Time: Wed Jul 23 22:38:00 1997 by primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id WAA20100 for [address in tool bar]; Wed, 23 Jul 1997 22:28:58 -0700 (MST) by usr08.primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id WAA19992; Wed, 23 Jul 1997 22:27:53 -0700 (MST) Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 22:27:19 -0700 To: (Recipient list suppressed) From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] Subject: SLS: "The Justice Department ... is in a hopeless conflict of interest," (fwd) <snip> > >not to be used for commercial purposes > > >Hearings chief blasts Justice Department, calls it 'politicized' > >TERRY LEMONS > >ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE > >WASHINGTON--Sen. Fred Thompson accused the >Justice Department on Tuesday of damaging the >Senate campaign-finance investigation by opposing >attempts to grant immunity to witnesses and >refusing to share vital information. > Thompson, the Tennessee Republican >who is heading the Senate inquiry, told reporters >he has lost confidence in a "politicized'' Justice >Department team that has been blinded by a conflict >of interest in the case involving President Clinton >and his Democratic allies. > "I do not have confidence any more >in the Justice Department's ability to carry out >a credible investigation,'' said Thompson, chairman >of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. > His sharp words were triggered after >department prosecutors continued opposing his attempts >to offer legal protection to five low-level witnesses >in the fund-raising inquiry. The list includes >Keshi Zahn, a hostess for former Little Rock restaurateur >Charlie Trie, and four Buddhist nuns involved in >a California fund-raiser attended by Vice President >Gore. > Justice Department prosecutors, >who have defended their work, oppose granting immunity >for fear it would jeopardize their own criminal >investigation. Thompson said the witnesses have >important information, but nothing that would damage >the overall case. > "It's not even a close call,'' Thompson >said at the Capitol. "It's extremely, extremely >troubling.'' > The committee met behind closed >doors Tuesday with federal prosecutors and decided >to delay any immunity vote on the witnesses until >today. The committee begins its third week of hearings >into whether foreign or tainted money entered the >1996 elections. > The first two weeks were spent exploring >questions involving Clinton and Democrats; this >week's three days of hearings will examine foreign >donations flowing to Republicans. > Democrats will zero in on a loan >guarantee made by a Hong Kong company to the National >Policy Forum, a think tank closely tied to the >Republican National Committee and former party >Chairman Haley Barbour. > Sen. John Glenn of Ohio, the committee's >ranking Democrat, said the loan arrangement helped >send more than $1 million to GOP candidates in >the closing weeks of the 1994 campaign. > Today's testimony will feature former >National Policy Foundation President Michael Baroody. >Barbour is to testify Thursday. > While Democrats hustled Tuesday >to finish preparations for questioning GOP leaders, >some long-simmering animosity surfaced between >Thompson's committee and the Justice Department. >The two groups, which are conducting separate fund- >raising investigations, have been at odds in recent >weeks over issues including allegations that the >Chinese government tried to secretly influence >the 1996 elections. > The Justice Department is conducting >a criminal investigation into the China matter. >Thompson and other Republicans have been unhappy >with the amount of information being shared by >prosecutors, including why they oppose granting >immunity to the five witnesses. > Thompson said it is a pattern of >Justice Department "foot-dragging'' that is eating >away at the committee's limited investigation time. >The $4.3 million Senate review faces a year-end >deadline. > "The Justice Department makes it >much more difficult for us,'' he said. > Thompson questioned whether politics >may be coloring the judgment of the Clinton-run >Justice Department team. Thompson said it was inappropriate >for Justice Department officials to "put themselves >in the position'' of making calls on fund-raising >questions directly involving Clinton aides. > "The Justice Department ... is in >a hopeless conflict of interest,'' Thompson said. > The better alternative, Republicans >said, was for Attorney General Janet Reno to end >her opposition to an independent counsel. Sen. >Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said he might bypass Reno >and for the first time have the Senate directly >seek appointment of a special prosecutor from a >three-judge federal panel. > Such a move is necessary because >the Justice Department "is simply not on top of >this case,'' Specter said. > Thompson and several other top Republicans >said they might be open to such a maneuver. > Republicans hoped to finally end >the long-running deadlock over granting immunity >to the five witnesses. Committee lawyers want to >resolve some lingering questions before today's >session. > "This thing has been dragged out >entirely too long,'' Thompson said. > At the Justice Department, spokesman >Bert Brandenburg said prosecutors support the committee's >requests for limited immunity involving 11 of 26 >people. Of the remaining 15, Brandenburg told The >Associated Press, the department either opposed >immunity or lacked enough information to make a >decision. > ''Some of the 15 may later be approved >for immunity as we get more information,'' he added. > It is not clear where Democrats >will stand during today's vote, where a two-thirds >majority will be required to grant immunity. That >means at least two of the committee's seven Democrats >must join with nine Republicans. > "We just want to make sure everything >is done correctly,'' said Alan Baron, special counsel >for committee Democrats. > The dispute centers on granting >immunity to four nuns who participated in a Democratic >fund-raiser at a Buddhist temple and Zahn, who >helped Trie run his international trading business >in Washington. > Committee investigators want to >talk to Zahn about events involving Trie, who left >Little Rock to become a Democratic fund-raiser. >Party leaders have returned much of the money because >of concerns that it originated overseas. > Like Trie, Zahn has been in China >in recent weeks. While Trie has said he has no >plans to leave, a committee aide said Zahn has >signaled she wants to return and testify--if >she's offered immunity. > "She says she's on vacation, but >she wants to come back and testify,'' the aide >said. "She wants to clear her name.' > > >This article was published on Wednesday, July 23, 1997 > >COPYRIGHT 1997, LITTLE ROCK NEWSPAPERS, INC. ALL >RIGHTS RESERVED. ======================================================================== Paul Andrew Mitchell : Counselor at Law, federal witness B.A., Political Science, UCLA; M.S., Public Administration, U.C. Irvine tel: (520) 320-1514: machine; fax: (520) 320-1256: 24-hour/day-night email: [address in tool bar] : using Eudora Pro 3.0.3 on 586 CPU website: http://www.supremelaw.com : visit the Supreme Law Library now ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776 : this is free speech, at its best Tucson, Arizona state : state zone, not the federal zone Postal Zone 85719/tdc : USPS delays first class w/o this As agents of the Most High, we came here to establish justice. We shall not leave, until our mission is accomplished and justice reigns eternal. ======================================================================== [This text formatted on-screen in Courier 11, non-proportional spacing.]
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