Riady denies offering Clinton $1m<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AP): The Indonesian billionaire who has agreed to
\nplead guilty to making illegal donations to Bill Clinton's 1992
\npresidential campaign denied having a conversation with the
\ncandidate about raising US$1 million for the race, court records
\nshow.<\/p>\n
James Riady \"told Clinton that he would be supportive\" of
\nClinton's campaign, meaning that he would provide financial
\nsupport, but never mentioned $1 million during a conversation the
\ntwo had in Clinton's limousine after a campaign event August
\n1992, according to a summary of information Riady has provided to
\nfederal prosecutors as part of a plea agreement.<\/p>\n
\"Riady did not suggest a $1 million figure to Clinton at any
\ntime,\" said the summary, contained in papers filed Monday by
\nfederal prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, where
\nhe is to be sentenced this coming Monday.<\/p>\n
The summary, Riady's first account of his fund-raising
\nactivities to be made public, was released Wednesday by the
\nJustice Department.<\/p>\n
Riady has agreed to pay a record $8.6 million criminal fine
\nand plead guilty to using corporate funds from his foreign Lippo
\nGroup to reimburse contributors Clinton's presidential campaign,
\nthe Justice Department said on Jan. 11, nine days before Clinton
\nleft office.<\/p>\n
Foreign campaign contributions are illegal under U.S. law.<\/p>\n
The 1992 limousine ride was the focus of intense scrutiny by
\ncongressional investigators looking into campaign fund-raising
\nduring Clinton's 1992 and 1996 campaigns.<\/p>\n
Riady also told investigators that no one at the Clinton White
\nHouse urged him to hire presidential friend Webster Hubbell, who
\npleaded guilty to a felony in the Whitewater investigation, the
\nsummary said.<\/p>\n
Riady's account of the limousine talk contradicts what fund-
\nraiser John Huang has told the FBI.<\/p>\n
Huang, who worked for the Riady family before getting a job in
\nthe Clinton administration and becoming a Democratic Party fund-
\nraiser, said Riady told Clinton during the ride that he wanted to
\nraise $1 million, according to an FBI summary.<\/p>\n
Huang said Riady later told him that Clinton acted surprised
\nwhen Riady said he would raise the money.<\/p>\n
Riady denied saying this in interviews with federal
\nprosecutors, according to the court filing.<\/p>\n
He said he told Huang after the ride that he wanted to
\ncontribute money to Clinton, then Arkansas governor, and
\ncontended that Huang suggested the $1 million figure.<\/p>\n
Huang was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to
\nconspiring to violate federal fund-raising laws.<\/p>\n
Clinton told federal investigators that he did not
\nspecifically remember the ride or his conversation with Riady.
\nClinton said he only remembered seeing Riady \"sometime in '92
\nafter I became the nominee,\" and that Riady pledged to help his
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
Riady will surrender and come to the United States even though
\nIndonesia has no extradition treaty with Washington. He has
\nagreed to waive re-entry to the United States for two years,
\nexcept to cooperate with the continuing investigation.<\/p>",
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