Judicial Selection Coalition

For any export-oriented American business, 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 possibly pay p dollar to get. In 1992, Bill Clinton promised that his Administration would fight challenging to help American companies win foreign Breitling Replica organization. That’s a worthy goal of trade missions, which supply selected chief executives with priceless connections to the corporate heads and government officials of other nations.

But under the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown were the Democrats “selling” seats, utilizing those missions to reward party donors? And did the trips serve the dual purpose of drumming up a lot 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 many corporate contributors expected their funds to un them unique consideration when seats had been 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 should be added to a mission headed for South Africa president Nelson Maandela. In another, Philip Verveer, a Washington attorney, recommends a location 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 one letter, Reta Lewis, a political affair official at the White Home, urges that a spot be discovered for Gerald McGowan, a partner in a Washington law firm, on a tradeReplica Tag Heuer mission to Indonesia or India. For one thing, Lewis) points out, McGowan qualifies as D.N.C. “managing trustee”, someone who gives $ 100,000 a year to the Democratic National Committee.

But did the White House constantly give its funders the heavy preference they expected? That is an additional story. . An invitation to 1 of the Commerce Secretary’s trade missions abroad