DNC Returns $450,000 Donated By Asian Couple - Nov. 23, 1996
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Justice Rejects Request For DNC Independent Counsel
By Terry Frieden/CNN
WASHINGTON (Nov. 29) -- The Justice Department today rejected a request by five Republican lawmakers to seek appointment of an independent counsel to investigate allegations of illegal campaign fund-raising by the Democratic National Committee.
The Justice Department said the independent counsel law does not cover allegations involving employees of the Democratic National Committee and that the one allegation involving the president and vice president lacked specificity.
But, as it did with two other recent requests, the Justice Department said it takes the allegations seriously and has formed a task force within the agency's criminal division to investigate campaign finance irregularities.
Attorney General Janet Reno personally approved the letter, which was signed by a career Justice Department lawyer. It was sent to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and four House GOP chairmen: Bill Clinger, Bill Thomas, Ben Gilman and Gerald Solomon.
McCain called the decision "further proof that congressional hearings may need to be held to investigate these serious allegations. It is my strong belief that the facts before us meet the test when other independent counsel have been called for in the past."
White House spokesman Mike McCurry said, "The Justice Department has made its decision for the reasons indicated. The White House will continue to answer questions related to financial contributions forthrightly, as the president has directed."
The Republicans had requested on Oct. 29 that Reno seek the appointment of an independent counsel "to investigate the serious allegations that federal criminal laws may have been violated by a number of high-ranking officials in the Clinton Administration and at the Democratic National Committee."
The independent counsel statute calls for the Justice Department to respond within 30 days to explain whether there is a basis to launch a "preliminary inquiry," the first step toward seeking an independent counsel.