Posted by Happy Daisy at 208.228.123.25 on June 21, 2001 at 22:46:12:
But in case you hadn't:
Los Angeles, June 20 (Bloomberg) — Peter Paul, indicted last week
for a securities-fraud scheme that allegedly bilked Stan Lee Media
Inc. investors out of $25 million, filed a lawsuit accusing former
President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of causing
him to break campaign-finance laws.
Paul’s attorney, Larry Klayman, last week said his client had given
more than $2 million of the proceeds from the fraud scheme to Hillary
Clinton’s campaign by helping finance an Aug. 13 Hollywood tribute to
her husband during the Democratic National Convention. Paul also
allegedly spent $150,000 to host a luncheon and transferred $55,000
worth of stock to a pro-choice group in Illinois on behalf of Hillary
Clinton.
Paul claims the Clintons committed fraud and conspiracy. Paul’s
lawyer, Klayman, is chairman of Judicial Watch, an organization that
filed numerous suits against Bill Clinton and his administration. Paul
said he never reported the gifts to the government because he was
relying on the Clintons to comply with election laws. The suit seeks
compensatory and punitive damages.
Because Paul “was unfamiliar with federal election campaign
fundraising requirements, he reasonably relied” on the Clintons “to
comply with all applicable fundraising requirements” and report the
gifts to the Federal Election Commission, according to the complaint
filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The failure to report the gifts places him “at substantial risk”
of violating campaign finance laws, Paul said in the suit.
Clinton’s campaign refunded a $2,000 donation received from Paul in
June on Aug. 16, three days after the fundraiser, according to Federal
Election Commission records.
A call to Julia Payne, spokeswoman for the former president, and a
page to Senator Clinton’s communications office were not returned late
Wednesday.
Seeking Favors
Aaron Tonken, described as an event producer who first approached
Paul about contributing money to the Democratic Party, and David
Rosen, Senator Clinton’s director of finance, are also named as
defendants in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Paul claims he made the contributions to gain favors from President
Clinton, including a pardon for a 1979 felony conviction and a
Presidential Medal of Freedom for comic-book artist Stan Lee. Neither
request was granted.
Paul and three others were charged on June 12 with manipulating
Stan Lee shares through nominee accounts, set up to conceal their
trading. Paul, 52, is living in Brazil, Klayman said last week.
Comic book creator Lee, who was not charged with wrongdoing in the
securities-fraud case, is known for the characters Spider-Man, the
Incredible Hulk and the X-Men he drew while at Marvel Comics.
Encino, California-based Stan Lee Media filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy protection in February.