Star-studded gala target of FEC probe - 2000 event raised funds for Clinton

Houston Chronicle ^ | April 18, 2004 | uncredited

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The Federal Election Commission is investigating a Hollywood gala that raised more than $1 million for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign, according to people familiar with the probe.

The FEC investigation, launched several weeks ago, comes atop a U.S. Justice Department inquiry that has focused in recent months on the event and former Clinton finance executive David Rosen.

In addition, documents reviewed by the Los Angeles Times indicate that a federal grand jury in Los Angeles has been examining evidence of wrongdoing by a number of people in connection with the activities of Aaron Tonken, the fund-raising impresario behind the event.

The scope of the grand jury inquiry and the identity of its targets remained unclear. The Justice Department is believed to be focusing on whether anyone made false statements about how contributions were collected and disbursed.

Tonken, who in December pleaded guilty to two fraud counts in connection with his high-profile charity galas, has been cooperating with federal authorities while awaiting sentencing, according to people familiar with his case.

Since last month, FEC investigators have been seeking testimony from a number of witnesses with knowledge of the August 2000 political gala.

Held on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, the event at the estate of radio mogul Ken Roberts was billed as a tribute to outgoing President Clinton. But the gala also gave a much-needed cash infusion to the then-first lady's successful Senate campaign.

Internet entrepreneur Peter Paul -- who paid for the event and is awaiting trial on federal charges of business-related fraud -- unsuccessfully asked the commission nearly three years ago to investigate the Clinton campaign for allegedly underreporting his contribution. At the time, Paul was in a Brazilian jail, awaiting extradition to the United States. He is being held without bail in Long Island, N.Y.

Paul is among those asked recently to cooperate with the election commission probe, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

The event he helped underwrite has been estimated to have cost as much as $2 million, including expenses associated with a roster of star entertainers. They included Cher, Sugar Ray and Diana Ross.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

LA Times: FEC Probing 2000 L.A. Gala for Hillary Clinton

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Quote from LA Times piece: ***Last week, at a creditors' meeting in Tonken's Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, armed guards provided unusually tight security. Tonken's attorney, Philip Dapeer, said his client "has been personally threatened."***

[My Favorite Headache]

Nothing will happen...move along.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

He has a book coming out: The book's working title is "King of Cons: Exposing the Dirty Rotten Scandals of the Washington Elite and Hollywood Celebrities."

World Net Daily is involved with the publication.

[CyberAnt]

Hmmmm? "personally threatened"

Isn't this the Clinton goon squad who is doing the threatening ..??

And .. I notice the media is not mentioning it.

However .. Ms. Gorelick has also claimed she's being personally threatened - and the media is all over it - only because Ms. Gorelick assumes the repubs would be interested in hurting her .. the woman is sick.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

***This whole Reno situation here, what's apparently obvious to anybody paying any attention, she wasn't in the loop. She doesn't know what's going on here. She has no answers to any of these questions, not even the answers that Democrats want. She's so far out of the loop, I don't think she watched what Condoleezza Rice said last week. If she had, she'd have given Roemer the answer that he wanted. Well, if she wasn't in the loop, who was? Well, more detail on this later as the program unfolds, but her deputy during the early years of Reno's reign at the justice want was Jamie Gorelick, who just happens to be a member of this commission. Fancy that. Now, she recused herself for questions of Freeh and Reno, so she can go after Ashcroft, because Ashcroft she didn't work for. Reno delegated more than most attorneys general to her deputy. She had to. She wasn't qualified!

And you talk to any of the Democrats in Florida who know Janet Reno, you get 'em aside where they are not concerned that what they say is going to leave the room and they'll tell you that they were embarrassed that Janet Reno's plucked from the state attorney's office in Miami and taken to Washington, D.C. It was an embarrassment for them and they'll tell you to this day that she was not qualified for it. So you had Web Hubbell running the place and you had Jamie Gorelick running the place. Gorelick was a very powerful deputy attorney general. They had authority over management and budget decisions throughout the department, and that includes the FBI, and she's escaping any questioning. She's on the wrong side of this table. Jamie Gorelick needs to be a witness at these hearings, if they are to mean anything. *** Source

[CyberAnt]

Thanks for the confirmation (in part) of some of the information. The moment I found out Gorelick was Reno's Deputy, I connected the dots. And .. you're right, Reno was much too ignorant. So .. was Waco really Gorelick's fiasco ..??

No wonder Hillary wanted Gorelick on this commission .. so she could try to hide all the complicity of the Clinton goons. Amazing. It was Gorelick all the time who was containing the investigations against Clinton and Gore.

Do you see this Gorelick thing as an overplayed hand ..?? I mean her being on the commission is beginning to be a liability and no longer an asset. Even some the 9/11 families want her off the commission and called to testify. I am hoping and also praying that this backfires on the democrats and really exposes all the Clinton junk .. thereby eliminating Hillary's chances of being able to run for office (I know I'm asking a lot).

However, this is the perfect opportunity to expose Clinton and not have the Bush admin blamed for it. After all, it was the democrats who wanted this stinking commission; let's stink it up with all their messes.

[gakrak]

Your absolutely right, Hillary will just demand that one or all of them fall on their swords for her. She once again will escape the evil empire.

[Highest Authority]

What's the deal with Gore-Lick and Kean kissing in the video that Fox ran?

[MonroeDNA]

Reno was a puppet.

She is an alcoholic lesbian.

She was put there for a reason, to cover for the real power behind the scenes.

The toon administration (hillary!) fired all of the US attorneys. And then placed their own. Jamie ran the show.

[monocle]

The fact is that the FEC has a history of punishing the donors and the politicians walk away with at most only a slap on the wrist.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Great points.

What worries me even more, is the commissions defense of her.

[BluH2o]

FEC probe of Clinonista fund raising is destined to go nowhere ... guaranteed. We've been down this path before ...

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Indeed, we have.

[randita]

This looks like one for your archives.

[My Favorite Headache]

Speaking of books coming out there literally is an anti-bush table at Virgin Records in Downtown Disney World where I live outside of. I was there shopping the other night and went upstairs to the book section and right there when you get off of the escalator was no fewer than 10 bash Bush books sitting with copies all over the place. Nothing from anyone praising the president or bashing Dems.

Virgin earned their last dollar from me that day with that agenda crap.

[randita]

Isn't this the Clinton goon squad who is doing the threatening ..??

Or else union or mafia thugs (who may be the same as the above). They're experts at threatening as well.

[boomop1]

I can just imagine where the studs are.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Publishing houses are run by lefties, lesbians/feminists and assorted losers who are more interested in advocating for their beliefs than worrying about the remaindered stack - similar situation in education and journalism.

[mabelkitty]

Wonder if it is connected to Pellicano?
Hillary's running, and more and more of these evil deeds will be leaked out so make her scramble.

By the time July rolls around, Kerry will, indeed sew of the nomination - her baggage is hitting early, and she doesn't like.