Turkish contribution to campaign fund to be investigated
WASHINGTON (AP) – A watchdog group filed a complaint Tuesday urging
U.S. government election officials to investigate whether House
Speaker Dennis Hastert’s campaign fund illegally accepted campaign
contributions from foreign nationals.
The complaint from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Government
– a self-described nonpartisan, progressive group – relied upon an
article published in the September issue of Vanity Fair to argue the
FEC should pursue the matter.
The account in Vanity Fair says a former fired FBI translator, Sibil
Edmonds, has reported having heard Turkish wiretap targets boast
that they had a covert relationship with Hastert. It says the targets
reportedly discussed giving Hastert tens of thousands of dollars in
secret payments in exchange for political favors and information.
The group, whose executive director, Melanie Sloan, is a former federal
prosecutor and counsel to House Democrats, suggested that the Illinois
Republican’s campaign fund could have received hundreds of unitemized
contributions of $200 (162.43) or less from foreign nationals in 2000
and 2001 because Hastert raised so much money in small amounts.
Name and address information is not required for such small donations.
“The sheer number of small contributions should have raised a red
flag,” Sloan said in a statement. “Hastert’s campaign committee was
obligated to ensure that no laws were being broken. It’s now time for
a thorough investigation into Hastert’s finances.” Hastert spokesman
Ron Bonjean ridiculed the complaint.
FEC spokesman George Smaragdis said the agency, traditionally, has
no comment when complaints are initially filed.
08/16/05 16:08 EDT
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress