White House Said Lax in Donor Access Oversight

National Security Advisor Samuel R. “Sandy” Berger testified Thursday that sloppy White House procedures allowed some Democratic donors with questionable reputations–and their foreign guests–to meet with President Clinton and his top aides.

But Berger, the highest-ranking White House aide to appear before the Senate fund-raising hearings to date, insisted that the visits did not influence U.S. foreign policy and said that a new policy instituted earlier this year subjects all foreigners seeking White House access to a National Security Council review.

Although Berger said that NSC officials never believed that the agency should “police” White House visitors, they did occasionally issue warnings, which went unheeded, about invitees such as controversial oilman Roger Tamraz and Democratic donor Johnny Chien Chuen Chung. Other visitors, a Chinese arms dealer and a Russian businessman with alleged mob ties, slipped into the White House without the NSC’s knowledge, Berger acknowledged.

Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, said that an unprecedented number of “unsavory” figures obtained access to the Clinton White House, an apparent outgrowth of the Democratic National Committee’s single-minded pursuit of campaign contributions.

The committee, which is investigating campaign finance improprieties, called Berger for questioning to highlight how the Democrats’ fund-raising veered dangerously close to foreign policy during the 1996 presidential campaign as a variety of donors with overseas interests used contributions to gain access to top U.S. officials.

In one case, Berger met with a Hong Kong businessman at a brief “photo op” arranged by Democratic Party Chairman Donald L. Fowler. Berger, who was the NSC’s No. 2 official at the time, said he met with Eric Hotung after checking with an Asia expert on his staff. The aide said he saw no problem with the meeting but warned Berger to keep it brief and called Hotung “a bit off the wall.”

Hotung’s American wife gave nearly $100,000 to the DNC eight days after his Oct. 4, 1995, session with Berger. An internal DNC memo refers to both the contribution and the Berger meeting, which committee Republicans argued shows the connection between the two.

“Had I known that this was mixed up at all with a contribution, and I don’t know it today, I wouldn’t have had anything to do with this,” said Berger.

Berger criticized Fowler’s contacts with the CIA on behalf of another Democratic donor, Tamraz. A CIA agent has said he spoke twice with Fowler about Tamraz, although Fowler testified earlier this week that he does not recall the conversations.

In the case of Tamraz, an NSC aide bluntly recommended that he not be given access to top administration officials. Nonetheless, Tamraz gained repeated access to the White House.