Senator Pushes For Fund-Raising Counsel Again

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 13) -- Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) took to the Senate floor Friday morning to ask Attorney General Janet Reno to reconsider appointing an independent counsel to look into alleged illegal funneling of money from the Chinese government to the Democrats during the 1996 campaign.

Bennett, a member of Sen. Fred Thompson's Governmental Affairs Committee, said he has written Reno a letter saying if she refuses to turn over the investigation to an independent counsel, she should at least continue to keep Congress informed on matters relating to the Chinese government.

Bennett asked Reno to:

1) "Inform the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence of possible classified information that may have flowed through the conduit from the Clinton Administration to the Chinese Government."

2) "Inform the Governmental Affairs Committee if any illegal campaign funds which may have made its way through the conduit from Chinese sources to Clinton-Gore or the Democratic Madame Attorney General."

Thompson's committee turned in its final report on its six-month investigation into campaign finance irregularities on Thursday.

"By refusing to turn this matter over to an Independent Counsel, you have taken upon yourself the responsibility to be thorough, vigorous and timely in your investigation," Bennett wrote to Reno. "Given the high level of public and congressional interest in the serious circumstances involved, it is only appropriate that the Congress continue to be kept informed of your progress."

Friday March 13, 1998

• More Of Paula Jones' Case To Go Public
• What Do We Know In The Lewinsky Controversy
• Joe Kennedy Won't Seek Re-Election
• Senator Pushes For Fund-Raising Counsel Again
• Former White House Intern Subpoenaed

Documents:
• Legal Documents Released In The Jones v. Clinton Case

Video On Demand
• CNN Special: What Do We Know?