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The prosecution rested yesterday in the trial of Hillary Clinton's former finance director David Rosen, without calling several key witnesses in the case - a move that some say was a bid to avoid implicating the former first lady. "They're the elephants in the room," an attorney familiar with the trial told the New York Sun. "The jury may ask: 'Where were they?' That's the risk," he added, requesting not to be identified. Among those not called to testify is Peter Paul, the man whose allegations spurred an FBI probe four years ago into a Hollywood gala fundraiser for Mrs....

From the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, I received info from a source regarding the David Rosen trial. By now, most of you know that the Rosen trial is about his criminal involvement in the biggest campaign finance fraud case in history. Some people are pretending that Hillary Clinton had no involvement in the phony reporting to the FEC regarding her 2000 senate campaign. IN THIS EPISODE, we learned that Gary Smith, the concert producer for the 2000 Hollywood Gala, met at Le Dome restaurant with Peter Paul, Aaron Tonken, and David Rosen for lunch. They discussed Smith's...

Clinton Has Eyes at Rosen Trial BY JOSH GERSTEIN - Staff Reporter of the Sun May 23, 2005 LOS ANGELES - Since the criminal trial of a top fund-raising official on Senator Clinton's 2000 campaign began here nearly two weeks ago, a middle-age woman has been quietly perched on one of the wooden benches in the back of the courtroom. She jots down her observations in a small notebook and regularly consults with defense lawyers, but does not socialize with the handful of journalists covering the trial. The unobtrusive and taciturn woman is the general counsel for Mrs. Clinton's campaign,...

The Inquisition welcomes Peter Paul, the man who was the largest financial contributor to Hillary Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign. After the Clinton campaign failed to either declare or repay his multi-million dollar expenses, Paul filed suit against the Clintons. Paul's evidence formed the basis for the ongoing trial of Clinton finance director David Rosen on 3 felony counts, carrying a possible penalty of 15 years in the slammer. We'll ask Peter Paul what Hillary knew, and when she knew it.

Judge May Dismiss Charge Against Ex-Aide to Clinton LOS ANGELES, May 20 - In a blow to federal prosecutors, a judge said on Friday that he would probably toss out one of three criminal charges against Hillary Rodham Clinton's former chief fund-raiser, David F. Rosen. The comments by the judge, A. Howard Matz, came in the course of a day that also featured testimony from two men who are stars in their individual firmaments: Stan Lee, a co-creator of Spider-Man, and Harold Ickes, the longtime adviser to former President Bill Clinton and former deputy chief of staff at the White...

HILL PAL IS CASH COWED By NICOLE CAMPBELL May 21, 2005 -- LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors in the trial of Hillary Rodham Clinton's former top fund-raiser David Rosen closed their case yesterday by driving home the point that an extravagant Hollywood gala cost three times as much as was reported to the Federal Election Commission. **SNIP** After the prosecution rested, Rosen's attorney, Paul Sandler, quickly filed a motion to dismiss each of the counts in the case. Judge A. Harold Matz said he would rule on the motion when the case resumes on Tuesday. Matz said he expected the jury...

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's brother-in-law testified Thursday that he wore a concealed device to record a conversation with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former finance director, David Rosen, in advance of Rosen's indictment on campaign finance charges. Rosen is on trial in Los Angeles on charges of underreporting several hundred thousand dollars in costs for a lavish Hollywood fundraiser in 2000.At the outset of his testimony, Raymond Reggie, a member of a politically prominent Louisiana family, acknowledged having pleaded guilty last month to federal check kiting and conspiracy charges. Reggie, whose sister is married to Kennedy, said he hoped to win...

I know I am supposed to be on vacation, but I can't get away from this stuff. Evelyn Nieves is a reporter from the WASHINGTON POST who has been covering the David Rosen trial. Covering is a bit of an exaggeration. This is something they are tiptoeing around because it will affect Hillary. I just spoke with Evelyn, who is based in San Francisco. She has now been given the information that Hillary wanted Gary Smith to do the concert for the Hillary fundraiser, and that she negotiated down the fee to 800K. Yes, Evelyn, Hillary was directly involved. She...

N.O. politico testifies expense was no secret LOS ANGELES -- New Orleans political operative Ray Reggie took the stand Thursday in the trial of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's former finance director to describe how expenses such as lavish party favors -- director's chairs for every guest -- and efforts to round up private jets for celebrity performers helped drive the costs of a Hollywood gala into the stratosphere. And Clinton's finance director, David Rosen, knew it, Reggie testified on the sixth day of Rosen's trial. Rosen, 40, is charged with making false statements to the Federal Election Commission about the...

Secretly recorded audiotapes that helped drive the prosecution of Hillary Clinton's one-time finance director David Rosen have prompted investigations into the fund-raising activities of other top Democratic figures, a newspaper familiar with the contents of those tapes reported on Friday. Ted Kennedy brother-in-law Raymond Reggie agreed to wear a wire for the FBI in 2002 while facing bank fraud and conspiracy charges in another case. It was Reggie's tapes that captured Rosen making incriminating statements about his role in an August 2000 gala fund-raiser for Mrs. Clinton. But according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Reggie's tapes have helped instigate at...

LOS ANGELES, May 19 - For all the flamboyant figures swirling around the criminal trial of Hillary Rodham Clinton's former chief fund-raiser, the most damaging testimony against him may well have come from a tiny woman in Mary Janes who had the manner of a high school accounting teacher. Her name is Whitney W. Burns, and she took the stand for the prosecution on Thursday in its case against David F. Rosen, who was the national finance director for Mrs. Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign. Mr. Rosen is charged with three counts of causing false filings to be made to the...

HILLARY CLINTON Hollywood event a flop in '00. One of Hillary Clinton's top aides threw a hissy fit over the high costs of an extravagant Hollywood fund-raiser .......... Ray Reggie, the brother-in-law of Sen. Ted Kennedy, testified..... that Clinton aide Kelly Craighead was upset days before the August 2000 soiree. Craighead and Rosen argued "pretty hard" about the lavish fund-raiser, said Reggie, who got involved in raising cash for the campaign at the behest of then-President Bill Clinton. "Kelly was concerned about how much money was going to be made at the event," Reggie testified....... Rosen, who is charged...

Demos' hijinks may stay secret Rule 'salacious' tape off-limits, judge urged Wednesday, May 18, 2005 By Martha Carr Staff writer LOS ANGELES -- A secretly recorded conversation laden with salacious details about the fast-and-loose lifestyles of big-name Democratic stalwarts could stay under wraps in the trial of Sen. Hillary Clinton's former national finance director, if the government has its way. Prosecutors Tuesday asked a federal judge to declare the tape off-limits to defense attorneys on the basis that much of it is hearsay. They also vowed not to introduce it as part of their case when New Orleans media consultant...

HILL MAN HAD ME 'FIX' $$ By KENNETH LOVETT Post Correspondent May 19, 2005 -- LOS ANGELES — **SNIP** Bretta Nock, a hired event planner, said Clinton's former national finance director, David Rosen, also ordered her to obtain an invoice that she believed low-balled part of the cost of the event in 2000. **SNIP** She testified that Rosen told her that "the overall [budget] figure needed to project a lower cost, so hence, items were adjusted accordingly," she testified. The altered budget, she said, "was to their liking." The budget documents that Nock prepared were circulated to various people involved...

Planner says ex-Hillary Clinton aide hid costs of fundraiser LOS ANGELES The trial of Hillary Clinton's former national finance director continued today in Los Angeles with an event planner testifying she was ordered by David Rosen to obtain a fake invoice connected to a Hollywood fundraising gala. Bretta Nock told jurors that Rosen told her to get a 200-thousand dollar invoice for the concert portion of the celebrity bash, when the actual costs were much higher. Rosen has pleaded not guilty to three charges of filing false financial statements connected with Clinton's 2000 Senate run. He's accused of under-reporting donations...

-- Sen. Edward Kennedy's brother-in-law testified in federal court Thursday against the former national finance director of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 campaign, who is accused of lying to regulators about the cost of a lavish Hollywood fundraiser. Raymond Reggie, a prominent political consultant whose sister is married to Kennedy, testified that David Rosen said event producers were charging $500,000 _ $100,000 more than was reported to the Federal Election Commission.Rosen, 38, is accused of lying to the Federal Election Commission about the true costs of the August 2000 gala that drew celebrities, including Cher, Diana Ross, Brad Pitt, Jennifer...

LOS ANGELES, May 18 - Thousands of dollars in expenses, including more than $1,000 worth of rose petals, disappeared from a budget for a fund-raising gala on orders of David F. Rosen, who was the national finance director for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 Senate race, a witness testified here today. The witness, a party planner named Bretta J. Nock, testified at the trial of Mr. Rosen, who is charged with causing false filings to be made to the Federal Election Commission by underreporting the cost of an August 2000 event, called the Hollywood Gala Salute to President William Jefferson Clinton....

A key prosecution witness testified Wednesday that she was instructed by the national finance director for Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign to falsify costs for a star-studded fundraiser held on the eve of the 2000 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. Gretta Nock, a professional event planner, said she did not think it was her place to question Clinton Finance Director David Rosen and went along with the alleged scheme. Rosen is charged with causing the Clinton Senate campaign to underreport more than $800,000 in expenses to the Federal Election Commission. As a result, the campaign was able to spend more "hard"...

In a surprise move that shocked even the judge at the trial of Hillary's Clinton's former finance director, David Rosen - prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg announced yesterday that he would not introduce the government's strongest evidence that Rosen was guilty - the Hillary aide's own tape recorded admission implicating him in election fraud. "The government does not intend to introduce the tape or elicit any testimony from the witness about that conversation," Zeidenberg told Judge A. Howard Matz. Judge Matz was stunned by Zeidenberg's announcement, and hinted that the Bush prosecutor was throwing away his case. "You couldn't keep [the tape]...

HILL AIDE'S FUND TRIAL DEBUGGED By KENNETH LOVETT May 18, 2005 -- LOS ANGELES — In a courthouse shocker, Sen. Ted Kennedy's brother-in-law won't be asked about a conversation he secretly recorded for the FBI when he testifies today against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former chief fund-raiser, a prosecutor revealed yesterday. "The government does not intend to introduce the tape or elicit any testimony about that conversation," federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg told a judge before the trial of ex-Clinton fund-raiser David Rosen resumed yesterday after a four-day break. While Zeidenberg did not mention Kennedy's brother-in-law, Ray Reggie, by name, he...