Newsweek Revives 1996 Kerry-Chung Issue [Kerry lied about when he met Johnny Chung]

[ambrose]

Newsweek Revives 1996 Kerry-Chung Issue

Sun February 1, 2004 05:40 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry met a key figure in the 1996 fund-raising scandals well before the Massachusetts senator had previously acknowledged, Newsweek reported on Sunday in its Feb. 9 issue.

The news magazine said it had obtained documents that showed Taiwanese-American entrepreneur Johnny Chung, who later pleaded guilty to illegal campaign contributions, came to Kerry's Washington office about two months before he hosted a Los Angeles fund-raiser on Sept. 9, 1996.

Kerry had said in 1998 that he did not meet Chung until the night of the fund-raiser.

While campaigning in Fargo, North Dakota ahead of Tuesday's electoral contests in seven states, Kerry dismissed the report as "old news."

"The moment we found out anything about Mr. Chung and his contributions, we returned them, period. And this was all thoroughly vetted and investigated long ago," Kerry said.

Chung pleaded guilty to funneling $28,000 in illegal contributions from bank transfers made on the orders of Chinese military intelligence to the campaigns of Kerry and former President Bill Clinton.

"There was never any suggestion that Kerry knew about the dubious origins of Chung's largess," Newsweek wrote.

The magazine reported that Chung visited Kerry's Washington office in the summer of 1996 with Liu Chaoying, a Hong Kong businesswoman whom federal investigators found was a lieutenant colonel in China's People's Liberation Army and vice president of a Chinese-government aerospace firm. The contributions were made through a bank account controlled by Liu.

Newsweek said it had obtained a hand-written note from Kerry to Chung dated July 31, 1996 that referred to their meeting the previous week. Kerry wrote, "Barbara (identified by Newsweek as a Kerry fund-raiser) told me of your willingness to help me with my campaign."

The magazine said a Kerry spokesman acknowledged that the meeting may have taken place before the fund-raiser but not in Kerry's Senate office.

"It was a letter that I wrote a note on. I have no recollection of it at all," Kerry said and added that writing such notes is part of the fund-raising process.

In 1997 Kerry had denied a meeting set up for Chung and Liu with Securities and Exchange Commission officials in exchange for the contribution. Asked by reporters in North Dakota on Sunday if Chung received anything for his contribution, Kerry replied, "The answer is no. He didn't."

Liu had been interested in seeing some of her companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Newsweek said.

[ambrose]

As you like to say... "smells like Clinton"...

[ambrose]

feel free to hit your ping lists.

[Jim Robinson]

Yup. Democrat corruption and slime. Clinton all over again.

[Timesink]

As you like to say... "smells like Clinton"...

And/or Chris Lehane. The Weasel Clark has ZERO hope unless Kerry is Borked - or should we call it "Deaned" now? - before the end of this week.

[ambrose]

I suspect that Clinton has more than one horse in this race. Some have suggested that the deal is for the nominee to take the dive in '08. I think the real deal is that the nominee agree to make Clinton Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

[ambrose]

take the dive so HILLARY can run in '08///

[CyberAnt]

It has to be Clinton who stirred this up .. can anybody say Hillary is running ..??

I'm getting the distinct impression Hillary is taking them out one by one .. and by the time they get to the convention, there still is not going to be a clear leader. TA DA = enter Queen Hillary!!

[ambrose]

I don't think the allegation of taking bribes from the Red Chinese is going hurt Kerry among Democrat primary voters. If anything, it will make him more popular.

[AngrySpud]

The Death of a Thousand Cuts ... the oppo drawer will be full of such tidbits. Their cumulative weight?

[mewzilla]

Newsweek said it had obtained a hand-written note from Kerry to Chung...

And wouldn't we all love to know how Newsweek, home of Spikey Isikoff, got hold of that. You can rest assured they didn't go out and find it themselves.

[Coop]

Speaking of old news:

[Piquaboy]

What liberal was asleep and let this slip into the pages of that rag magazine NEWSSLEEP? I thought they were mainly into Bush Bashing.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET


As our 1990's Battle to save the U.S. Long Beach Navy Base from being turned over to the Communist Chinese in exchange for the China Army Money flowing through the CLINTON White House...

Calfornia Demoratc Senators BOXER-FEINSTEIN and Congresswoman LORETTA SANCHEZ suddenly announced they were returning the China Army Money they had received...

....and then DIDN'T..!!!


Democrat Senator KERRY now says he returned his..?

OK, where's KERRY's Cancelled Check..???


NEVER FORGET

[Redbob]

Do you suppose this is the big news Hannity has promised to reveal about Kerry, when Hannity's new book launches?

[Ships of Wood, Men of Iron]

In my mind there are two nasty points regarding Kerry here. One, he may have knowingly taken money from the Chinese military intelligence. If he gets a pass on that there is a critical second point. Kerry was chosen by the Chinese military intelligence as a candidate that would most likely forward their interests! Having the implicit endorsement of the Chinese here is a telling story.

[ambrose]

bump! see no 16.

[CyberAnt]

You know what I think will hit dems the hardest about Kerry .. he voted AGAINST funding our troops. How many dem voters will be upset because their son or daughter is in Iraq or going to Iraq, and the voter might now wonder if Kerry's policies mean their child will not have the equipment and supplies they need to win the war; or the equipment to keep their child safe.

[RJCogburn]

Chung visited Kerry's Washington office in the summer of 1996 with Liu Chaoying, a Hong Kong businesswoman whom federal investigators found was a lieutenant colonel in China's People's Liberation Army and vice president of a Chinese-government aerospace firm.

And her father was head of the Red Army I believe.

Too bad that most people don't care about this anymore, beyond those of us in these parts.