BACKSTORY BOMBSHELL: DNC'S MCAULIFFE IN ON CHANG/TORRICELLI'S SOUTH KOREA INSURANCE DEAL

POLITICAL MONEY MONITOR ^ | 4/28/00

[Liz]

Big Donor Under House Arrest for 1996 Irregularities

David Chang, an international businessman, is one of the Democratic Party's biggest donors. He visited with President Bill Clinton at the White House on several occasions and claims to have eaten pizza with the President in South Korea. On April 13, David Chang was placed under 24-hour house arrest for allegedly coercing a former employee to lie about the methods in which he made campaign contributions.

Chang is a target of the U.S. Department of Justice's Campaign Financing Task Force. His house arrest stems from taped conversations made by federal investigators between fired Chang employee Chris Kim and Chang in which Kim was reportedly asked to lie to federal authorities about Chang's alleged laundering of $80,000 in South Korea. At the time, Chang was free on $500,000 bail after being charged with making illegal campaign contributions to Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) in 1996.

A letter from the Justice Department released in mid-April states the government has evidence that Chang "received and/or solicited" help from Senator Torricelli on four matters. These matters are helping to unfreeze Chang's assets in North Korea, helping him purchase a South Korean insurance company, writing college recommendations for relatives and making introductions for him with foreign dignitaries.

Torricelli's office admits to helping try to unfreeze Chang's North Korean assets, but reports it was unsuccessful. Chang received bipartisan support in his attempt to buy the Korea Life Insurance Company as well as seeking Torricelli's assistance, but that also failed. On a trip to South Korea last September during negotiations on the sale, Chang was accompanied by President Clinton's chief fundraiser Terrence McAuliffe.

Regarding charges that Chang funneled $23,000 to Torricelli's 1996 Senate campaign, three people have already pled guilty to the illegal activity and one has fled the country. Chang passed money to members of the Bergen County (NJ) Democratic Party leadership which then reimbursed others for their donations to the Torricelli campaign.

Torricelli's initial response was to speculate that every member of Congress gets donations from such "straw donors," and that "people have to learn to take these laws seriously." He denies knowledge of any illegal contributions.

[Mudboy Slim]

"...there might be further meltdown tonight"

LOL...sure, but we mustn't focus on the day-to-day progress of our relentless "Jihad fer Justice"(tm)...MUD

[Liz]

You got that right.

[Liz]

Little Tommy's being embraced by Tori in a recent campaign rally. Great evidence if Tommy ever has the audacity to run for prez.

[JulieRNR21]

gettin another coors (lite of course!)

Well I'll celebrate with kisses (chocolate, of course!)....

[Liz]

Sorry 'bout that. Not our fault if the Dems are so mucking greedy and dumb and not afraid to flaunt it............

[Liz]

That was true in the Feelgood-Clinton-Anything-Goes bubble years. It's a new day. What with corporate swindling, we are discovering the US does have laws.

[Liz]

.....it's only Thursday and Righteousness Is On A FReepin' Roll!! Who knows what miracles may befall us by Sunday evening....

Gosh, by then, Torricelli could even be in jail (grin).

[Liz]

H-U-G-E.

[Mudboy Slim]

"Little Tommy's being embraced by Tori..."

I assume Tori's Dasshole's wife...MUD

[BillaryBeGone]

Just how big a crook would you say McAwful is?

Ok, it's late and my brain shut down hours ago. However, I'd say he makes Ma Barker, Jesse James, and Al Capone look like pikers!

[Wait4Truth]

This is just too good. Nice to end the day with red RAT meat...bring it on!

[Liz]

LOL....yeah, the Mister and the Missus........LOL

[Liz]

I'll buy that.

[Liz]

.....close the borders and don't let the clintongs leave the country...

Darn right.

...and WHERE the hell is J. Satan Carville? .....

Good question.

[Barset]

Have you seen wnbc.com channel 4 news, May 22,23 2002? There is a lot more there. According to the court papers "Torricelli attempted to use his position as U.S. senator to personally enrich himself by demanding Chang pay him a $10 million commission if the deal (South Korean insurance company sale) went through, which it ultimately did not."

Would McAuliffe have stayed at our embassy in Seoul on this trip or have used the embassy to receive and/or entertain the people Chang was doing business with? A $10 million commission to Torricelli indicates a great deal more for McAuliffe and Clinton or Clinton's campaign fund, worth using our embassy for. Imagine embassy websites and guest lists for the Clinton years might be unavailable. Maybe elsewhere.

I doubt that any of this will influence the voters in New Jersey. Newark, Paterson, Trenton, etc., have large muslim populations; they danced in the streets and tossed candy to children, as the smoke from the towers filled the skies. News videos were heavily edited here, but not in Europe and S.America. But hey, the joys of diversity, and they're very loyal democrats, even those here illegally.

[Liz]

Timne to clean out the Clintons' - both of 'em - stinking Augean stables.

[Howlin]

Did you read the letter about Chang they released tonight?

[dts32041]

Ain't nothing going to happen here.

[Liz]

Yes, I read it. No wonder Torch didn't want it to be released.

[Liz]

........ping..............