Sunday February 18, 10:56 am Eastern Time

Press Release

SOURCE: Newsweek

FBI Files on Roger Clinton Allege He Sought to Peddle Influence With Former President's Administration

Pardon Granted Outside of FBI Review

NEW YORK, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Roger Clinton, pardoned by his half- brother in the last hours of the Clinton presidency for a drug conviction in 1985, also came under subsequent FBI scrutiny several times, Newsweek has learned, including one episode in which he allegedly sought to play middleman in the purchase of presidential pardons.

No charges were ever brought, and a Clinton spokeswoman says the former president knew nothing of the FBI's interest in Roger. But the White House did make a point of bypassing the FBI and processing the Roger Clinton pardon directly through high-level Justice Department officials, Newsweek reports in the current issue.

The first probe began four years ago, when FBI agents interviewed Birmingham, Ala., businessman John Katopodis. According to FBI reports obtained by Newsweek, Arkansas lawyer Larry Wallace approached Katopodis and allegedly assured him that he could help get Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater to attend a conference that Katopodis was having to promote a new regional airport. But, in return, he wanted a job for Roger Clinton.

``President Clinton told him [Wallace] ... he was concerned about his 'baby' brother Roger,'' states one FBI interview with Katopodis. Wallace proposed that Roger receive a $35,000-a-month contract with a private foundation Katapodis helped run. Katopodis balked. ``That's a pretty big consulting fee for someone who plays in a rock band,'' Katopodis told Newsweek. He says he later got calls from Roger Clinton himself, pressing for the contract.

The FBI wanted Kotopodis to set up a meeting with Roger Clinton where they would be secretly recorded. Katopodis said he ``wasn't comfortable with the whole thing'' and the case died, reports Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff and Newsweek Washington Bureau Chief Daniel Klaidman in the February 26 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, February 19).

In a second case, last year, FBI agents looked into allegations that Roger Clinton sought payments for help in arranging pardons. The inquiry was dropped after Justice lawyers spotted a legal problem. Since Roger Clinton wasn't a federal official, it wasn't a crime to seek money for promising to help deliver action by the government.

FBI: Roger tried to peddle influence - Pardon for Bill's half-brother granted outside Justice review

This sounds like a replay of Jimmy & Billy Carter all over again.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001

Answers

Ahh yes....keep 'fading into the sunset' Bill...LOL!!!!!

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

You know...if you were held a position of power and influence, and a family member needed your help...wouldn't you?

Not so inconceivable to me.

-- (cin@cin.cin), February 19, 2001.

Ahh yes....keep 'fading into the sunset' Bill...LOL!!!!!

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001=============================

And we should care....why? Let it go, aint and get a life. Any fool can parrot a newsstory written by someone else. But then, you aint the run of the mill fool, you're SUPERFOOL! Lol!!! Btw, did clinton pardon anyone accused of treason as bush did?

-- what a bore (byte_me@moron.com), February 19, 2001.

Btw, did clinton pardon anyone accused of treason as bush did?

DUH! Ever heard of MARC RICH???? Do you live in a cave or under a rock?

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

Btw, did clinton pardon anyone accused of treason as bush did? DUH! Ever heard of MARC RICH???? Do you live in a cave or under a rock?

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.===============

Which sworn enemy of the American people did Marc sell weapons to? You've got to get your head outta your ass aint lest you faint dead away!

-- what a fool (byte_me@moron.com), February 19, 2001.

Which sworn enemy of the American people did...

Well for starters Iran. While Brother Jimmy was helping the Ayotolah hold us the US hostage for what seemed like a hundred years. Mr. Rich was trading with them making MILLIONS and MILLIONS.

Maybe your cave or rock doesn't have T.V. hookup yet but the rest of the US does and Slick Willys approval ratings are droping as fast as Dubyas are going up over this 'little meaningless minor detail' of pardoning a scumbag traitor like Mark Rich.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

Which sworn enemy of the American people did... Well for starters Iran. While Brother Jimmy was helping the Ayotolah hold us the US hostage for what seemed like a hundred years. Mr. Rich was trading with them making MILLIONS and MILLIONS.

Maybe your cave or rock doesn't have T.V. hookup yet but the rest of the US does and Slick Willys approval ratings are droping as fast as Dubyas are going up over this 'little meaningless minor detail' of pardoning a scumbag traitor like Mark Rich.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001. ========================

Oh, like Bush's pardons of the traitor casper, who actually sold weapons to Iran, a nation bent on destroying us??? You remember Iran- contra? That was Reagan's brain fart, not clinton's! Reagan is the scum bag traitor, along with good ole ollie north! Get real!

-- what a bore (yawn) (byte_me@moron.com), February 19, 2001.

I'm surprised no one has asked the obvious question here.

Since Clinton is no longer president, and can never be president again, why should he even have an approval rating?

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), February 19, 2001.

You remember Iran- contra?

Yawn....

Again....

Maybe your cave or rock doesn't have T.V. hookup yet but the rest of the US does and Slick Willys approval ratings are droping as fast as Dubyas are going up over this 'little meaningless minor detail' of pardoning a scumbag traitor like Mark Rich.

Oh...BTW: Speaking of Reagan...:-) :-) :-)

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

Since Clinton is no longer president, and can never be president again, why should he even have an approval rating?

Like it ort not...Clinton is still viewed as the leader of the Democratic Party. So goes Clinton...so goes the party.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

Ooops! Here it is...

Speaking of Reagan...:-) :-) :-)

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.