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| For Immediate Release | |
| Apr 22, 1999 | Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
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New Hillary Clinton Biography Details Illegal Scheme By First Lady Book Cites Sworn Testimony from Nolanda Hill in Judicial Watch Chinagate Case Testimony, Documents Show Taxpayer-Financed Trade Mission Seats Were Sold For $50,000+ Contributions to the DNC (Washington, April 22) -- Ginger Lew, former Clinton Commerce Department General Counsel, was forced to admit yesterday that selling seats on trade missions in exchange for political contributions would be illegal. Lew, a colleague of John Huang, was a high Clinton political appointee who was one of the top contenders to replace the late Ron Brown as Secretary of Commerce. Yesterday, Lew’s testimony was taken in Judicial Watch’s lawsuit against the Clinton Commerce Department which has proven the illegal sale of trade mission seats in exchange for campaign contributions. On these trade missions, national security was likely compromised. The Boston Globe reported that the Democrats raised at least $15 million from the trade missions. Lew’s admission comes on the heels of last week’s Judicial Watch testimony of John Huang, who asserted the Fifth Amendment over 400 times. Huang’s deposition will reconvene on May 3. Huang and other Chinagate figures such as Johnny Chung, Charlie Trie, and Loral’s Bernard Schwartz all participated in a Commerce-sponsored trade mission to China in 1994. A new book by Joyce Milton, The First Partner, credits Judicial Watch’s case with uncovering Hillary Clinton’s involvement in masterminding the illegal scheme to sell trade mission seats. Milton’s book, which has received glowing reviews, cites the testimony of Ron Brown’s confidante, Nolanda Hill, in Judicial Watch’s case. Hill further testified that President Clinton and Vice President Gore were involved in this scheme as well. To this day, no Clinton Administration official, (including the First Lady), has denied Hill’s testimony under oath, despite an invitation from a federal court judge to do so. |
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