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.

[Liz]

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

[kcvl]

bttt

[BigWaveBetty]

Too bad we don't have a pic of McAwful and the Torch in a loving embrace!

Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., right, greets Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., during a union rally to support Torricelli's re-election bid in Trenton, N.J., Monday, Sept. 23, 2002. Morton Bahr, president of the Communications Workers of America, applauds at left. President Bush was also in Trenton raising funds for Torricelli's Republican opponent.(AP Photo/Mike Derer)

[Brytani]

I disagree, look at recent events. The DNC has been fined 750k for accepting illegal contributions from China for Clinton and Gore yet no fines were levied against either of those two. We all know the head of DNC fundraising, McAuliffe, handled these fund raising activities (hell he was in Korea with Chung!!!) yet nothing, not a word against him.

Now we have the Torch, sitting pretty in the Senate while another dem, who happens to go against his party line is in prison for the EXACT same crime Torch committed. All so that Daschle can keep holding this country hostage.

When and if I see Clinton (any clinton for that matter) McAuliffe or Gore indicted I'll eat my hat. Until then, I still believe they are protected, completely.

[Liz]

Nice "Caption This" pic.

My caption: The Wimp and the Pimp.

[Black Agnes]

Geee, I'm soooo surprised ping!

[Black Agnes]

OOP, I pinged before I saw your ping. Thanks for the ping!

[GirlShortstop]

What a marvelous way to end the day.... very enjoyable thread.

It's nice not to go to bed all "riled up", peeved about the dirty pols getting away with their dirty deeds.

This is one birthday that I can remember as being a good one for politics here in NJ! Yippee!

[Liz]

Sure, nothing will happen if people lay back and lament that nothing will happen. Just get up off your duff and do something about it.

[Robert_Paulson2]

laws and balls...
we had the former... and are growing the latter.

[kstewskis]

case of coors... just came out of the fridge...

You get the Coors....I just popped open a "Kilt Lifter" Scottish Ale for this one! :)

[StarFan]

Is it Christmas already with all this wonderful news?

Wonder of wonders, NBC (yes the Brokaw/Russert liberal network) devoted at least 6 minutes to the Torch saga. You had to be an idiot not to hear their innuendoes regarding The Senate Ethics Committe overlooking key facts in their admonishment of the Torch. Although they mentioned that Chang had some credibility problems, they portrayed Torricelli for the slime he is. Would have given anything to be a fly on the wall as Dashole et. al. were given a heads up by NBC. BTW, where's Fox on all of this? Let's hope they break it with the McAuliffe bombshell.

[Liz]

About time.............

[Liz]

Is it Christmas already with all this wonderful news?

Cute.

[Robert_Paulson2]

It already has...
their entire structure, motus operandi, and criminal methods pattern has been exposed...


the primary contacts at state, nsc and other agencies have been identified... as soon as we move them all to homeland defense, we can fire them at will and the infrastructure built to protect the clintongs crime family will be on the run and

... trying to save their arsses by blowing PUBLIC whistles faster than the republican majorities in the house senate and judiciary can schedule hearings and file charges... HEY, I can dream can't I?

... there is potential here for the deconstruction, not demolition, of the democrime machine... and tonighthas been a good night.

and I think toricelli is finished. no wonder tommie d peed his silken panties for us this week... HIS sky is falling.

[Howlin]

Tonight?

[Liz]

Wonder of wonders, NBC (yes the Brokaw/Russert liberal network) devoted at least 6 minutes to the Torch saga.

Even more astounding....the NYC-NBC station devoted over half an hour.....without commercial interruption....to the entire saga.......they did segment by segment on every gift Tori got from Chang including cash payoffs. They broadcast the mountain of evidence including receipts and checks and notes and telephone call slips......they had Tori nailed but good.

[Liz]

On Brokaw Thursday night. Sometimes the morning NBC shows rerun PM material. Tune in Katie and Matt this morning just in case......

[Judith Anne]

Does anybody remember the dirt on Daschle's ever-lobbying wife? I seem to recall there is some there, too....

It just keeps getting better and better....

[Liz]

.....toricelli is finished. no wonder tommie d peed his silken panties for us this week... HIS sky is falling.

The Pubbies gameplan is if Carnahan loses in Nov, the Pubbies according to the rules can take over then - before Jan - since she was appointed.