The Washington Times
April 26, 1998
by Scott Lauf
While there has been an overwhelming focus on Independent Counsel Ken Starr's
investigation into the Lewinsky-Willey-Whitewater matters, there has been little attention
paid to the ongoing investigations on Capitol Hill. Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) has picked up
where Sen. Thompson left off by conducting his own hearings into serious and potentially
criminal violations by the 1996 Clinton-Gore campaign.
Rep. Burton may be sitting on a bigger bombshell than Ken Starr. As more information continues to surface, it has become evident that Clinton illegally solicited cash from various foreign interests, and in return elicited policies favorable to these foreign interests. These actions can only be described as treasonous and should warrant additional grounds for possible impeachment.
Sen. Thompson's report and Rep. Burton's hearings have served as
poignant reminders of the seedy and illegal activity in which President Clinton partook in
for the aggrandizement of his own re-election. The extent to which Mr. Clinton groveled
for this illegal campaign cash is still undetermined, but the sordid cast of characters he
associated with
reads like a Who's Who of the world's top criminals.
- Roger Tamraz, a billionaire Lebanese fugitive wanted for embezzlement, gave over $300,000 to the Clinton campaign. At the Thompson hearings he boasted that he would have given twice that amount if it would have bought Clinton's assistance in helping secure oil drilling rights for his business in the Caspian Sea.
- Latvian-born Israeli citizen Grigori Loutchansky, described by TIME magazine as the most pernicious unindicted criminal in the world, is head of Nordex, a front company for the Russian mafia. Mssr. Loutchansky had the privilege of being invited to a 1995 campaign fundraiser where he personally met with Clinton. Subsequently, he channeled hundreds of thousands of dollars to the DNC through nefarious sources.
- Shady Indonesian bankers James and Mochtar Riady of the Lippo Group, whose numerous business dealings leave a paper trail of questionable legality, have long-standing ties to Clinton going back to Arkansas. Through the infamous John Huang, described by Mochtar as my man in Washington, they have channeled untold millions to Clinton over the years. In return, Clinton has enacted numerous policies and directives which have been extremely profitable for Lippo's interests.
- Ted Sioeng, another shady Indonesian businessmen, sat next to Clinton and Al Gore at a July 1996 fundraiser and subsequently gave thousands to the campaign. Sioeng has ties with Theng Bunma, a well-known heroin trafficker in South East Asia.
- Clinton's favorite foreign friends, though, are the Chinese Communists. Former fugitive and recently indicted Yah Lin (Charlie) Trie personally met with Clinton in the Oval Office more than a dozen times and raised over $750,000 for the DNC and Clinton's Legal Defense Fund. Trie has close ties with many Red Chinese, including Wang Jun, a Communist government official and head of China's principal arms-dealing firm, Poly Group. This same firm received a special waiver by the Clinton Adminstration in 1996 which allowed them to export 100,000 AK-47 rifles into the United States.
- Johnny Chung was another frequent White House visitor who arranged nearly $1 million in donations on behalf of Red Chinese businessmen who were seeking direct access to President Clinton. Is it just a coincidence that Clinton's open policy of engagement towards China includes an amoral quietude on human rights abuses, a continuance of MFN trading status, and a possible compromising of U.S. national security with his approval of Chinese control over strategic shipping ports in Long Beach, CA and the Panama Canal?
Clinton's relationships with all of these foreign donors should outrage every American. For not only would Clinton's actions constitute an obvious impeachable offense, but it would reveal the gravest betrayal of one's own country. Treason may the undesirable legacy he will leave as a shameful stain on American history.
While his administration trudges on through the various scandals, President Clinton's tenure will ultimately be determined by Congress. Our elected representatives will either find the moral strength to ignore the pollsters and carry out their constitutional duties by impeaching Clinton. Or, they will shirk their responsibilities and permit the completion of Clinton's corruption over all branches of our government. There can be no other choice.
If our constitution, indeed our entire system of government, has any value in preserving democracy in America, then Congress will immediately begin impeachment proceedings which will emphasize Clinton's dealings with foreign interests, and not just on impeachable offenses from the Monica Lewinsky affair. Our national interest and security should no longer be for sale.