Judicial Selection Coalition

For any export-oriented American organization, an invitation to join the U.S. Commerce Secretary on 1 of s trade mission abroad is like a World Series ticket—the hottest seat in town, and something you may well pay p dollar to get. In 1992, Bill Clinton promised that his Administration would fight difficult to support American businesses win foreign Breitling Replica organization. That’s a worthy objective of trade missions, which provide selected chief executives with priceless connections to the corporate heads and government officials of other nations.

But under the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown had been the Democrats “selling” seats, making use of those missions to reward party donors? And did the trips serve the dual purpose of drumming up more donations abroad? Those are the questions at the heart of the lawsuit filed by the non-profit conservative group Judicial ratch Inc. Last week, thousands of pages of Commerce Department documents have been turned over to the group.

The Commerce Department papers clearly indicate quite a few corporate contributors expected their funds to un them special consideration when seats were being handed out on the secretary’s plane, hi a letter addressed to Deputy Assistant Commerce Secretary Jude Kearney, C. Payne Lucas, a development-organization executive suggests he ought to be added to a mission headed for South Africa president Nelson Maandela. In an additional, Philip Verveer, a Washington attorney, recommends a place on 1994 mission to India r William Ginsberg, chief executive of Cellular Communications International. “Ginsberg was an early financial supporter of Clinton/Gore campaign,” Verveer writes.

These missives occasionally show federal officials urging their superiors to favor donor executives. In 1 letter, Reta Lewis, a political affair official at the White House, urges that a spot be found for Gerald McGowan, a partner in a Washington law firm, on a trade mission to Indonesia or India. For 1 thing, Lewis) points out, McGowan qualifies as D.N.C. “managing trustee”, a person who gives $ 100,000 a year to the Democratic National Committee.

But did the White Home always give its funders the heavy preference they expected? That is one more story. . An invitation to one of the Commerce Secretary’s trade missions abroad