Wealthy fugitive's pardon draws bipartisan criticism

Congressman raises possibility of investigation

01/26/2001

Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON – Prominent Republican and Democratic lawmakers are sharply criticizing the pardon President Bill Clinton granted during his final day in office to a fugitive businessman, with one House leader broaching the prospect of a congressional inquiry.

Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, announced Thursday that he is seeking documents connected with the last-minute pardon of Marc Rich.

Mr. Rich, a billionaire commodities trader, was indicted in 1983 on charges of tax fraud and illegal oil trading with Iran. He fled the United States and was never brought to trial. Mr. Clinton's pardon frees him from the threat of prosecution.

Mr. Rich and a former business associate, Pincus Green, were among 140 people pardoned by Mr. Clinton just hours before his term expired Saturday. Mr. Rich's pardon has attracted attention in part because it did not go through the normal Justice Department screening process.

Former White House counsel Jack Quinn lobbied Mr. Clinton directly on behalf of Mr. Rich, whose former wife is a major Democratic Party contributor.

"Until his pardon was granted, Marc Rich was on the list of the Justice Department's six most wanted international fugitives," Mr. Burton said in a written statement. "Since former President Clinton has not given an adequate explanation as to why Mr. Rich deserved a pardon, Congress has an obligation to find out if this pardon was appropriate."

Democrats also have been critical of the pardon.

"I think it was inappropriate," Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said. "But I don't know all the facts, and I can't pass final judgment on it."

Mr. Daschle added that as a result of the episode, he would be open to a review of the procedures for presidential pardons.

Critics have focused on $867,000 worth of political contributions made by Mr. Rich's former wife, Denise Rich, to Democratic causes in recent years, as well as the lobbying by Mr. Quinn. Mr. Rich has given more than $200million to charities, including many connected to Israel.

Defenders of Mr. Rich, 67, said that the case against him had been unfairly hyped by U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani, now the mayor of New York. They deny government charges that Mr. Rich evaded about $48 million in income taxes, and they point out that his company had agreed to pay the government $150 million in fines before Mr. Rich fled to Switzerland.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has seized on the furor to drum up support for his legislation to reform campaign finance laws. In particular, Mr. McCain wants to ban unlimited "soft money" donations to political parties – the sort that Denise Rich made to Democrats.

-- Anonymous, January 26, 2001

Answers

Doesn't really matter. Thems that love Bill will. Same as Jesse.

What I wonder is if we'll ever learn what the payoff was.

-- Anonymous, January 27, 2001

Much ado about the same thing. Same shit, different characters.

It just becomes nice when you're already friends with some of the characters.

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2001