Text 7219, 96 rader
Skriven 2005-01-08 23:02:00 av THURSTON ACKERMAN (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av JEFF BINKLEY
Ärende: Hillary
===============
Hillary certainly has rotten luck chooseing men doesn't she.

I wonder who she will pick to be her Vice President?

Ciao, Ack.

JB>Hillary Clinton's Former Campaign Finance Director Indicted

JB>POSTED: 4:53 pm EST January 7, 2005
JB>UPDATED: 9:03 pm EST January 7, 2005

JB>WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former finance director has
JB>been indicted on charges of filing fictitious reports that misstated
JB>contributions for a Hollywood fund-raising gala for the senator, the
JB>Justice Department said Friday.


JB>The indictment, rare for a political campaign, was unsealed in Los
JB>Angeles charging David Rosen with four counts of filing false reports
JB>with the Federal Election Commission. The charges focus on an Aug. 12,
JB>2000, dinner and concert supported by more than $1.1 million in "in-kind
JB>contributions" -- goods and services provided for free or below cost.
JB>The event was estimated to cost more than $1.2 million.

JB>The FBI previously said in court papers that it had evidence the former
JB>first lady's campaign deliberately understated its fund-raising costs so
JB>it would have more money to spend on her campaign.

JB>While the event allegedly cost more than $1.2 million, the indictment
JB>said, Rosen reported contributions of about $400,000, knowing the figure
JB>to be false.

JB>The indictment charged that he provided some documents to an FEC
JB>compliance officer but withheld the true costs of the event and provided
JB>false documents to substantiate the lower figure.

JB>In one instance, Rosen obtained and delivered a fraudulent invoice
JB>stating the cost of a concert associated with the gala was $200,000 when
JB>he know that figure was false, according to the indictment. The actual
JB>cost of the concert was more than $600,000.

JB>Each of the four counts of making a false statement carries a maximum
JB>penalty of up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines upon
JB>conviction.

JB>Rosen's attorney, Paul Mark Sandler, did not return a call asking for
JB>comment. Mrs. Clinton's lawyer on campaign finance matters, David
JB>Kendall, said, "The Senate Campaign Committee has fully cooperated with
JB>the investigation. Mr. Rosen worked hard for the campaign, and we trust
JB>that when all the facts are in, he will be cleared."

JB>The businessman who hosted the event, Peter Paul, has told federal
JB>authorities that it cost more than $1 million and that he had been
JB>surprised when he saw that most of the contributions were not reported.

JB>The money from the fund-raiser went to Mrs. Clinton's successful
JB>campaign for a Senate seat from New York, the Democrats' national Senate
JB>campaign organization and a state Democratic Party committee.

JB>The joint fund raising made the rules more complicated because the gala
JB>raised both "hard money" -- funds given to candidates subject to federal
JB>limits -- and "soft money" that was unregulated and unlimited under the
JB>former campaign finance law.

JB>Underreporting the cost of the event allowed the committee to spend less
JB>of the coveted hard money, contributions that unlike soft money could be
JB>used to cover Clinton's campaigning costs.

JB>Federal law governing such joint fund-raisers was designed to prevent
JB>joint committees from circumventing restrictions on the contributions
JB>given directly to candidates.

JB>Most allegations of campaign finance irregularities are handled
JB>administratively through the FEC, although the Justice Department has
JB>investigated such matters in the past.

JB>During former President Clinton's administration, a Justice Department
JB>campaign finance task force charged more than two dozen individuals and
JB>two corporations with fund-raising abuses from the 1996 election cycle.
JB>Many of the charges involved Democratic fund raising.

JB>In addition to his Clinton effort, Rosen has raised money for several
JB>other high-profile Democratic candidates, including former presidential
JB>hopeful Wesley Clark. Most recently, he was named to the fund-raising
JB>team of Donnie Fowler, a candidate for the Democratic National Committee
JB>chairmanship.

JB>"I'm sorry that that happened to David, but I don't think it's going to
JB>stop or slow down the campaign for chair," Fowler said in a telephone
JB>interview Friday.

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