Clinton Relatives Return Money Linked to Pardons
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 21, 2001 -- Bill Clinton’s brother-in-law received about$200,000 for successfully lobbying for a pardon and a prisoncommutation that the former president granted on his last day inoffice, The Associated Press has learned. The money has beenreturned.
Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, said today they were unaware of the arrangements with Hugh Rodham. They saidthey had asked him to return the money and were “deeplydisturbed” by what had happened.
Rodham, brother of Sen. Clinton, returned the money in the past24 hours, sources familiar with the arrangement said today.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Rodham waspaid for months of work on the prison commutation request of CarlosVignali and received a “success fee” for helping win the pardonof Almon Glenn Braswell.
“Yesterday I became aware of press inquires that Hugh Rodhamreceived a contingency fee in connection with a pardon applicationfor Glenn Braswell and a fee for work on Carlos Vignali’scommutation application,” the former president said in astatement.
“Neither Hillary nor I had any knowledge of such payments. Weare deeply disturbed by these reports and have insisted that Hughreturn any moneys received,” he said.
A source close to Clinton, speaking on condition of anonymity,said then-White House adviser Bruce Lindsey had been contacted andwas aware of Rodham’s involvement with the Vignali request but noWhite House officials were aware of the presidential relative’sinvolvement in the Braswell matter.
The decisions on both men were made on the merits of theirsituations, the source said.
The Braswell pardon has generated controversy because after itwas granted on Jan. 20 it was disclosed that the businessman wasunder investigation on new allegations.
Justice Department spokeswoman Chris Watney declined commenttoday.
Braswell did not apply for his pardon through the JusticeDepartment, while Vignali applied for his commutation through thedepartment in August 1998. Watney refused to say whether Justicerecommended that Vignali be pardoned.
In the Vignali matter, numerous political figures lobbied tocommute his drug sentence, including a Roman Catholic cardinal, asheriff and community leaders.
The outpouring of support and the fact that Vignali was a firsttime drug offender who got a long sentences were the key factors inthe commutation, the source close to Clinton said.
White House officials were told by a federal prosecutor inCalifornia that the Vignali family would be helpful inrehabilitating him and keeping him from getting in trouble again ifhis prison sentence was ended, the source said.
The Braswell pardon has generated controversy because, after itwas granted, it was learned the businessman was under investigationby authorities in California.
The source close to Clinton said the White House asked theJustice Department to conduct a criminal background check, did notknow of the ongoing inquiry and was told the check found nothingnegative.
Clinton decided to pardon Braswell because his conviction wasnearly two decades old and there was no indication of problemssince, the source said.
White House officials were told the Vignali family would behelpful in rehabilitating him and keeping him from getting introuble again if his prison sentence was ended, the source said.
The Braswell pardon has generated controversy because, after itwas granted, it was learned the businessman was under investigationby authorities in California.
The source close to Clinton said the White House asked theJustice Department to conduct a criminal background check, did notknow of the ongoing inquiry and was told the check found nothingnegative.
Clinton decided to pardon Braswell because his conviction wasnearly two decades old and there was no indication of problemssince, the source said.
Federal prosecutors are investigating Braswell in connectionwith “a massive tax evasion and money-laundering scheme,”according to court documents filed in 1999 in Los Angeles.
Braswell, 57, was convicted years ago for fraud and other crimesstemming from false claims about the effectiveness of a treatmentfor baldness. He was sentenced to three years in federal prisonfollowed by five years’ probation.
After the pardon was announced, some federal officials worriedthat Clinton might have pardoned Braswell for any criminal chargesthat could arise from the current investigation.
The former president’s office has said no one at the White Housewho reviewed the matter had any intention of the pardon coveringanything other than the infraction from 1983.
Braswell’s pardon application was made at the last minute andwas among about two dozen that bypassed the traditional routethrough the Justice Department and the FBI.
The Florida Republican Party and the George W. Bush presidentialcampaign last fall returned $175,000 in contributions from Braswellafter learning he was a convicted felon.
Vignali walked out of prison Jan. 20 after serving six years ofa 15-year sentence for participating in a major cocaine ring.
He is the son of Horacio Vignali, a wealthy Los Angelespolitical contributor. But the former president said he wasdisturbed generally over lengthy sentences for first-time drugoffenders and that “I felt that they had served long enough.”
White House officials said Vignali’s commutation receivedsupport from U.S. Attorney Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Roman CatholicCardinal Roger M. Mahony and a California sheriff. Also writingletters in support were Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, countySupervisor Gloria Molina, former Rep. Esteban Torres and state Sen.Richard Polanco.
But federal prosecutors in Minneapolis, where Vignali wasconvicted, said they wrote the Justice Department strongly opposingcommutation.
Vignali was a first-time offender when he was convicted in 1995.But prosecutors in Minnesota, as well as the sentencing judgethere, defended his 15-year prison term and described Vignali ashaving a central role in the drug conspiracy.