-Caveat Lector-
<http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/pardons010313.html>
Clinton Officials Subpoenaed
Investigators Seeking Documents Related to Pardons
March 13 ‹ Federal investigators have subpoenaed former White
House officials, including former Chief of Staff John Podesta,
and are asking for documents related to the controversial pardons
made on Bill Clinton's final day in office, sources tell ABCNEWS.
Mary Jo White, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New
York, has been been empowered to review all 177 pardons and
commutations granted by Clinton. She will not have the title of
special prosecutor, but as a U.S. attorney she is empowered to
prosecute if she finds evidence of wrongdoing.
White began the investigation because her office initiated the
original investigation into Marc Rich, the fugitive billionaire
granted clemency in what is probably Clinton's most controversial
pardon.
A Wide Scope
The House Government Committee, chaired by Indiana Republican Dan
Burton, was seeking documents in the case, but White House
officials said everything had already been sent to the federal
Archives. It is possible that White may have to find documents
she needs from other sources.
In addition to the Rich pardon, White¹s office is reviewing the
case of four Hasidic Jews convicted of fraud who were granted
commutations, and allegations that the former president's half
brother, Roger Clinton, sought $200,000 for promising a Texas man
he would help him win a pardon.
White will also look into the pardon granted convicted drug
dealer Carlos Vignali, whose father, Horacio Vignali, is a
Democratic contributor. The elder Vignali paid $200,000 to Hugh
Rodham, the then-president¹s brother-in-law, to lobby on his
behalf.
Hugh Rodham was paid another $200,000 for his successful efforts
to win a pardon for Almon Glenn Braswell, a businessman under
investigation for possible money laundering.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., later demanded that her
brother return the money and says he has returned most of it.
Paying for Pardons?
Congressional investigators wanted to determine whether Rich
might have, in effect, bought his pardon. His ex-wife, Denise
Rich, has donated more than $1.5 million to the Democratic Party,
to President Clinton¹s campaigns and to Hillary Clinton¹s Senate
campaign. She also has given $450,000 to the $200 million Clinton
library.
Three former Clinton White House aides ‹ Podesta, counsel Beth
Nolan and adviser Bruce Lindsey ‹ all testified before the House
Government Reform Committee that nearly all of the staffers
involved in advising the president on the matter tried to
convince him in ³heated² discussions not to pardon Rich and his
partner Pincus Green, two of the nation¹s most-wanted
white-collar fugitives.
³We argued ... that if Mr. Rich and Mr. Green had such great
legal arguments, there was a place to make them, and it wasn¹t
there,² Nolan said. ³It wasn¹t in the Oval Office.²
But all three aides denied allegations that Denise Rich managed
to buy the pardon.
Marc Rich now lives in Switzerland after fleeing the United
States 17 years ago. He has called his pardon a humanitarian act.
Help for Hillary?
The four Hasidic men ‹ Benjamin Berger, Jacob Elbaum, David
Goldstein and Kalmen Stern ‹ were convicted of using a fictitious
Jewish school to defraud the government of millions of dollars in
education grants.
All four of the New York men are from the Hasidic village of New
Square, which voted overwhelmingly for the former first lady in
her successful Senate run last year.
Suspicions were raised that President Clinton freed them from
prison as a kind of favor in return or that there was a quid pro
quo swap of votes for clemency. But investigators have been
trying to determine if money ‹ perhaps political contributions ‹
played any role in Clinton¹s decision.
ABCNEWS¹ Jackie Judd and Pierre Thomas contributed to this
report.
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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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