allow missiles to destroy ground-based radar systems even after those systems have been switched off and are no longer emitting radiation. …
For Entire Article Please Visit : latimes.com |
