The brother-in-law of former
President Bill Clinton received nearly $400,000 for successfully
lobbying for a pardon and a prison commutation that Clinton granted on
his last day in office, the Associated Press and TV networks reported
this evening.
Attorney Hugh Rodham, brother
of Sen. Hillary Clinton, was paid for work on the prison commutation
request of Carlos Vignali and received a "success fee" for helping win
the pardon of Almon Glenn Braswell, sources said.
Rodham returned the payment
in the past 24 hours at the Clintons' request, according to news
reports.
"This is deeply troubling," a
House Government Reform Committee source told Fox News, "and the
committee is looking into it."
Clinton issued this statement
after the story broke:
"Yesterday, I became aware of
press inquiries that Hugh Rodham received a contingency fee in
connection with a pardon application by Glenn Braswell and a fee for
work on the Carlos Vignali commutation application. Neither Hillary
nor I had any knowledge of such payments. We are deeply disturbed by
these reports, and insisted that Hugh return any monies involved."
According to AP:
A source close to Clinton
said then-White House adviser Bruce Lindsey had been contacted and was
aware of Rodham's involvement with the Vignali request but that no
White House officials were aware of Rodham's involvement in the
Braswell pardon.
The Braswell pardon has
stirred controversy because after it was granted on Jan. 20 it was
disclosed that the businessman was under investigation on new
allegations.
Justice Department
spokeswoman Chris Watney would not comment Wednesday.
Braswell did not apply for
his pardon through the Justice Department. Vignali, son of a wealthy
donor, applied for his commutation through the department in August
1998. Watney would not say whether Justice recommended that Vignali be
pardoned.
Federal prosecutors are
investigating Braswell in "a massive tax evasion and money-laundering
scheme," according to court documents filed in 1999 in Los Angeles.
The White House claims ignorance of this.
Braswell's last-minute pardon
application was among about two dozen that bypassed the traditional
route through the Justice Department and the FBI.
President Bush's campaign and
the Florida Republican Party last fall returned $175,000 in
contributions from Braswell after learning he was a felon.
Vignali walked out of prison
Jan. 20 after serving six years of a 15-year sentence for
participating in a major cocaine ring. Prosecutors in Minnesota, and
the sentencing judge, defended his 15-year term and described Vignali
as having a central role in the drug conspiracy.
He is the son of Horacio
Vignali, a wealthy Los Angeles political contributor.
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