Replies

It was getting rather hot at the Justice Dept. while trying to cover Clinton's butt.

Paula Jones vs. Bill Clinton - May 23, 1997

Bill Richardson, offered Monica Lewinsky a job at the United Nations in order to protect Clinton.

Feb. 13, 1997

People's Republic of China tried to direct financial contributions from overseas sources to the Democratic National Committee.

The Washington Post reported that Justice was reviewing U.S. intelligence obtained through electronic monitoring that suggests contributions to the DNC from foreign sources were coordinated at the Chinese embassy in Washington. Sources told the Post the evidence was "serious" and could raise the importance of the investigation of Democratic fund-raising practices.

While not directly confirming the report, Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick told reporters, "I'm not going to have any comment on the story except to say we're always concerned with the security of our investigations, and we have, and have had, a number of leak investigations ongoing."

Gorelick appeared to question a suggestion in the Post's story that such a development might trigger appointment of an independent counsel, which by law occurs when a top White House official is implicated. Attorney General Janet Reno has so far turned down repeated requests for an independent prosecutor.

Gorelick said, "The task force has standing instructions that if it finds any information that would lead it to believe that there should be an independent counsel they're to bring this to our attention immediately and that has not occurred in this case."

The possibility of Chinese government involvement in Democratic fund-raising was raised in January by Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-N.Y.) who wrote FBI Director Louis Freeh requesting an investigation into possible "economic espionage" involving former DNC fund-raiser John Huang, who, records show, attended policy events at the Chinese embassy in October 1995. A former employee of the Indonesian Lippo Group and a former Commerce Department official, Huang is at the center of the inquiry into Democratic fund-raising.

"The potential finding is that our foreign policy has been sold for a price, national security has been sold for a price and certainly American business and industry has been penalized for what might have taken place in this political context," Solomon said earlier.

Twenty-five FBI agents have been assigned to the Justice investigation, though not as a direct result of Solomon's letter.

April 1997

Prosecutors called Laborers Union chief Arthur Coia
a "mob puppet." But Coia spent millions of his union's
money to buy Bill Clinton's friendship. New information
suggests Bill repaid the favor by calling off the Feds.

Congressional investigators found that Jamie Gorelick discussed the issue with then-White House counsel Abner Mikva. Gorelick told Mikva that Justice had serious concerns about Coia. The word got to the first lady -- from Mikva through Harold Ickes -- along with the suggestion that Mrs. Clinton not have any private meetings with Coia. On February 6 -- at a time when RICO negotiations were reaching a critical stage -- Mrs. Clinton traveled to the opulent ballroom of the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami Beach to address the Laborers. She made no reference to Coia's legal troubles. On February 13, the union and the Justice Department made the deal that kept Coia in his job.

March, 1997

The Clinton White House learned of nuclear spying in 1997

Wen Ho Lee "has been under FBI investigation since late 1997" but the Bureau has not been able to "develop specific evidence against him so the Clinton Administration "Allowed Lee to remain at his classified job, while under surveillance for high treason?" It appears action was taken to REMOVE him when, but not before, Senator Lott and Senator Shelby complained about the situation.

Ruff contacted Janet Reno's deputy Jamie Gorelick and wanted to know what federal investigators knew or suspected about Chinese illegal contributions to the presidential campaign.

However, when FBI director Freeh learned of the White House probe by Gorelick, he ordered the information not be provided to Clinton, federal law enforcement officials told the Daily Republican in 1997. In a New York Times story Ruff was quoted as telling Gorelick he was seeking the information on behalf of the National Security Council. Ruff said at the time that there was nothing improper about his contacts with the Justice department. The Times story depicted Clinton's probe to obtain the secured FBI files as a written request marked TOP SECRET. Ruff said in an interview, 'This was a matter being dealt with by the National Security Council in its capacity as adviser to the president.'

However, law enforcement officials pointed out that Ruff's request was received only after FBI director Freeh had left Washington on a trip to the Middle East. In his absence, attorney general Janet Reno and Gorelick quickly moved to obtain the secret FBI files. Before the Justice Department turned over the FBI files to Clinton's legal counsel, Robert Bryant, then head of the FBI national security division, picked up the telephone and informed Freeh of Clinton's probe for the secret files on the Chinese investigation. Freeh ordered the files withheld.