Ex-senator linked to oil-for-food claims (Bob Torricelli)

MSNBC (The Financial Times) ^ | 5/18/2006 | Claudio Gatti

[wjersey]

The US Senate is looking into allegations that a former US senator urged Baghdad to give a US company lucrative contracts under the much-criticised United Nations oil-for-food programme.

This is the first time that a leading US lawmaker has been linked to the controversial UN programme, whose shortcomings have been an important element of the Bush administration's critique of the UN.

The investigation involves one of the most vivid figures in US east coast politics, former senator Robert Torricelli, a New Jersey Democrat who was forced to pull out of the 2002 election after being "severely admonished" by the Senate ethics committee for accepting expensive gifts from David Chang, a campaign contributor. Mr Chang, a Korean-American businessman, was found guilty in 2002 of conspiring to violate federal campaign laws and was jailed for 15 months.

Senator Norm Coleman, the Republican chairman of the US Senate permanent sub-committee on investigations, said: "We take these allegations seriously and will continue to investigate in a bipartisan manner allegations of wrongdoing under the oil-for-food programme. We have investigated the illicit conduct of politicians in Russia, France, and the UK. We have a similar interest in preserving the institutional integrity of the US Senate, so we take these allegations regarding former Senator Torricelli seriously and will continue our investigation into them and will refer our findings to the appropriate agencies." The British, French and Russian politicians investigated by the subcommittee deny the allegations.

The allegations are based on Iraqi documents, including diplomatic cables, retrieved after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's former president.

[Peach]

Whoa! What was that about the party of corruption Nancy Facelift was complaining about?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks.

[OldFriend]

When first elected Coleman stated that he was going to honor Wellstone by carrying out his dreams (agenda).

His office got one heck of a phone call from me!!! Not that it made a difference but I suspect mine wasn't the only irate call.

After all, if they wanted Wellstone, the people would have voted for Mondull.

[Palpatine]

I guess Nancy Pelosi was right after all, culture of corruption... oh wait... she said republican, and Torricelli is not a republican but a democrat? How can this be? HOW CAN THIS BE?

[Calpernia]

Hey JV.

Is the PreWarDocs accessable to do searches?

Or do all the docs have to be scrolled through and read individually?

If you can do document searches, are can you search for Torricelli?

Or, would these docs not be in the files due to investigations?

Thanks hon!

[tomnbeverly]

Torricelli Sleeps with Saddam

[Bommer]

Once again, The Torch got burned. If he gets indicted, will he have Frank Lautenburg replace him as the defendant?

BWAAAAHH!!! LOL! Classic!

[browardchad]

presumably he is the scapegoat for whatever other US lawmakers would have been involved since he is already history

Looks that way -- Bright & Bright was demanding a huge chunk of the OFF contracts (at a discount), based on the clout of just one corrupt Senator?

[Calpernia]

>>>An April 15 1996 cable from Mr Hamdoun to Tariq Aziz, Iraq's deputy prime minister at the time, if authentic, appears to corroborate these allegations.<<<<

Well, here is a convenient loop hole:

>>>>Mr Hamdoun died in July 2003. <<<<<

[Chode]

is that an OIL fueled Torch there mr.senator???

[cake_crumb]

"We have a similar interest in preserving the institutional integrity of the US Senate..."

I HOPE that means that if a sitting Democrat turns out to be invoved, they won't be wrist-slapped "for the good of the Senate".

[ohioWfan]

LOL! You're right, CWO!

[cake_crumb]

"This whole immigration thing must be a full court press for the nutters...there hasn't been a single 'Walmart' thread in many days."

Well...this announcement about a non-issue related to the illegal war on terror is just a ploy to make the public forget the REAL problem of porus borders. **sniff** It won't work! They tried that when they turned the weather machine against Louisiana and it didn't work then!

[eureka!]

bump

[jveritas]

So far I did not see any documents that show Toricelli or any American involvement with the Oil for Food program but I will search furthermore. However I have read a document written by the Iraqi intelligence in 1999? that talks about influencing some people with power in the US.

[Calpernia]

Thanks JV!

[Calpernia]

http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2006/05/19/ap2760079.html
Senate Panel Probes Ex-Senator in U.N. Case

Excerpt:

The Independent Inquiry Committee found that Saddam exploited oil-for-food by awarding contracts and taking kickbacks from hundreds of companies and individuals.

The investigation into Torricelli was first reported by The Financial Times.

The newspaper, citing Iraqi diplomatic cables and other documents obtained by the Times and Il Sole 24 Ore, an Italian business daily, reported that in the 1990s, Torricelli met several times with Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations at the time, Nizar Hamdoun.

At those meetings, according to the newspaper, Torricelli, then a House member, allegedly urged Iraq to help his campaign donor, David Chang, and Chang's company, Bright & Bright Corp., get oil-for-food contracts.

In 2002, the Senate Ethics Committee "severely admonished" Torricelli for accepting improper gifts from Chang, and the senator decided not to seek re-election. Two years earlier, Chang pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and funneling $53,700 in illegal donations to Torricelli's 1996 Senate campaign. Chang told investigators that he gave Torricelli cash and gifts in exchange for assistance in his business ventures; Torricelli called the allegations lies.

Torricelli spokesman Sean Jackson confirmed that Torricelli had conversations with the Iraq ambassador, but said the purpose was to argue that U.S.-Iraq relations would improve if American companies participated in the oil-for-food program.

(snip)

[Calpernia]

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/051006/spread.html
‘Congress has so little relevance to daily life’

Excerpt:

But having left Washington the ultimate insider — jettisoned out — Torricelli is now the outsider who is invited in. He plays a role in the shadows of national politics, having raised money for John Kerry in his 2004 presidential race and advised his friend New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine — someone he helped guide into politics — with a leap from the Senate to the Statehouse and is eager to help the presidential campaign of his friend Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who he is convinced will occupy the White House for two terms starting in 2009.

[fish hawk]

Hey Randy Cunningham, move over, you have company coming. (put them in a Nonpartisan cell or they can try to "reach across the aisle")

[malia]

That is a good one!!!!! bump