-Caveat Lector-
Denise Immunity OKd
Feds give Congress go-ahead to make her testify
By TIMOTHY J. BURGER in Washington and GREG B. SMITH in New
York
New York Daily News Staff Writers
The Justice Department has given Congress the green light to
grant
Denise Rich immunity and have her testify publicly about the
campaign to
win a presidential pardon for ex-husband Marc Rich, officials
said
yesterday.
"We've gotten approval from Justice," Rep.
Dan Burton (R-Ind.), chairman of the Government Reform and
Oversight
Committee, told the Daily News. "As I understand it ... they
said they
have no objection to us immunizing her."
Rich appeared before Congress earlier this year, but invoked her
Fifth
Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to
testify.
Without a grant of immunity, Congress could not force the
award-winning
songwriter to tell how her ex-husband won an eleventh-hour pardon
from
President Bill Clinton, despite being a fugitive in a federal tax
case.
Investigators want to know whether Marc Rich illegally funneled
donations to favorite Clinton causes through straw donors in
return for
supporting his pardon request.
Denise Rich contributed generously to the Democratic Party and
the
Clinton presidential library.
Denise Rich's lawyer, Martin Pollner, declined to comment on
Burton's
remarks.
A Justice Department spokesman could not be reached.
The decision to allow Rich to get congressional immunity could
indicate
that her testimony may not be incriminating.
Federal prosecutors would risk forfeiting her testimony by
signing off
on congressional immunity.
During the Iran-Contra scandal, the conviction of Oliver North
was
overturned because prosecutors used North's statements before
Congress
against him after he had been granted congressional immunity.
Burton also said he's still "looking at Roger Clinton and his
partners"
and hopes to be "making a decision" in the next week or two on
"whether
he'll be called to testify" on whether the former First Brother
accepted
money to lobby then-President Clinton for pardons.
But Burton said he wouldn't call Clinton, Rich or any other
witnesses
for public testimony unless interviews or other investigation
suggest
they have new information.
Burton would have to get Democratic support on his panel to win
the
needed two-thirds vote to grant immunity to Rich.
Ranking committee Democrat Henry Waxman of California has
frequently
backed Burton's requests to give immunity to potential witnesses.
Committee staffers are poring over reams of bank, credit card and
phone
records to see whether there are worthwhile avenues of
investigation.
"You have to check whether there are financial interests and
payoffs,"
Burton said.
Original Publication Date: 5/23/01
=======================================================
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
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