-Caveat Lector-
Prosecutor Opens Rich Pardon Probe
by PAT MILTON
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal prosecutor has cranked up the heat on
former President Clinton, launching a criminal investigation to
determine if money played a role in the last-minute pardon of
fugitive financier Marc Rich.
U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, in a brief statement issued
Thursday, confirmed her office and the FBI ''have opened an
investigation to determine whether there have been any violations
of federal law'' in the pardons of Rich and his partner, Pincus
Green. It did not elaborate.
White's probe is expected to examine bank and telephone records
and other documents for evidence of illegal conduct, according to
a source with knowledge of the investigation.
''She is trying to determine if there was a transfer of money to
buy the pardon,'' the source told The Associated Press on
Wednesday, speaking only on condition of anonymity.
The move comes after Senate and House committees launched similar
probes of the Rich pardon, one of 141 granted by Clinton on Jan.
20, his final day in office.
White, who was appointed to her post by Clinton in 1993, has said
the pardon was granted without consultation with her office,
which indicted Rich in 1983.
Critics have noted that Rich's ex-wife Denise contributed an
estimated $450,000 to the Clinton Presidential Library Fund, more
than $1.1 million to the Democratic Party and at least $109,000
to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate campaign.
According to the source, the White investigation will try to
determine if there was any link between the contributions and the
Clinton decision. Under the U.S. Constitution, presidents have an
absolute right to issue pardons that are not subject to review by
any other government entity. The federal probe would focus
instead on possible criminal wrongdoing stemming from the
contributions.
In a statement issued through transition office spokeswoman Julia
Payne late Wednesday, Clinton again denied any wrongdoing.
''As I have said repeatedly, I made the decision to pardon Marc
Rich based on what I thought was the right thing to do,'' he
said. ''Any suggestion that improper factors, including fund
raising for the (Democratic National Committee) or my library,
had anything to do with the decision are absolutely false. I look
forward to cooperating with any appropriate inquiry.''
White's spokesman, Herb Haddad, said her office would have no
comment on the report of an investigation. In Washington, Justice
Department spokeswoman Mindy Tucker also had no comment on the
report.
Rich, who fled to Switzerland in the 1980s, was wanted by the
Justice Department on charges of evading more than $48 million in
taxes, fraud and participating in illegal oil deals with Iran.
In testimony Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee,
Justice Department pardon attorney Roger Adams said the White
House initially failed to tell him during a midnight phone call
that Rich was a fugitive.
''I was not told,'' Adams said. ''I learned that from the FBI.''
After discovering that Rich and his indicted partner were
fugitives, Adams fired off a fax to the White House summarizing
the facts of their criminal case. The White House then asked
Adams to fax over the materials that he had gotten from the FBI.
The revelations prompted several Democrats to questions Clinton's
decision to later pardon Rich. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said
the pardon ''certainly raises the appearance of impropriety.''
Rich's pardon was one of 177 total clemency actions Clinton
handled Jan. 20. Thirty-two were not reviewed in advance by the
Justice Department's pardon attorney, which is the usual --
though neither legally nor constitutionally required --
procedure.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said the pardoning of fugitives
''stands our criminal justice system on its head.'' And Sen.
Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she has ''concerns not only
about the Rich pardon but about a number of'' others granted
clemency.
Despite the Rich flap, officials at the Democratic Senatorial
Campaign Committee and in the Clinton camp said there were no
plans to return the Denise Rich contributions.
''There's been no discussion about it,'' Clinton adviser Harold
Ickes said Wednesday.
Mrs. Clinton, through a spokesman, said she would have no comment
on the reported probe and referred calls to her husband's
transition office.
Denise Rich has refused to answer questions from the House
committee, citing her constitutional right against
self-incrimination. The AP left a message on an answering machine
of her spokesman seeking comment on the report of the White
probe.
The chairman of a House committee said Wednesday he was told by
the Justice Department it will be ''at least one week'' before
officials there act on the panel's request to grant Denise Rich
immunity from prosecution in exchange for her testimony to the
panel.
The House committee also expects to subpoena records this week
from two of Denise Rich's American banks; records from the
Clinton library on all donations and pledges of $5,000 or more;
and records from the DNC related to Denise Rich.
=================================================================
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF:
*Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
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