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With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...

Saturday, Aug. 3, 2002 12:05 a.m. EDT
Lieberman Can't Recall Citigroup Contributions

Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman said Friday that he couldn't remember the exact amount of campaign cash he'd accepted over the years from Citigroup, whose chairman Robert Rubin he has yet to call to testify before his Enrongate probe.

During an interview with radio host Don Imus, the Connecticut Democrat acknowledged accepting $2,000 in contributions from Enron, prompting this exchange:

IMUS: Well, what did you get from Citigroup?

LIEBERMAN: More, but I couldn't tell you the amount.

IMUS: Was it, like, $10,000?

LIEBERMAN: Ah - I honestly don't know. I'd say it was ...

IMUS: How about a million?

LIEBERMAN: Oh, no. It was definitely somewhere between $10,000 and ...

IMUS: Was it a million and a babe?

LIEBERMAN: (Laughing) A million and naming rights for some building here on my compound. (End of Excerpt)

In fact, over the past six years, Citigroup gave Lieberman $59,256, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The hefty sum makes Robert Rubin's firm by far the single largest contributor to the Connecticut Democrat's campaign coffers since 1996.

Asked whether Rubin will be appearing before his committee, Lieberman said he hadn't made a final decision. "My intention is to end these hearings in September or October," he told Imus, indicating that if Rubin was called it would be before the November election.

When pressed why he refused to commit to calling Rubin, Lieberman protested, "Hey, this is not political."

The response prompted audible guffaws from Imus and his crew.

IMUS may be a liberal suck up sometimes, but he calls them on the obvious!