Memo Indicates Oval Office Fund-Raising Call

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Oct. 24) -- An October 1995 memo indicates President Bill Clinton made an Oval Office phone call to thank a group of New York fund-raisers for their help.

The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, shows Clinton was asked to call the fund-raisers who were organizing an event in support of Clinton's re-election.

"New York has the potential to raise more money than any other city in this country and the hard work of the co-chairs for the next six days is critical to achieving that," Clinton-Gore fund-raiser Terence McAuliffe wrote in a memo, which was stamped "the president has seen."

The memo stated the purpose of the president's call was to "thank the New York co-chairs for their efforts and ask for their help in the final six days."

Presidential aides told the AP they believed the call was made from the Oval Office, but that it lasted only three minutes and Clinton only thanked the fund-raisers and did not ask for help.

"We are confident that all of the president's fund-raising activities, including any calls he may have made, were proper and legal," White House special counsel Lanny Davis said Thursday.

Federal law bars federal officials from soliciting donations on federal property, although the White House argues it does not believe that law applies to calls made from an office to a donor outside.

In a related development, the White House has located long-distance telephone billing records that show six calls from the White House's private living quarters to prospective Democratic donors in October 1994.

The Justice Department is examining calls made by Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.

In Other News:

Friday Oct. 24, 1997

• Clinton Defends 'Constructive Engagement' Of China
• JFK Jr. In Cuba On Business
• Memo Indicates Oval Office Fund-Raising Call
• Clinton Withdraws Nominee For Top Veterans Post
• Administration Will Help Revive Some Vetoed Projects
• Capitol Hill Looks Ahead To Budget Surpluses
• Hillary Clinton And Oprah To Gab About Turning Fifty

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