Republicans crank up the volume

Republicans Crank Up the Volume

Tuesday, July 15th, 1997 -- Republicans cranked up the volume on Democrat finance abuses yesterday in an effort to spark public interest in Senator Fred Thompson's "CampaignGate" committee hearings, due to re-start this morning.

"Jump-start" would be more like it.

First: Thompson surprised the press announcing he won't grant any form of immunity to John Huang in exchange for Huang's testimony, as originally hinted.

Second: Republicans leaked investigative documents that show Huang was raising money for the Democrats as early as 1992 when, on the day an obscure California real estate company called Hip Hing Holdings made a $50,000 contribution to the Democratic National Committee, a similar amount was wired into the company's US bank account from the Lippo Group of Indonesia.

Third: The GOP turned up the heat on Arkansas Attorney Joe Giroir who first urged DNC Chairman Don Fowler to hire Huang as a fundraiser while Huang was still at the Commerce Department. It seems Giroir, a former managing partner of the Rose Law Firm, where Hillary Clinton worked as a lawyer, was really the Lippo Group's main man in Washington where he was paid $360,000 a year to serve as Lippo's "unofficial" representative to the White House. Giroir formed his own company and secured a $3 million investment from Lippo in his Arkansas Development Corporation. Shortly thereafter he donated $175,000 to Democrats.

Fourth: Yesterday, Dan Burton, the chairman of the House committee investigating alleged campaign finance abuses, again asked President Clinton to help him get Pauline Kanchanalak to testify before his committee. Kanchanalak, who gave hundreds of thousands to Democrats and the DNC, is said to be hiding out in her native Thailand. The questionable money was returned by the DNC.

The problem with this strategy is that none of the key players will testify. Huang wants immunity he just can't have. Kanchanalak is in Thailand. Charlie Trie is hip-hopping around China.

What about Giroir? Does Thompson plan to call him? Will Giroir plead the fifth?

Hint: Giroir won't give up much. My hunch is that one key is the "secret office" of John Huang -- the one he went to on his lunch hour to make "private" phone calls. Opening this Pandora's box is the challenge for Thompson and Burton. If they do, we'll begin to see the real prize.

Unfortunately, the scandal there is so complex and involves so many elected and private leaders that the story may never be told.