JBC and all who are interested,
OT***************
Excerpts from ABC news about LOR,
abcnews.com
Here it goes,
Schwartz, a lifelong Democrat and early supporter of Clinton, was at the White House just two weeks before the decision to attend a state dinner Feb. 5 for British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
A week later, the documents show, a top executive from his company wrote the White House pleading for the waiver.
If a decision is not forthcoming in the next day or so we stand to lose the contract,? Thomas Ross, LoralÝs vice president for governmental affairs, wrote on Feb. 13.
A Tangled Web
Bernard Schwartz had intended to raise this issue with you at the Blair dinner, but missed you in the crowd,? the letter added.
The same day, White House counsel Charles F.C. Ruff wrote a memo suggesting Justice Department concerns could not be too serious because there had not been any concerns raised by officials above the criminal division.
The department had every opportunity to weigh in against the waiver at the highest levels and elected not to do so,? Ruff wrote.
Ruff suggested the White House could weigh the concerns on their own and and that Berger could weigh the balancing of our national security and criminal justice interests.?
White House Denies Connection
At the time of the waiver, the Justice Department was investigating whether Loral had improperly assisted the Chinese in 1996 by advising them after one of the rockets carrying a satellite exploded.
Loral has acknowledged it had not told the State Department before it provided the help, but it denies the assistance did anything to help the Chinese with their military capabilities.
Both the White House and Schwartz have denied any connection between his donations and this yearÝs waiver, which was for a different satellite.
Advisers OKÝd Project
And the memos reviewed by AP show clearly that national security advisers had concluded that LoralÝs satellite project will not contribute to Chinese military capabilities.?
Brian H.
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