-Caveat Lector- Billionaire makes plea in Democratic finance scandal By LINDA DEUTSCH Associated Press LOS ANGELES (January 19, 2001 3:22 p.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) - Federal prosecutors say the plea bargain negotiated with Indonesian billionaire James Riady in the Democratic campaign finance scandal allows him to withdraw from the deal if a judge rejects it. There were no indications the judge plans such action. The withdrawal provision is one of many that convinced Riady to return to the United States and enter a guilty plea, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. Clauses allowing either side to withdraw if a judge rejects a plea agreement are standard. This case is unusual because Riady is from a country that doesn't have an extradition treaty with the United States, Mrozek said Friday. "There was no reason for him to return to the United States and deal with this if he was going to be arrested," Mrozek said. Prosecutors said Riady and his international conglomerate, Lippo Group, funneled foreign contributions to the campaigns of Bill Clinton and other Democrats. Riady is accused of pledging $1 million in 1992 to support Clinton's campaign for president. Foreign campaign contributions are illegal under U.S. law. Riady was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government. He has agreed to plead guilty and pay a fine of $8.6 million. The plea was not immediately taken because U.S. District Judge Ronald Lew had undergone eye surgery and was unavailable to convene court. Mrozek said lawyers were conferring on a date, which would follow submission of a required report from the probation department. That date probably would be at the end of February or beginning of March. There was no indication that Riady or the government intended to withdraw from the deal. Riady's attorney, Abbe Lowell, did not immediately return a phone call Friday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan O'Brien, who negotiated the agreement, has said the lack of an extradition treaty was the biggest hurdle in arranging the plea bargain. The agreement states that if the judge rejects it, Riady can withdraw his guilty plea and return to Indonesia without being arrested. However, it also states that if Riady breaches the agreement by failing to cooperate with the government, the United States will no longer be bound by it. "We think this is a significant victory for us," Mrozek said. "He's not going to serve any time, but he's going to pay a giant fine. And we have received and are continuing to receive significant information from him." ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: *Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
