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Politics : Clinton's Scandals: Is this corruption the worst ever? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Zoltan! who wrote (8673)	10/25/1998 5:16:00 PM
From: Who, me?	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 13994

Isn't it a coincidence that these records were found just as the statute of limitations was running out? 10/25/98 -- 3:51 PM House committee finds bank records detailing foreign donations WASHINGTON (AP) - House investigators unearthed bank records that confirm a long-held suspicion that $45,000 in Democratic donations made by the controversial Lippo Group at a 1993 event featuring Vice President Al Gore was reimbursed with foreign money. The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, which continues to investigate alleged Democratic fund-raising abuses, located the records just as the statute of limitations for criminal liability expired. It nonetheless forwarded the evidence to the Federal Election Commission and asked for a prompt investigation. Federal law generally prohibits donors from giving foreign funds in U.S. elections, although a federal judge in Washington recently put a wrinkle into the law by ruling it doesn't cover so-called soft-money donations made by corporations and wealthy individuals to political parties. The Justice Department or election commission could appeal the ruling. Three checks of $15,000 each were written by three U.S. subsidiaries of Lippo, an Indonesian-based financial conglomerate, and donated in connection with a Sept. 27, 1993, fund-raiser in Los Angeles that was headlined by Gore. All three donations went to the Democratic Party's soft money accounts, and Senate and House investigators have suspected for well over a year that the donations had foreign origins. The checks - one each from Hip Hing Holdings Ltd., San Jose Holdings Ltd. and Toy Center Holdings of California - were signed by two Lippo executives. One was John Huang, a Democratic fund-raiser and former Commerce Department official who has been a major focus of the fund-raising probes. The checks are dated Sept. 23, 1993. The committee investigators said the newly uncovered bank records show the three Lippo subsidiaries received reimbursements of $15,000 each from a $45,000 wire originating Oct. 15, 1993, from Lippo's headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. Lippo is controlled by the family of James Riady, an Indonesian billionaire and longtime friend of President Clinton who has been another focus of the fund-raising investigation. Lippo has denied wrongdoing, and Lippo, Huang and Riady have been charged with nothing. Kevin Binger, staff director for the House panel, said the new evidence raises questions why the Justice Department's two-year probe into fund-raising abuses has taken no action against Lippo or Huang. ''This is clear evidence of illegal campaign contributions,'' Binger said. But Ty Cobb, a lawyer for Huang, said it is unlikely there is anything improper with the donations, given the judge's recent foreign money ruling. And even if the judge's decision were reversed, Cobb said, it would be the foreign parent of the company and not his client who would have to answer to the Justice Department. tampabayonline.net