This item is one of many such articles outlining the corruptions within Washington. Some of these corruptions are huge, and go far beyond simple pork-barreling. On a level with Watergate, it seems to many of us. I don't usually forward items from "talk.politics.crypto," as I assume many of you are already reading it. But this particular item fits with the "Washington as crime capital in more ways than one" them I've been hitting. Look especially for how favors were granted for high tech exports. --Tim
From: softwar@us.net (SOFTWAR) Newsgroups: talk.politics.crypto,alt.politics.org.nsa,alt.politics.org.fbi,alt.politics.cia,alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.datahighway,talk.politics.misc,alt.politics.democrats.d,alt.politics.usa.republican Subject: HOT Summer IN White House Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 10:35:29 GMT
It's going to be a long hot summer for the Clinton administration.
Wednesday night ABC Primetime did a special on Ron Brown's girlfriend. The accusations flying around the dead Secretary of Commerce do not bode well for the living inside the Beltway. First, it seems that Ron acquired an offshore bank account with nearly a million dollars deposited for him by the Government of Vietnam. Vietnam wanted to normalize trade relations with the US and bribing the top dog at Commerce certainly helped grease the skids. Vietnam got their trade deal but Brown found out that the FBI knew about his bank account. So he could not touch the money. The bribery accusation is collaborated by an ex-Vietnamese official who has also turned his evidence over to the FBI. Mr. Brown's girlfriend plans to testify before both the Senate and the House committees investigating wrongdoing in the Clinton administration.
Another revelation which should come as no shock is that the First Lady put John Huang in the Commerce Department. This demand apparently did not sit well with Mr. Brown, who, according to his girlfriend, did not like Mrs. Clinton. It seems that Ron's strong personality ran smack head on into Hillarys demanding attitude. Yet, he bent over backward and made sure that Huang was hustled into his government position, complete with a secret clearance. Once Huang entered the Commerce Department strange events really started to pop up. The Commerce Department initially denied Huang had access to anything important. It is now known that Huang attended dozens of secret CIA briefings. Huang is alleged to have discussed secret materials with his former employers at the Lippo group. The allegations come from material obtained by taps on Huang's Commerce Department telephone.
Can the same be said for Ira Sockowitz?
No. Ira Sockowitz was placed into his Commerce position directly and personally by President Clinton. It was Ira Sockowitz who ran Ron Borwn's airline seating arrangements, between working on government affairs. Whenever Mr. Brown would fly on a government sponsored trade trip - Ira would line up big Corporate powers to ride along on the party plane. Mr. Sockowitz had more experience as a DNC fund-raiser than security software. Despite this lack of technical skills Mr. Sockowitz entered the field of banking security software at Commerce. It is the Commerce Department which approves or denies export of such financial software. The amount of money involved, invested and possible returns, are staggering. Obviously, the push/pull/shove involved in getting such a product approved is no easy task. Few export licenses have been issued and those who have them are not too anxious for any others to join them.
Just how easy was it to obtain such a privilege? Not very. Not even Fortune 500 companies could obtain export rights from the Commerce Department. Letters from IBM, Motorola, Digital, HP and a host of other billion dollar firms clearly indicate their unsuccessful efforts to obtain Commerce licenses to export their products.
However, letters from certain other companies are covered with redacted notes which the Commerce Department refuses to release. One letter to the Commerce Department in particular was faxed to someone (also redacted) along with a memo on how to obtain a "waiver" for export. Another set of Sockowitz documents being withheld are a set of hand written notes on a conversation, a three pages fax and two applications for license for export dated 8/11/94. The Clinton administration will not say who sent the fax nor will they say who Ira Sockowitz talked to. Yet, clearly the topic was a license to export. A license that could have been worth billions of dollars.
It's going to be a long hot summer for the Clinton administration.
1 if by land, 2 if by sea. Paul Revere - encryption 1775
Charles R. Smith SOFTWAR http://www.us.net/softwar
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