White House Hides Clinton Fund-raising Scandal From Congress

NEWSMAX ^ | Friday, Sept. 7, 2001 | United Press International

[jasowas]

White House Hides Clinton Fund-raising Scandal From Congress

WASHINGTON - The House Government Reform Committee on Thursday prepared to subpoena the Bush administration for documents relating to Justice Department investigations of the Clinton administration's fund-raising scandal. But the White House said it was prepared to invoke executive privilege to keep the documents secret, shocking congressional investigators. Subpoenas were also planned for another set of documents related to Boston-area organized crime.

Two sets of documents involve the Justice Department's decision not to seek an independent counsel after the 1996 campaign fund-raising scandals that hit both parties during the Clinton administration.

The other 13 documents relate to Justice Department records involving a series of investigations into organized crime in New England, which resulted in key government informants being indicted for a slew of crimes in 1995. The committee has been investigating the use of informants in investigations of organized crime.

Led by Committee Chairman Dan Burton, R-Ind., investigators sought a deal with the Bush administration over the release of the documents. The White House said the decision would be in the "best interests of the administration of justice."

The "president has accepted the recommendation of White House counsel Alberto Gonzalez and is prepared to invoke executive privilege over these documents," an administration official said.

He said that though the documents had no bearing on actions of the Bush administration, White House lawyers had determined that "it was in the best interests of the administration of justice that prosecutors be able to think about options in a case without making those considerations public." Why Would Bush Cover Up for Clinton?

The decision to seek executive privilege for the documents of another administration's scandals shocked investigators, a committee source said.

"We were somewhat surprised to see the White House exert executive privilege," the committee source said. "The documents we requested do not go directly to private conversations between past presidents and attorneys general. We even specifically said we didn't want documents related to open investigations.

"We've been negotiating with them for months, and at no time did they even mention that they would claim any privilege."

The committee sources said the subpoenas did not request grand jury information or documents related to open or continuing investigations, which they said should have made the president more responsive to the request.

[jasowas]

Since I am not convinced with the reasoning that the decision would be in the "best interests of the administration of justice" I wish to ask WHO would benefit from being protected by this "decision" - and WHO pressured the President to come to this "decision."

[537 Votes]

After Bush came out for illegal amnesty, I'm more and more seeing his Administration as Clinton III under cover of a one-time $300 tax cut.

[glock rocks]

WHO would benefit from being protected

i agree. this is the kind of bozo thinking that will get janet! reno elected in florida.

[Libloather]

...organized crime in New England...

They're kidding - right? Those folks can't even get a decent football team together - let alone organize crime...

[glock rocks]

die
bold

[anniegetyourgun]

"We've been negotiating with them for months, and at no time did they even mention that they would claim any privilege."

LOL! This is so brilliant - even they can appear "shocked, shocked, I say" in good conscience! The "pressure" is mounting and mounting and soon everyone will be crying foul on the administration. Under the eye of the congress and media, the administration will just have to "concede" and provide the info.

[VMI70]

Very good! FReegards,

[Arkie2]

Bill Clinton has the goods on daddy Bush and the son is protecting the old man by protecting Clinton. Once you see the link it's easy!

[RightWinger]

Bill Clinton has the goods on daddy Bush and the son is protecting the old man by protecting Clinton.

You may be right.

[jasowas]

>WHO would benefit from being protected <

...."i agree. this is the kind of bozo thinking that will get janet! reno elected in florida."

Actaully my mind is not brilliant enough to think of Reno. My simple thoughts were more in line with the possibility that Bush made HIS "decision" prompted by Israel's request to hide the Barak-Rich bribes.

[glock rocks]

the possibility that Bush made HIS "decision" prompted by Israel's request to hide the Barak-Rich bribes.

i don’t suggest that i have any idea just what the hell is going on...

this administration begins to look more like jimmy carter than Ronald Reagan.

... i'm clueless in utah. sigh.

[nonliberal]

This one is pretty simple. Shrub does not want to piss off his pals the ChiComs. Release the fact that they laundered money throught the DNC, no more "free trade." The ChiComs are our friends, remember? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

[Kakaze]

" After Bush came out for illegal amnesty, I'm more and more seeing his Administration as Clinton III under cover of a one-time $300 tax cut. "

YEP!

A one time pay off to the masses and...those who constantly cheer...."he's not gore"

Thank god a "conservative " is in office.....More of the same just a different label.

[editor-surveyor]

I keep wondering why I'm not surprized.

[Richard Axtell]

"Black Mail" happens to be Clinton's middle name... and so I would not be surprised at all if that explains the Bush DOJ stonewalling. I AM surprised that GW doesn't realize that if he gives in to Clinton's blackmailing, that this is just the beginning, and he can expect Climton to put enormous pressure on him in the future,... to continue these cover-ups, and what else who knows? Tha is if he really has something on the Bushes, or the Republicans. This is all part of the larger, overall, unfolding mystery that is the vast Clinton conspiracy to undermine the security of the nation. There will be more clues... so stay tuned! Set your secret decoder rings to "2004"!

[Lulu]

I believe that Bush's father is being protected. If you read Terry Reed's book on what went on in Arkansas at Mena, you know that the elder Bush was very much involved in that little caper. It stands to reason that with the elder's connections to chinese money via his brother Prescott, and the fact that he himself had been Ambassador to china at one time, then head of the CIA, it seems natural that he is somehow mixed up in all of this.

[ChaseR]

"The "pressure" is mounting and mounting and soon everyone will be crying foul on the administration.
Under the eye of the congress and media, the administration
will just have to "concede" and provide the info.

Excellent post annie.

[ChaseR]

"I wish to ask WHO would benefit from being protected by this "decision" - and WHO pressured the President to come to this "decision."

The Rule of Law Must Prevail!