Just when you think the Clinton crowd can go no lower, fresh evidence of venality comes to light. The worst may be right around the corner. Janet Reno’s Justice Department may soon indict Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) for allegedly shaking down a lobbyist for Pakistan.
Burton chairs the Government Reform and Oversight Committee investigating the Clinton fund raising scandal. Unlike Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) on the Senate side, Burton has not broadened his probe to include Republican campaign practices. Furthermore, his investigation has no time limit.
A Frame Up
Under House rules, if a Committee Chairman is indicted he must relinquish
his position, even if he is later cleared. The White House knows this.
Burton is being framed.
It all started in March when a lobbyist for Pakistan named Mark Siegel accused Burton of threatening to shut off his access to Pakistani officials unless Siegel raised Burton $5,000. The Washington Post put the story on page one. A day later, the FBI interviewed Siegel. Within three weeks, a grand jury had been convened. One former prosecutor call this “a miraculously fast response” by the Justice Department.
In contrast, Reno refused for months to open an investigation of Al Gore, claiming the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department was “too busy.” She asserted that the law against raising money on federal government property did not apply to Gore because he claimed that he was making calls for “soft money” rather than “hard money.” Only after reading in the newspaper that Gore had indeed made calls for “hard money” did Reno open a preliminary investigation in early September.
Reno has other reasons to destroy Burton. With dogged determination, Burton has pursued allegations that Ron Brown, the late Commerce Secretary, solicited a bribe to normalize relations with Vietnam. Burton has been seeking Reno’s testimony before his committee, but Reno has resisted.
Siegel’s Fanciful Tale
Siegel’s story does not stand up to scrutiny. To begin with, Siegel
is a Democratic operative with a checkered past, facts conveniently omitted
from much of the media coverage. He was once investigated himself for failing
to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent.
In 1978, Siegel resigned from President Carter’s staff after being publicly accused by the White House of “lying” and producing “total fabrications.”
Siegel claimed that the “shakedown” occurred in July of 1996, but he did not say a thing about it until March of 1997 when Burton’s Committee was seeking funding from the House for its probe.
He didn’t even tell Lanny Davis, who now serves on the White House staff as chief scandal apologist. Davis describes himself as “an old and dear” friend of Siegel’s. He also served at the time as a lobbyist for Pakistan. When the Washington Post broke Siegel’s allegation, Davis called Siegel and asked “How come you never told me?”
No other person has yet to attest to Siegel’s story. Siegel’s “evidence” that the incident took place is a memo he says he wrote to Pakistani officials complaining of Burton’s conduct. The only problem is that the Pakistanis say they have no record of receiving it and no one at the embassy remembers it. One Pakistani official has gone as far as suggesting the memo is a fake.
If the specifics don’t add up, neither does the general allegation. Immensely popular at home, Burton received 75% of the vote in 1996. As a senior member of the majority party, he has the ability to raise contributions legally. Burton already receives significant support from the Pakistani community in the United States. During the Cold War, Burton became a favorite of Pakistani-Americans for his strong opposition to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan’s neighbor.
Dan Burton’s interest in Pakistan has always been based on principle,
whether it is stopping communism or bringing the benefits of freedom to
that impoverished nation.
Burton is a True Hero
I have known Dan Burton for over a decade and I believe he is incapable of the act alleged by Siegel. I traveled to Panama with Burton during the late eighties. Unexpectedly, we played a bit role in the political drama that was then unfolding. President Delvalle, who had been popularly elected, had been placed under house arrest by the thug Noriega, ending any semblance of democracy.
The U.S. Embassy hatched a plan to free Delvalle and enlisted our help. We would approach the Delvalle’s house and attempt to hand deliver a message from President Reagan to President Delvalle. The fact that Dan Burton was a Congressman would make Noriega’s henchmen less likely to rough us up -- or worse. During this distraction, the President would escape out the back of his house.
I was scared stiff. Delvalle’s house was surrounded by Noriega’s goons. Burton calmly explained to the head goon that he had a message for the President. Burton prolonged the exchange as long as he could before we were finally chased away. The distraction worked! We learned later that Delvalle had escaped into the arms of waiting “friendlies.” He went into hiding and even addressed the nation on TV from a secret location.
Of course, Noriega eventually had to be removed by our Armed Forces but I will never forget Dan Burton’s performance that night in Panama.
Dan Burton is a man of courage and principle. If the ethics mess in Washington is ever going to be solved, it will only be because of the persistence and integrity of people like him.
EW