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US Senate Committee Opens Hearing on Clinton's Pardon of Rich
The US Senate Judiciary Committee opened the first hearing on former president Bill Clinton's controversial pardon of fugitive billionaire Marc Rich on Wednesday to investigate the pardon's validity and the process used to make and execute the decision.
Testifying before the hearing, US Pardon Attorney Roger Adams told Congress that the correct procedures were not followed in Clinton's pardon.
"With respect to the pardon of Marc Rich and Pincus Green, none of the regular procedures were followed," he said.
He also said that the first time he heard about the pardon for Rich was in the early hours of January 20 before Clinton left office. Rich fled to Switzerland in 1983 as prosecutors in New York prepared federal charges of tax evasion, fraud and involving in illegal oil deals with Iran. The billionaire was wanted by the US Justice Department on those charges until he was pardoned by Clinton.
Testifying before the same hearing, Jack Quinn, a former White House counsel and the attorney representing Rich, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he believed Rich was unfairly prosecuted.
Quinn presented Clinton with a request for clemency for Rich, he said, because he could not persuade federal prosecutors in New York to speak with him about the merits of the case.
Quinn said he argued the case before Clinton "on its merits", and Clinton decided to move ahead with the pardon.
Republican Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, the committee member leading the investigation, raised multiple questions about whether Clinton's last-minute pardon of Rich was valid.
The House Government Reform Committee is also conducting an inquiry into the pardon and whether it was influenced by hundreds of thousands of dollars in Democratic campaign contributions from Rich's ex-wife, Denise Rich.
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