NYPost

BILL HEAVES GIFT-HORSE TREADMILL

HOURS after PAGE SIX reported that a flab-hating friend of Bill Clinton's sent a treadmill to the portly former prez's home, the exercise apparatus was sent back.

As Day 2 of Treadmillgate unfolded with several new developments, Clinton's office called Omni Fitness in White Plains yesterday morning to return the $7,000 treadmill that was delivered to the Clintons' Chappaqua manse.

We've also learned that the mysterious benfactor who bought the gift for Clinton is Vinod Gupta, the CEO of InfoUSA, an Omaha, Neb., database company.

Gupta, who donated $1 million to Clinton's presidential library fund, has stayed overnight in the Lincoln Bedroom. Clinton, who calls him "Vin," slept over at Gupta's house in the heartland after a fundraiser. Days before he left office, Clinton appointed Gupta to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts.

Clinton's rep, Julia Payne, said Clinton's decision to return the fitness freebie had nothing to do with any naughty conflict-of-interest innuendo we may have ignited yesterday.

"He already has a treadmill," she explained.

"I know all the power and influence that PAGE SIX wields, but your report had nothing to do with his decision to return it."

Gupta, who was traveling in India yesterday, was described by Payne as a "long-time friend and supporter" of the Clintons.

Payne said Clinton's office tried unsuccessfully to reach Gupta to tell him not to send the treadmill, which as of yesterday, sat in a box in the Clintons' shed, waiting to be picked up by Omni Fitness.

Jimmy Kriz, who sold Gupta the treadmill that was sent to Clinton's house, told us that he wished Bill and Hillary would at least compare the state-of-the-art Life Fitness 9500 to their old machine. "I don't even think they've looked at it," he said. "This is a great treadmill. It's top of the line. It's definitely better than what they have now."

When Kriz spoke to Clinton's office yesterday about the machine, "They told me I probably shouldn't talk about it anymore," he admitted.

But we had to ask: did he take Clinton's rejection of his treadmill personally? "No, I sell 'em all the time," he declared. "It's just that this one was to the president. I don't think anyone else in the industry has done that."

But Gupta may have taken Clinton's slight a little harder. When we called his office in Omaha, his assistant snapped, "I'm not helping you with your story. I'm hanging up now."

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001