Democratic fund-raiser takes Fifth Amendment in pardons probe

Rep. Dan Burton opens the hearings.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic fund-raiser Beth Dozoretz invoked her Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and declined to testify Thursday before the House committee looking into pardons by President Bill Clinton on his last day in office.

"Upon the advice of my counsel, I respectfully decline to answer that question," Dozoretz said in response to a question from Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Connecticut.

Dozoretz then said that would be her response to all questions. She was then excused from the afternoon's proceedings.

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In opening comments, Dan Burton, R-Indiana, the chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, said he brought Dozoretz before the panel Thursday, despite her attorney's insistence that she would not testify, in the hope that she might change her mind.

Henry Waxman, D-California, the ranking Democratic member of the committee, followed by saying he felt there was no need to have Dozoretz appear, since she had already said she would not testify.

The committee is focusing on Clinton's pardon of financier Marc Rich, who left the country after being indicted in 1983 for tax evasion and racketeering.

Dozoretz, a former Democratic National Committee finance chairwoman, is a friend of Rich's ex-wife, Denise Rich. Both women supported Rich's pardon.

Denise Rich, who also has said she would decline to answer the committee's questions, has been a major contributor to Democratic campaigns and the Clinton presidential library foundation.

Dozoretz had pledged to raise $1 million for the library. The House committee is looking into whether those actions had any impact on Clinton's granting of the pardon for Rich.

Former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta told the committee Clinton was urged by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to support the Rich pardon, and that four days before granting the pardon, Clinton said he thought Rich's attorney, Jack Quinn, had raised valid arguments.

Podesta said he and the White House staff recommended that the pardon should not be granted, but concluded, "I believe that President Clinton considered the legal merits of the arguments for the pardon as he understood them, and he rendered his judgment, wise or unwise, on the merits."

Also on the panel with Podesta were Quinn and two other former White House officials, counsel Beth Nolan and deputy counsel Bruce Lindsey.

Beth Dozoretz declines to answer questions from House members, exercising her right to protection from self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment.

Podesta, Nolan and Lindsey all testified they saw nothing in the administration's pardon considerations that indicated a quid pro quo or legal wrongdoing was involved.

"We never discussed any of the matters concerning any of the things that have been alleged by [Clinton's] critics," Podesta said.

The committee concentrated many questions on whether another former close adviser, deputy counsel Cheryl Mills, played any role in the last-minute pardons. Mills left the White House for private practice not long after her role in defending Clinton during the impeachment proceedings, but remained an informal adviser to the first family and was a regular visitor to the White House even after leaving the staff. She also was involved in Clinton's presidential library.

Lindsey said he invited Mills to join in a discussion with Clinton on January 19 about Clinton's negotiations with Independent Counsel Robert Ray because of Mills' familiarity with related issues. He said Clinton brought up the Rich pardon during that meeting, and Mills asked some questions about it but expressed no opinion.

Podesta, Nolan and Lindsey noted that during the final days of the Clinton presidency, staffers were working on many topics, including Middle East peace, Northern Ireland, the transition to the new administration and many pardon requests.

"We were really inundated with pardon requests ... from members of Congress, movie stars, newscasters, former presidents, former first ladies," Nolan said. She said that by Christmas she already felt there were too many requests to give full consideration to all of them.

Podesta said that in the case of some late requests from senators and congressmen, the ones who asked "basically just didn't care if we followed Justice Department guidelines."

One in particular, he said, involved a request from Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tennessee, on behalf of James Howard Lake. That pardon was granted.

"We bear the responsibility for having a process that we thought was manageable that in the last days, I think, broke down and let some of these [late pardon requests] go through," Podesta said. "There are very few that came up -- and I would put Rich as probably the No. 1 example, in which the process broke down. I don't think the president got good and full advice on it."

In his opening statement, Waxman defended himself against criticism that Democrats have not been supportive enough of Clinton, as well as criticism that they are overly supportive of Clinton.

"When he makes a serious mistake, as I think he did in this case, Democrats must be willing to say so," Waxman said.

But he also read a list of what he considers similar questionable pardons given by former Republican presidents, and said, "I don't believe this committee should engage in selective indignation," he said.

Presidents and the power to pardon
House panel opens new hearings into Clinton pardons
February 28, 2001
Clinton waives privilege in pardons probe
February 27, 2001
Lawyer: Clinton ally won't testify on Rich pardon
February 26, 2001
Stuart Rothenberg: Clinton actions hurt friends and help adversaries
February 22, 2001

House Committee on Government Reform
The Democratic National Committee
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