BOA has retail pardons as well...maybe
DJ Bank Of Amer Donation Under Scrutiny;Possible Pardon Link
27 Feb 13:06
CHARLOTTE (AP)-A contribution made by Bank of America to former U.S.
President Bill Clinton's presidential library has come under the scrutiny of
congressional investigators who suspect a link to a pardon Clinton granted a
Charlotte man weeks later.
NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick pleaded guilty to mail fraud in 1997. He was
pardoned Dec. 22, less than three weeks after the Bank of America Foundation
pledged $500,000 to Clinton's library fund.
Bank chairman Hugh McColl Jr. wrote a letter on behalf of Hendrick, who was
on the board of directors of the bank's predecessor, NationsBank.
A U.S. House committee investigating pardons Clinton made in his final weeks
in office began looking into the possible link Monday, The Charlotte Observer
reported.
"No decisions have been made about whether to expand the investigation to
look at this case," said Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the House Government
Reform Committee.
Bank officials denied any connection between the donation and McColl's
recommendation for a pardon.
"There is absolutely no connection between the contribution to the Clinton
library and the reference for Mr. Hendrick," said bank spokesman Scott Scredon.
"We have made contributions to all presidential libraries going back to
President Carter."
Bank officials declined to make McColl available for an interview; Hendrick
couldn't be reached for comment.
The House committee, headed by Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indiana, has been
investigating whether Clinton's pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich was in
exchange for donations to the library by Rich's ex-wife. The committee is
trying to gain access to the full list of donors to the Clinton library.
Hendrick, a Charlotte automobile dealer and head of Hendrick Motorsports,
pleaded guilty for his role in the American Honda Motor Co. bribery and
kickback scandal.
Hendrick acknowledged giving hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, BMWs
and houses to Honda executives, but claims he received nothing in return.
The sentencing judge didn't send him to prison because Hendrick had been
diagnosed with leukemia. He was fined $250,000, ordered to stay in his
Charlotte home, and avoid the car business and his race team for a year.
(END) DOW JONES NEWS 02-27-01
01:06 PM |
