U.S. pardons official didn't know Rich was fugitive

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 15, 2001

[AP photo] Ex-White House counsel Jack Quinn, who is Marc Rich's lawyer, tells a Senate panel Wednesday that the pardon was based on its merits.

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department official in charge of pardons told a Senate committee Wednesday that White House officials did not tell him that Marc Rich was a fugitive in the hours before former President Bill Clinton granted him clemency.

As Democratic senators joined Republicans in condemning Clinton's action, U.S. Pardon Attorney Roger Adams testified that the White House counsel's office told him in a midnight phone call only that that Rich and his partner, Pincus Green, had been "living abroad for several years."

Adams' testimony underscored the degree to which career Justice Department officials were bypassed in a pardon that may prove to be one of the most controversial in U.S. history. Fueling the outrage are donations Rich's ex-wife Denise made to the Democratic Party and the Clinton library. She has invoked the Fifth Amendment rather than testify as to the source of those contributions.

Denise Rich contributed an estimated $450,000 to the Clinton Presidential Library, more than $1.1-million to the Democratic Party and at least $109,000 to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate campaign.

The Associated Press, New York Times and Washington Post, quoting unnamed sources, reported that U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White has launched an investigation "to determine if there was a transfer of money to buy the pardon." In New York, where Marc Rich was indicted, White's office declined to comment.

News of the investigation prompted Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., chairman of the House Government Affairs Committee, which is already investigating the pardon, to delay his request that the Justice Department grant Denise Rich immunity for her testimony.

In a statement, the former president denied any wrongdoing.

"As I have said repeatedly, I made the decision to pardon Marc Rich based on what I thought was the right thing to do. Any suggestion that improper factors including fundraising for the DNC or my library had anything to do with the decision are absolutely false. I look forward to cooperating with any appropriate inquiry."

Marc Rich has lived in Switzerland since just before he was indicted in New York on federal charges in 1983, including evading more than $48-million in taxes, fraud and participating in illegal oil deals with Iran.

At the Senate hearing, former White House counsel Jack Quinn, who is Marc Rich's lawyer, insisted Wednesday that the pardon was based on the legal merits, not on donations by Denise Rich.

Quinn testified that he encouraged Denise Rich and her friend, Beth Dozoretz, a former finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee, to lobby the president to approve the Rich pardon. But Quinn said he never asked either woman to mention their fundraising.

And he said that there was "absolutely nothing" in his conversations with the president that "remotely suggested to me that he was thinking about or was motivated by his friendships, his politics or his library."

Democrats expressed disquiet, however.

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said the pardon "certainly raises the appearance of impropriety."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she has "concerns not only about the Rich pardon but about a number" of others granted clemency on Clinton's last day in office.

Adams told the committee that he learned of Rich's fugitive status from the FBI after the White House told him records checks should be done on Rich and Green.

At the time of the pardon, Rich was listed on the Justice Department's Web site as one of the most wanted international fugitives.

Senate Republicans appeared Wednesday to want to move away from the issue, particularly after President Bush said a day earlier, "It's time to move on."

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., distanced himself from earlier remarks that lawmakers might want to look at trying to impeach Clinton again, and no other senator has picked up on Specter's call for a constitutional amendment to put restrictions on the president's authority to pardon.

-- Information from the Associated Press, Washington Post, Knight Ridder Newspapers and Hearst Newspapers was used in this report.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright