SCUMbria - Sen. Clinton: 'very disturbed' by brother's actions
February 21, 2001
Web posted at: 10:14 p.m. EST (0314 GMT)
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Crimes involved
Carter slams Clinton pardon
Church official, sheriffs urged pardon
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former President Clinton Wednesday acknowledged that his brother-in-law, an attorney, was paid to represent two people whose prison sentences he pardoned or commuted.
"Yesterday, I became aware of press inquiries that Hugh Rodham received a contingency fee in connection with a pardon application by Glenn Braswell and a fee for work on the Carlos Vignali commutation application," Clinton said in a statement. "Neither Hillary nor I had any knowledge of such payments. We are deeply disturbed by these reports, and insisted that Hugh return any monies involved."
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A spokesman for Hillary Rodham Clinton, elected to the U.S. Senate in November to represent New York, described the former first lady as "very upset."
"Hugh did not speak with me about these applications. I believe that the payments should be returned immediately, and I understand he has taken steps to do so," said a statement from the freshman senator.
A House Republican, who is leading a probe into another of Clinton's pardons, said he would investigate this latest case.
"This news is deeply troubling," said Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indiana chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, which is investigating the pardon of billionaire financier Marc Rich.
A legal source told CNN that Rodham had been paid $400,000 for his work in both cases and that most of it had been returned. Some of the money was in the process of being returned, the source said.
Rodham's lawyer, Nancy Luque, issued a statement as well:
"My client, Hugh Rodham, today acceded to his family's request that he return legal fees earned in connection with pardon requests. My client did not advise President or Senator Clinton of his involvement in these requests. He believes they were unaware until this week of his work on his clients' behalf."
The statement goes on, "Hugh Rodham has done absolutely nothing wrong. He has returned these fees solely because his family asked that he do so. Their request, presumably made because of the appearance of impropriety, is one he cannot ignore. There was, however, no impropriety in these matters."
While spokesmen for two congressional committees investigating another of Clinton's pardons said Rodham's involvement in the latest cases was not illegal, Burton said the revelation raised new questions.
"We already know that Mr. Braswell's pardon was not reviewed by the Department of Justice," said Burton. "Yet again, this makes it look like there is one system of justice for those with money and influence, and one system of justice for everyone else. We intend to look into this. We intend to ask Mr. Rodham to give us all the details of whom he represented and how much he was paid."
Crimes involved
Braswell was pardoned for his 1983 convictions on fraud, perjury and tax evasion charges involving a baldness product. Vignali had served six years of a 15-year prison term for his role in a cocaine-trafficking ring.
Braswell, 57, remains under criminal investigation in Los Angeles for what was described in a court document as a "massive tax evasion and money-laundering scheme."
Clinton's pardon specifically said it covered only those convictions in place and did not eliminate possible future legal action against Braswell.
Clinton came under fire for pardoning Marc Rich last month
A source close to Clinton, speaking on condition of anonymity, said then-White House adviser Bruce Lindsey had been contacted and was aware of Rodham's involvement with the Vignali request but no White House officials were aware of the presidential relative's involvement in the Braswell matter.
The decisions on both men were made on the merits of their situations, the source said.
Carter slams Clinton pardon
Clinton issued 140 pardons and 36 sentence commutations hours before he left office January 20.
Clinton has come under heavy fire for the pardons, particularly that of Marc Rich, a billionaire financier who had been listed as an international fugitive by the Justice Department, for various tax and fraud charges.
Two congressional committees and a federal prosecutor are investigating that pardon, focusing on whether any campaign contributions from Rich's ex-wife, Denise Rich, played a role in the pardon. Denise Rich also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Clinton Library Foundation.
Former President Jimmy Carter criticized the Rich pardon in an appearance at Georgia Southwestern State University on Tuesday night.
"I don't think there's any doubt that some of the factors in his pardon was attributable to large gifts, some of which he gave to Israel, other benefactors and the influence of his former wife, so I think that was, in my opinion, disgraceful," Carter said, adding that Clifton had "brought discredit to the White House because of it."
Church official, sheriffs urged pardon
Braswell did not apply for his pardon through the Justice Department, while Vignali applied for his commutation through the department in August 1998. Justice Department spokeswoman Chris Watney refused to say whether Justice recommended that Vignali be pardoned.
In the Vignali matter, numerous political figures lobbied to commute his drug sentence, including a Roman Catholic cardinal, a sheriff and community leaders.
The outpouring of support and the fact that Vignali was a first-time drug offender who got a long sentence were the key factors in the commutation, the source close to Clinton said.
White House officials were told by a federal prosecutor in California that the Vignali family would be helpful in rehabilitating him and keeping him from getting into trouble again if his prison sentence was ended, the source said.
Clinton decided to pardon Braswell because his conviction was nearly two decades old and there was no indication of problems since, the source said.
After the pardon was announced, some federal officials worried that Clinton might have pardoned Braswell for any criminal charges that could arise from the current investigation.
The source close to Clinton said the White House asked the Justice Department to conduct a criminal background check, did not know of the ongoing inquiry against Braswell and was told the check found nothing negative.
CNN National correspondents Bob Franken and Eileen O'Connor and The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
