New Details on Indonesian Money Trail

By Brooks Jackson/CNN

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Oct. 14) -- New details are emerging about President Bill Clinton's Indonesian fund-raising connection, as Republicans ratchet up their criticism. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) said it received another $25,000 contribution last month from a wealthy young Indonesian, Arief Wiriadinata, and his wife, who now live in Jakarta. This brings the total from them to $450,000 so far.

And the White House confirmed that Clinton met personally at the White House three times with the donor.

The White House also released thank-you notes sent to the Indonesian couple in February and again in May, both saying:

"Your support...has been critical to our efforts and will be increasingly important in the coming months. Thank you for being there when you are asked to help."

Republicans are raising tough questions for the president. Dole campaign manager Scott Reed released a statement this afternoon, part of which asked: "How do you justify selling top-level White House access to wealthy foreign nationals?"

And even one Democrat is now calling for an independent counsel to investigate -- and for reform. "My concern here is the possibility that somehow this isn't illegal," said Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wisc.) on CNN's "Late Edition." "That somehow this kind of practice is just part of this whole wilderness of big money that's been created."

So far the Indonesian couple has declined CNN's requests to be interviewed. Was the $450,000 their own money? Or did they just pass it on illegally from the $5 billion Indonesian conglomerate, the Lippo Group, as Republicans strongly imply?

Until December, the Indonesian couple lived in the U.S. at a luxury suburban Virginia apartment complex, where he worked as a landscape architect.

And CNN has learned, party officials never asked the couple if the $450,000 was their own money.

DNC general counsel Joseph Sandler said: "We do not, as a matter of practice, as I say, inquire from a donor what the source of their funds is when there's every objective indication that the donor has more than adequate resources to make the contribution, which was certainly the situation in this case."

Last month the DNC had to return a $250,000 contribution from a Korean company when it turned out to be illegal. Now the committee is checking other big gifts.

Still not talking is the man in the middle, James Huang, who once worked for the Lippo Group, then for Clinton's Commerce Department doing international trade deals. Now he raises money for the Democratic Party.

More: Scott Reed's Statement On Clinton's Indonsian Contributions

New Details on Indonesian Money Trail

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