Enron's Democrat Pals - Documents obtained by TIME show close ties with Clinton Administration

TIME.com ^ | August 17, 2002 | MICHAEL WEISSKOPF

[HAL9000]

Enron's Democrat Pals

Documents obtained by TIME show the energy giant enjoyed much closer ties with Clinton Administration regulators than was generally known

Before its messy decline and fall, Enron had plenty of clout in George W. Bush's Washington, from the personal ties between chairman Ken Lay and the President to the company's alleged influence on Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force. But Enron's cozy relationship with Washington didn't start there. Documents obtained by TIME show the energy giant enjoyed much closer ties with Clinton Administration regulators than was generally known. Long before Cheney's task force met with Enron officials and included their ideas in Bush's energy plan, Clinton's energy team was doing much the same thing. Drafting a 1995 plan to help facilitate cash flow and credit for energy producers, it asked for Enron's input—and listened. The staff was directed to "rework the proposal to take into account the specific comments and suggestions you made," Clinton Deputy Energy Secretary Bill White wrote an Enron official.

Clinton officials also made efforts to help Enron get business overseas. Clinton Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary included Enron officials on trade missions to India, China, Pakistan and South Africa. White, returning from a 1994 trip to Mexico, wrote chairman Lay that "much opportunity" existed there for natural gas, and he sent a copy of Mexico's energy plans. To persuade an Enron senior vice president to join a mission to Pakistan, White wrote, "I have strong personal relationships with the existing government."

Enron showed its gratitude. At Christmas 1995, documents show, it donated an unknown sum of cash in O'Leary's name to a charity called "I Have a Dream." And when Clinton ran for re-election a year later, the company made its largest single contribution ever—$100,000—to the President's party.

[LarryLied]

So why is Time reporting this now? Most of this (and more) has been common knowledge for months.

On an unrelated subject:

Anyone know who Fred Eychaner is and why he is pouring money into the Democrat party this election cycle? FECINFO shows over $1,750,000 as of June 30th.

[Russell Scott]

Oh no. Time has joined the vast right wing conspiracy.

Can you imagine if Hillary ran for President. All you would have to do to completely destroy her is run two ads over and over. One showing her lying through her teeth on 60 minutes about her great mariage, and the other when she made her "vast right wing conspiracy speech". And people think she could actually become President?!

[BADROTOFINGER]

Who is Fred Eychaner?...JFK

[BADROTOFINGER]

Duh. That is what you just asked...sorry...JFK

[BADROTOFINGER]

Apparently the president of Newsweb Corp, and a bigwig moneyman for Chicago Dem interests, just from gleaning the headings of a quick Google search. Cook County Dem probably, no great surprise for socialist leanings...JFK

[backhoe]

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[LarryLied]

Fred was the tenth largest donor in 2000. This cycle he's donated almost twice as much. Odd for an off year election. Couldn't find much out about him.

[kcvl]

Fred Eychaner
March 5, 2001

It was the most successful fundraiser the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had ever held in Chicago. Fred Eychaner and his partner, Ken Lee, welcomed 100 people into their home for an intimate dinner with President Clinton last May. But the $850,000 raised at the event couldn't outpace Eychaner's own contributions to the Democrats during the last election cycle. The television mogul has ranked in the top 75 of every Mother Jones 400 since the list's inception in 1996.

Most of Eychaner's contributions went to candidates who support gay rights. He also hosted a Democratic fundraiser last September on behalf of gays and lesbians. The "no-media-allowed" event, which raised nearly $200,000 for the Democratic National Committee, was attended by Tipper Gore and Maggie Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley. "What an incredible event," Tipper told reporters. "It's an awesome amount of money to raise for Al and Joe [Lieberman] to get the message of tolerance across."

Through his Newsweb Corporation, Eychaner owns affiliates of the UPN network in Chicago and Denver. The company also owns three AM radio stations in the greater Chicago area.

Eychaner is also well-known for supporting the arts in Chicago. He sits on the board of the Joffrey Ballet and is an honorary director of Youth Communications, which puts out a publication written by teenagers.

[kcvl]

Eychaner, 57, an astute investor who also owns a printing business and some choice real estate in the Chicago area, has been scooping up bargains, notably three ethnic AM radio stations in town. A generous philanthropist, he has been funneling grants through the WPWR-TV Channel 50 Foundation to local arts organizations, gay and lesbian causes, education, and historic preservation, including the Auditorium Theatre Council.

A big-time fundraiser for the Democratic Party (ranked as one of the country's top campaign contributors by Mother Jones), Eychaner contributed nearly $1 million of his own money in 2000 in addition to the parties he gave on behalf of candidates at his stylish Lincoln Park home. Modest and publicity-shy, Echaner still owns his ten-year-old Ford Escort with no air conditioner, but now drives a Ford Escape.



FRED EYCHANER

What do WPWR, WBBS, WEHS, & WYIN all have in common? If you knew the name Fred Eychaner, you'd know the answer. The above stations all were part of a series of sometimes lucky transactions that made Eychaner a very wealthy man.


Democrats had a few sugar daddies of their own. On Oct. 24, Fred Eychaner, a Chicago entrepreneur who heads up Newsweb Corp, gave $1 million to the DNC to help fund its new headquarters in Washington. The Plumbers/Pipefitters Union matched that contribution on Dec. 31, while a handful of law firms, including the Dallas-based Baron & Budd ($200,000), also anted up.

[kcvl]

Fred Eychaner and his partner, Ken Lee, welcomed 100 people into their home

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[LarryLied]

Thanks. Limo liberals. The lowest form of life on the planet.

[KevinDavis]

Ah the do as I say, not as I do democrats.. I'm shocked! I'm really shocked! I guess Liberman is going to investigate this! When hell freezes over!

[Prodigal Son]

Bump- we'll see what comes out of this. Generally, the other media outlets will have to do at least a short piece touching on it because the foreign media will pick it up. The biggest clue will be how the Liebermans, Clintons and others react to it. I would imagine their sound bites should be somewhat revealing.

[ASDFGHJK]

to be considered is the DNC chairman's $18 million profit on Global Crossing stock.

[pray4liberty]

Fred Eychaner and his partner, Ken Lee, welcomed 100 people into their home for an intimate dinner with President Clinton last May.

Maybe this was the first dinner Clinton ever attended in which he didn't hit on the hostess?