1997 Special Investigation in Connection with 1996 Federal Election Campaigns. United States Senate Committee
in the 1994 congressional elections presaged the defeat of President Clinton in 1996, the Democratic Party and the President stopped asking or caring about the sources of this money.
The Committee’s investigation explored the DNC’s and the President’s enormous thirst for campaign contributions to support the President’s re-election bid and outlined the abuses carried out in their pursuit, including selling access to the President and senior officials through “coffees” and White House “overnights,” and blatantly trading access to senior officials in return for campaign contributions. New sources of money had to be found. In this climate, the door was opened in 1996 to contributions from unsavory figures, from foreign bank accounts, and possibly from foreign governments as well. The Committee’s hearings exposed a number of these sources, particularly hitherto untapped foreign sources of money.
Summary of Hearings
Date | Witness(es)| Subject
July 8 None Members’ opening statements
July 9 Richard Sullivan DNC fund-raising
July 10 Richard Sullivan DNC fund-raising
July 15 Juliana Utomo John Huang’s activities
Thomas Hampson at LippoBank
Harold Arthur
July 16 Gary Christopherson John Huang’s activities
Paul Buskirk at the Commerce Department
Jeffrey Garten
Robert Gallagher
John Dickerson
William McNair
July 17 Paula Green John Huang’s activities
John Cobb at the Commerce Department
July 23 Benton Becker National Policy Forum
Michael Baroody
July 24 Fred Volcansek National Policy Forum
Haley Barbour
July 25 Richard Richards National Policy Forum
Donald Stern & the laundered contributions of Simon Fireman
July 29 Jerome Campane Charlie Trie’s contributions to the DNC
Yue Chu
Xi Ping Wang
July 30 Michael Cardozo Charlie Trie’s contributions to the Presidential Legal Expense Trust (PLET)
July 31 Terry Lenzner Charlie Trie’s contributions to the PLET
Loren Berger
Zhi Hua Dong
September 4 Man Ho The Hsi Lai Temple’s donation-laundering and
Yi Chu the April 29, 1996 Vice-Presidential fundraiser
Man Ya Shih
September 5 David Strauss The Temple fundraiser
Michael Mitoma & John Lee’s contribution the DNC
September 9 Donald Fowler The DNC’s relationship with the White House
September 10 Joseph Sandler Legal issues related to DNC fund-raising & Vice President Gore’s telephone solicitations from the White House
September 11 Samuel Berger White House vetting of political donors’ attendance at events with the President
September 16 Karl Jackson Fund-raising in the White House
Clarke Wallace & John Huang’s proposal to launder DNC contributions
Beth Dozoretz
Rawlein Soberano
September 17 Sheila Heslin Roger Tamraz’s political contributions, and DNC, White House and Energy Department pressure upon the National Security Council
September 18 Roger Tamraz Roger Tamraz’s contributions to the Democratic Party
Kyle Simpson & fundraising in the White House
John Carter
Jerome Campane
September 19 R. Warren Meddoff Harold Ickes’ solicitation of political contributions from Warren Meddoff
September 23 Thomas Mann Campaign finance policy issues
Norman Ornstein
September 24 Thomas Mann Campaign finance policy issues
Norman Ornstein
Ann McBride
Donald Simon
Douglas Berman
Becky Cain
Curtis Gans
Ellen Miller
Leo Troy
September 25 Daniel Ortiz Campaign finance policy issues
Anthony Corrado
Trevor Potter
Lawrence Noble
Burt Neuborne
Roger Pilon
September 30 Walter Mondale Campaign finance policy issues
Nancy Kassebaum Baker
October 7 Harold Ickes Harold Ickes’ role in DNC operations
October 8 Harold Ickes Harold Ickes’ role in DNC operations
October 9 Mark Thomann Proposed contribution “swap” between the DNC and the Richard Sullivan International Brotherhood of Teamsters
October 22 Steven Smith Belated White House production of videotapes
Charles McGrath
October 23 Steven Smith Belated White House production of videotapes
Charles McGrath
Charles Campbell
Lanny Breuer
Michael Imbroscio
October 29 Richard Jenrette President Clinton’s telephone solicitations
Lanny Breuer
Michael Imbroscio
Charles Ruff & untimely White House document productions
October 30 Paul Eckstein Role of DNC campaign contributions in the denial Bruce Babbitt of a license for the Hudson, Wisconsin, Indian casino
Footnotes
1 S.Res. 54, Section 13(d)(1), 143 Congressional Record S1421 (daily ed. Feb. 13, 1997). 2 See 143 Congressional Record S716–18 (daily ed. Jan. 28, 1997). 3 No deadline on the special investigation was proposed. 4 The three additional minority members of the Committee opposed the resolution by proxy, but proxy votes are not counted on a motion to report a measure to the Senate from the Committee. Rule 3C, Rules of the Committee on Governmental Affairs. See 143 Congressional Record S1195 (daily ed. Feb. 10, 1997) (reprinting the Committee Rules). 5 See S.Rep. 105–7, Report of the Committee on Governmental Affairs to Accompany S.Res. 39, p. 3. 6 S.Res. 54 was approved by the Senate by unanimous consent on February 13, 1997. 143 Congressional Record S 1418 (daily ed. Feb. 13, 1997). 7 See 143 Congressional Record S1195 (daily ed. Feb. 10, 1997) (reprinting the Committee Rules). 8 See S.Rep. 105–7, Report of the Committee on Governmental