Documents released over the weekend by the House Government Reform committee investigating former President Bill Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich, point to the key behind the scenes role played by former Mossad agent and current Marc Rich Foundation director for Israel Avner Azulay in the Rich pardon.
The “New York Post” on Friday reports that one of the documents shows that Azulay was involved in efforts to recruit then First Lady Senator Hillary Clinton (Democrat – New York) to the pardon effort. On December 26, Robert Fink, one of Rich’s lawyers, e-mailed Jack Quinn, who heads Rich’s legal team, “Of all the options discussed, the only that seems to have real potential for making a difference is the HRC option.” (HRC: Hillary Rodham Clinton – R.D.)
The “Post” cites another document in which Azulay wrote in an e-mail to Quinn on December 27, “I have been advised that HRC shall feel more at ease if she is joined by her elder Senator of New York [Charles Schumer] who also represents the Jewish population.” The “Post” writes that this e-mail “sparked an effort by Quinn and the other lawyers to find someone ‘who is close enough to lean on Schumer’.”
On December 28, Fink wrote, apparently to Quinn that Rich former wife, Denise, who participated in the effort to pardon him, “was ‘adamantly against’ lobbying Hillary and was ‘convinced it would be viewed badly’.”
In another document, Quinn asked Azulay, “if you could get Leah Rabin to call the president” to support the pardon. Azulay sarcastically replied, “Having Leah Rabin call is not a bad idea. The problem is how do we contact her? She died last year – on the fifth anniversary of her husband’s murder.” Instead, Azulay approached her daughter MK Dalia Rabin-Pelossof (Center Party).
Another message from Azulay to Quinn, dated January 10, testifies to Azulay’s deep involvement in the contacts to pardon Rich. The message states that President Clinton had overcome White House lawyers’ opposition to the pardon
Another document shows that Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s involvement in Rich’s pardon was very significant. Deputy Attorney General Eric H. Holder told one of the White House lawyers, Beth Nolan, that after reading that Prime Minister Barak supported the pardon, he, Holder, was neutral, but leaning towards [granting a pardon] if it was advantageous for foreign policy.
This comment is important, because Holder was the only person in the Justice Department aware of the effort to pardon Rich. Republican congressmen claim that Clinton completely bypassed the Justice Department. Holder’s opinion, based on Barak’s letter, therefore strengthens the Clinton’s case.
The House Government Reform committee has apparently decided to force Denise Rich to testify before it. The committee will petition the Justice Department to grant her immunity from self incrimination. Denise Rich has said that she will refuse to appear before the committee on grounds of self incrimination.
Some commentators have said that her refusal raises suspicion that she was a pipeline for her husband’s money laundering, i.e. that he used her to transfer large sums of money to the Democratic Party. It was reported yesterday that Denise Rich contributed $500,000 to the Clinton Presidential Library which will be built in Arkansas.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on ý11ý February 2001