Ethical Questions About Clinton Critic Stall House Probe

The House investigation of alleged White House fund-raising abuses has stalled amid questions about the money-raising practices of the GOP congressman leading the inquiry and rising objections to its partisan nature.

Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., a self-described “pit bull” who is leading the foreign-money investigation, on Wednesday was attempting to deal with allegations that he had pressured the Washington lobbyist for Pakistan to raise funds for his congressional campaign, then retaliated against the envoy when he did not.

Burton abruptly postponed a meeting of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee. Democrats had hoped to broaden the investigation beyond the White House and Democratic Party at the session and to limit Burton’s free-swinging ways.

“Dan Burton has abused his power and the Republican leadership has been willing to allow him to run over the rules of the House in this investigation,” said House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt, D-Mo., vowing to use parliamentary tactics to delay funding for all House committees scheduled for a vote today. Burton has proposed a $3.8 million budget for his investigation.

As the major investigative stage of the fund-raising controversy nears on Capitol Hill, some Republicans now fear that their own party could suffer damage if they are overzealous, too partisan or holier-than-thou. But they are facing stiff opposition from some GOP lawmakers who are eager to embarrass President Clinton and his aides.

Questions about Burton’s own fund raising illustrate the vulnerability of critics investigating Clinton yet participating in the same cash-driven political system.

A July 1996 memo from former Pakistani lobbyist Mark A. Siegel alleges that Burton threatened to cut off his access to important and influential GOP colleagues if he did not raise $5,000 or contribute that amount to the Indiana congressman’s re-election campaign.

“He said if I couldn’t contribute the money, he expected me to raise the money (because) he had done a lot for Pakistan, that he’s been there for Pakistan,” Siegel said Tuesday.

When Siegel said he was unable to raise money among Pakistani Americans, Burton became enraged and threatened him.

“He said if I knew what was good for me, I’d get him the money,” Siegel said. “If I couldn’t, he would contact the government of Pakistan and let them know that their lobbyist was not being helpful to him.”

Burton acknowledged that during one of several meetings with Pakistan’s ambassador, he voiced disappointment in Siegel “in an offhand way.”

“That was the extent of the discussion,” Burton said.

Siegel, who had represented the government of ousted Prime Minister Benazier Bhutto, said Pakistan’s ambassador told him at least twice that Burton had called to complain about his failure to raise campaign money.

The lobbyist says Burton told the Pakistani government that Siegel was not welcome in his office and made clear he was no longer welcome by Burton’s Republican “friends or colleagues.”

“I should tell you that I worked in Washington for over 25 years and have never been shaken down by anyone before like Dan Burton’s threats,” Siegel complained last year to a top aide to then-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. “No one has ever dared to threaten me into contributing money and no one has ever followed through on such threats by contacting one of my clients. Despite what you may see in the movies, this isn’t the way most U.S. politicians conduct themselves.”

Burton, a member of the House International Relations Committee, co-chairs a caucus on U.S.-Pakistani relations. He acknowledged through a spokesman that he asked Siegel to help raise funds in 1995 from the Pakistani American community, as reported in Wednesday’s Washington Post.

But he disputed that he had demanded money from Siegel or had threatened to interfere with Siegel’s access to Congress because the lobbyist did not raise funds for him. Burton said that he had merely mentioned “in an offhand way” Siegel’s failure to follow through on his fund-raising commitment during a meeting with the ambassador to Pakistan.

“When I assumed this responsibility, I expected to be the target of some unfair and malicious attacks,” Burton said in a statement. “However, I did not expect them to come this soon. … The committee will move forward and get to the truth.”