CITY, FED PROBES EYE PARDONGATE BILLIONAIRE AS A 'MAJOR PLAYER' IN SADDAM'S SCAM (MARC RICH)

New York Post ^ | 12/13/04 | NILES LATHEM

[kattracks]

POST WORLD EXCLUSIVE

WASHINGTON — Billionaire Marc Rich has emerged as a central figure in the U.N. oil-for-food scandal and is under investigation for brokering deals in which scores of international politicians and businessmen cashed in on sweetheart oil deals with Saddam Hussein, The Post has learned.

Rich, the fugitive Swiss-based commodities trader who received a controversial pardon from President Bill Clinton in January 2001, is a primary target of criminal probes under way in the U.S. attorney's office in New York and by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, sources said.

"We think he was a major player in this — a central figure," a senior law-enforcement official told The Post.

Investigators are looking into a series of deals that took place in the months after his pardon from Clinton.

[snip]

Investigators now believe Rich and Pollner brokered many of the deals by finding buyers for the oil allocated to people who were bribed by Saddam.

[snip]

So intense is the interest of prosecutors in the Rich connection that Pollner was recently "grabbed" and questioned by investigators from Morgenthau's office as he was on his way to Kennedy Airport for an overseas trip, a law-enforcement official told The Post.

[snip]

Investigators still do not know how recipients of the vouchers led to Rich, but say his relationship with Saddam goes back more than a decade.

A report by the House Government Reform Committee on Rich's clemency deal established that it was well known to the CIA and other U.S. law-enforcement agencies at the time of the pardon that Rich had been dealing with Saddam since the early 1990s — after the Persian Gulf War when Iraq was the subject of an international embargo.

[BARLF]

I suppose it's possible Rich helped Saddam work out the OFF scam in the first place. Phase 1 of OFF started in mid-December 1996.

[Theo]

Is that the Clinton Liebrary? It looks like a trailer home.... :-D

[Sal]

Phase 1 of OFF started in mid-December 1996.

Hmmmmm. Right after the scumbag was re-elected even though he was just impeached. At that point he figured he was bullet proof, and--for quite a while--he WAS.

[prairiebreeze]

Well yes, money to be sure. I was speculating a larger more political reason, but perhaps it's simply all about money.

[Flint]

Dare we hope that Mark cut Bill and Hillary in on some of the cash?

[backhoe]

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Tonken's fascinating, mind-blowing true story--how he helped steal from the needy to fill the pockets of the greedy, in what is sure to be one of this country's biggest scandals.

[Gay State Conservative]

This guy may not realize it,but that pardon that he
purchased...ooops,I mean,was so graciously given....will
likely prove to be very costly for him,particularly if this
story concerns The Former Twelfth Lady (which it should).

[Mo1]

well, well, well.... how many $$$$ went to xxxlinton?

---

That we know of ??? ...


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1292417/posts?page=52#52
(snip)
Saturday, 10 February, 2001, 18:06 GMT

Rich's '$450,000' for Clinton library


The former wife of the fugitive financier controversially pardoned by President Clinton on his last day in office had donated $450,000 to his presidential library fund, according to reports in Washington.

Citing "sources familiar with the contribution", the Washington Post said Denise Rich made three donations from July 1998 to May 2000, before she became active late last year in the successful lobbying campaign for Marc Rich.

The pardon freed one of the world's richest men from prosecution on more than 50 counts of racketeering, wire fraud, income tax evasion and illegal oil trading with Iran.

Her lawyer had told a house committee probing the pardon that Denise Rich donated an "enormous sum of money" to the fund.

Reports of the donations have ranged from $400,000 to $1 million.

[jriemer]

If the Oil for Food Scandal were a Country...

[Mo1]

There's the tie to Beestie. And what the heck was Barak's interest in setting Rich free?

I have no idea .. but considering Saddam was paying the families of suicide bombers 25 grand each to murder Israelis ... Barak's might have some explaining to do

[TMSuchman]

Does anybody remember when hitllery wert to Switzerland?

I can only guess that it was to open their Swiss bank accounts. Can we guess how much was put in, how much for a pardon and with links to Saddam.

[Grampa Dave]

Do you call the NY Slimes, LA Slimes, Washington Compost, Atlanta Urinal and ABCNNBCBS reliable?

[Mo1]

Does anyone know if the networks have touched this story and made mention of Clinton's pardon?

The only one I've heard mention it is FNC

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the little history reminder re Rich.

Isn't it interesting about these articles which say the US knew about the Oil for Food Scam, and how they fail to note that the scam was planned, conceived and originated under the Clintoons?

[Mo1]

Didn't Carville work to get Barak elected?

Yes he did

[Wristpin]

Did the Pardon forgive his outstanding tax debt to the american people? Whats the interest and penalties on $48 million owed since the seventies?

[Liz]

Thanks for the little history reminder re Rich. Isn't it interesting about these articles which say the US knew about the Oil for Food Scam, and how they fail to note that the scam was planned, conceived and originated under the Clintoons?

Why does this guy always skate?

Who was it---Paul Jones---that said "he gets away with everything."

[Mo1]

Phase 1 of OFF started in mid-December 1996.

And Maddy Halfbright was Clinton's UN Ambassador at the time who helped put together the OFF program

[cloud8]

"Does anybody remember when hitllery wert to Switzerland?"

Hmmm. This is from The Foster Murder.

Foster flew to Switzerland November 1, 1991 (during early stages of Bill Clinton's presidential bid), returning November 3, giving him just one day on the ground. A year later, he did the same thing, flying to Switzerland December 7, 1992 (during Clinton's presidential transition period) and returning December 9. On July 1, 1993, he purchased another ticket to Switzerland, but never went. He received a refund for the unused ticket on July 8. He died less than two weeks later.

[Mo1]

Did the Pardon forgive his outstanding tax debt to the american people?

---

To be honest .. I'm not sure

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/2/2/71959.shtml

(snip)
That is most evident in the case of Marc Rich, accused of trading with Iran during the hostage crisis and dodging $48 million in taxes. People seeking pardons are never saints, but pardons generally are reserved for those who have faced justice and served their debt to society. Rich did neither, instead fleeing to a Swiss mansion. Rich's lawyers claim the charges were thin and never should have been brought. Clinton agreed. But if the charges were so thin, why not face a judge?