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After weeks of intense media scrutiny, New York State’s top federal prosecutor acknowledged yesterday that a joint FBI-U.S. Attorney’s Office investigation has been launched to investigate Bill Clinton’s eleventh hour presidential pardon of billionaire Marc Rich.
“The United States attorney’s office and the FBI New York office have opened an investigation to determine whether there have been any violations of federal law,” federal prosecutor Mary Jo White said, “Various questions have been raised concerning the activities and pardons of [Mr.] Rich.”
Rich, a commodities trader who made most of his fortune from oil dealings in the Middle East was accused in 1983 of tax evasion, mail and wire fraud and participation in illegal racketeering with Iran, Iraq and Libya. Before he could be brought to court, Rich fled to Switzerland. He has not re-entered the U.S. in over 16 years.
Federal officials say the investigation is focused primarily on whether Rich bought the recent presidential pardon with money funneled through his ex-wife, Denise, as campaign contributions or donations to Clinton.
Clinton responded to the allegations Wednesday in an internationally released statement.
“As I have said repeatedly, I made the decision to pardon Marc Rich based on what I thought was the right thing to do,” Clinton said. “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.”
The House Government Reform Committee has publicly announced their intent to bring Denise Rich to the stand to testify about nearly $500,000 worth of donations she made to the Democratic Party and to Clinton’s library.
Rep. Dan Burton, the committee chairman, told the Associated Press that the situation will not be resolved right away.
“It will take at least one week for the Justice Department to arrive at a final conclusion on this matter. Therefore, the committee does not anticipate taking any actions with respect to Mrs. Rich for at least one week.”
Jack Quinn, the attorney representing the Rich family, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he believes Marc Rich was unfairly prosecuted in 1983, and that former president Clinton granted the pardon in tacit agreement.
Quinn, only one in a parade of witnesses to take part in the first hearing on the pardon argued that Rich was wrongfully accused of violating laws on oil pricing and sales set in place by the Carter administration but rescinded by former president Ronald Reagan.
“I am one of those who believes that the presidential power of the pardon under the Constitution is absolute,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, said. “[But] we need to have a full explanation of what is going on, so if there are any improprieties, they won’t happen again.”
“If I was President Clinton, I would want to come and clear the air and answer these questions that are in the mind of the public,” Hatch said. “This is not going to go away easily, so the best way to answer this is to be straightforward and tell the truth.”
Former President Clinton, however, has found an unlikely champion in the new White House occupant.
“I think it’s time to move on,” President George W. Bush told CNN reporters aboard Air Force One yesterday. “[These] accusations are simply not true.”
