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Politics : Bill Clinton Scandal - SANITY CHECK -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (57679)	7/30/1999 11:51:00 AM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 67261

Trying to figure out how to top you....Sorry if I needed a smiley...:-)

To: jlallen who wrote (57679)	7/30/1999 12:10:00 PM
From: jlallen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 67261

The scandal continues from the most ethical administration in history. Visas may have been for sale also. House chairman scores scandal in Beijing, silence at State, Justice 2.28 a.m. ET (628 GMT) July 30, 1999 By David Briscoe, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Dan Burton accuses the State and Justice departments of bungling an investigation of a former U.S. diplomat in Beijing who now refuses to answer questions about possible visa fraud. "I'm absolutely furious,'' said Burton, R-Ind., after the Justice Department prevented the State Department's inspector general from discussing her office's 1996 investigation of former top consular officer William Parish. The inspector general, Jacquelyn L. Williams-Bridgers, told the House Government Reform Committee on Thursday that any comment on the case could violate rules on grand jury secrecy since the investigation was conducted with the FBI as part of the inquiry into campaign finance abuses for which a grand jury was impaneled. Parish also appeared but refused to answer questions, invoking the constitutional protection against self-incrimination. He pleaded the 5th Amendment despite testimony from Bonnie R. Cohen, under secretary of state for management, who told the lawmakers that Parish was aggressively investigated in 1996 and the inquiry "did not reveal criminal wrongdoing.'' Cohen said the federal government "aggressively pursued leads'' in the case and found no need to take action against Parish. She said he "performed in an excellent manner'' on visa duties in Washington where he was transferred during the investigation. Parish retired last year. Democratic fund-raiser Johnny Chung told the same congressional committee in May that Parish helped him get visas for dozens of Chinese. Chung said he ended his relationship with Parish after the president of a Chinese beer company asked him to deliver "a shopping bag of money'' to the then-consular officer. Parish, a 16-year State Department veteran, handled visa matters at the embassy in Beijing from 1994 to 1996. He retired last year after being transferred to State Department headquarters during the investigation. Burton said his staff found that foreigners are willing to pay up to $20,000 for a U.S. visa. He accused the State Department of bumbling its investigation of Parish, destroying documents before reviewing them and failing to interview witnesses or subpoena bank records. JLA