Senat

1998 · 39508 — Washington DC: U. S. Government Printing Office 1998. Presumed First Edition First printing thus. Wraps. good. 24 cm 353 Part II only wraps illus. references. S. Hrg. 105-300. Hearings held on July 15 16 and 17 1997. The Senate Majority Leader announced during the first week of December 1996 that the Committee on Governmental Affairs would conduct an investigation into fundraising practices. In all 10 parts related to these hearings were published along with a final report with minority views. In late September 1995 questions arose regarding the Democratic National Committee's fund-raising practices. The following year China's alleged role in the campaign finance controversy first gained public attention after the Washington Post published a story stating that a Department of Justice investigation had evidence that China directed contributions from foreign sources to the DNC before the 1996 campaign. The Post wrote that intelligence had showed the Chinese Embassy was used for coordinating contributions to the DNC. One of the more notable events learned involved Vice President Al Gore and a fund-raising event held at Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights California. The Temple event was organized by DNC fund-raisers John Huang and Maria Hsia. It is illegal under U.S. law for religious organizations to donate money to politicians or political groups due to their tax-exempt status. The U.S. Justice Department alleged Hsia facilitated $100000 in illegal contributions to the 1996 Clinton-Gore reelection campaign through her efforts at the Temple. Hsia was eventually convicted by a jury in March 2000. The DNC eventually returned the money donated by the Temple's monks and nuns. Twelve nuns and employees of the Temple refused to answer questions by pleading the Fifth Amendment when they were subpoenaed to testify before Congress in 1997. Seventeen people were eventually convicted for fraud or for funneling Asian funds into the U.S. elections. U. S. Government Printing Office paperback