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Clinton Pardons Reveal Israeli Connection
WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (News Agencies) - Senior Republican lawmakers Sunday asserted their determination to unearth all relevant facts concerning pardons granted by former president Bill Clinton as he left office in January.
There were suggestions, however, that the White House was anxious not to allow the affair to mushroom into a full-scale political scandal which might continue to edge President George W. Bush's policy initiatives out of the headlines.
Indiana representative Dan Burton, the veteran Clinton foe who is leading a House of Representatives' inquiry into the pardons, said he would be happy to talk about merging that inquiry with the one underway in the Senate.
Burton appeared lukewarm, however, on suggestions that John Ashcroft, Bush's recently appointed attorney general, should appoint a special counsel to oversee a full legal investigation, possibly leading to a criminal prosecution.
The decision on a judicial probe fell to Ashcroft himself. But "President Bush wants to move ahead with his agenda, and I support that," Burton said on "Fox News Sunday."
Burton repeated the phrase when asked on another channel whether it was true the White House had attempted to dampen his enthusiasm for the pardons probe.
"The president [Bush] has said nothing to me," he said on ABC's "This Week" program.
Condemnation of Clinton's pardoning of fugitive financier Marc Rich, who faced charges of tax evasion and the buying of Iranian oil in defiance of a U.S. embargo, now transcends party lines.
Rich's connections with members of the Israeli political establishment, some of whom helped persuade Clinton to grant the pardon, received further critical coverage in the weekend press.
Another pardon probe focuses on four Hasidic Jews accused of stealing millions from the U.S. federal government
And there were no voices - even among Democrats - raised in defense of Clinton's pardon of drug dealer Carlos Vignali.
Senator Hillary Clinton's brother, lawyer Hugh Rodham, was paid $400,000 for handling Vignali's pardon petition and that of one other man.
Vignali's name has also been mentioned in connection with attempts by Clinton's half-brother, Roger Clinton, to influence the president's pardons.
Roger Clinton had said that in his case no money changed hands.
Burton said he would follow up a weekend press report that claimed Roger Clinton in fact received $30,000 from Vignali.
Senator Arlen Specter, who heads the parallel Senate investigation into the affair, had also heard this report.
There are "a lot of allegations out there swirling around," Specter said on CBS' "Face the Nation." But it would be "what you would expect," for Roger Clinton to receive payment for his willingness to approach his half-brother, the senator added.
Both congressional committees also are looking into the alleged role in securing the Rich pardon of Democratic Party fundraiser Beth Dozoretz.
Dozoretz was a personal friend of Rich's divorced wife Denise Rich - who donated significant funds to the party - and as leader of the Democratic Party's main finance committee was also close to Clinton.
Burton said his committee has learned Denise Rich had visited the White House up to 100 times in the last year or two.
Burton also confirmed he had received death threats in connection with the investigation.
"There have been some threats ... We've taken whatever security measures need to be taken," he said.
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