Ex-Fugitive's Fundraising Skills Turn Sour

Washington Post: Norman Hsu's Fundraising Talent Put Him On Democrats' A-List

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Matthew Mosk and John Solomon.

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Last week, before his world came crashing down, Norman Hsu helped organize a breakfast meeting in San Francisco with prospective donors. The featured attraction was Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.

The meeting was hardly unusual for Hsu, a New York apparel manufacturer for much of his career whose success at raising money had propelled him into the upper echelon of Democratic politics.

In the past four years, Hsu raised more than $1.2 million for Democratic causes and candidates, including the DNC and the campaign of New York Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer. And in the past six months, Hsu became a leading fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.). A person directly familiar with Hillary Clinton's fundraising, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Hsu had raised "in the hundreds of thousands of dollars" since January for Clinton's 2008 presidential bid.

But his association with Clinton cast an unwanted national spotlight on Hsu, leading to the discovery last week that there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest stemming from a 15-year-old felony theft conviction.

Now, instead of finalizing plans to headline a Sept. 30 Clinton fundraiser in Woodside, Calif., where Quincy Jones is scheduled to perform, Hsu is a fugitive. On Wednesday, he failed to appear at a court hearing related to the warrant, forfeiting $2 million in bail.

Hsu attorney James Brosnahan told a San Mateo County judge he did not know where Hsu had gone. The California Attorney General's Office said it had not expected Hsu to flee and had not collected his passport.

Another attorney for Hsu, E. Lawrence Barcella Jr., said yesterday the suggestion that Hsu raised money improperly -- including more than $290,000 from one California family whose members live in a small bungalow and hold middle-class jobs -- is off base. "I have looked at financial records that clearly show they have the wherewithal to make those contributions," Barcella said.

But Justice Department officials are reviewing the allegations to determine whether an investigation is warranted, according to two federal law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

For many people who crossed paths with Hsu in politics, his disappearance has left them wondering if they ever really knew him. "I think a lot of us are scratching our heads," said Hassan Nemazee, a Clinton fundraiser in New York.

Facts about Hsu are hard to come by. Twenty-year-old clippings from apparel industry publications say he was born and raised in Hong Kong and arrived in the United States in 1969 to attend the University of California at Berkeley. The computer sience major went to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School for an MBA. In 1982, with a group of Hong Kong-based partners, he formed Lavano Sportswear.

The business went bankrupt. Describing that time to a Bay Area newspaper, Hsu said he was young and "made a lot of stupid mistakes." But Hsu moved on to form a series of new clothing ventures before returning to Hong Kong from 1992 to 1996 for unknown reasons. Returning to the United States, Hsu invested in a series of new wholesale apparel and import ventures that collectively generate about $2 million a year, according to Dun & Bradstreet estimates.

Hsu's first appearance on the political scene came in September 2003, when a Los Angeles area physician, Stanley Toy, introduced him to a major Democratic fundraiser who at the time was collecting money for Sen. John F. Kerry's presidential campaign.

Hsu made a $2,000 donation, the maximum allowed, and the Kerry fundraiser, who spoke on the condition he not be identified, said it was after that introduction that Hsu began not only donating but also raising money for Kerry. Toy did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.

Once Hsu made that first imprint as a big donor, other campaigns quickly came knocking. Campaign finance records paint the trail by which candidates, including those running for Los Angeles city attorney, California comptroller, Ohio secretary of state and Massachusetts treasurer, sought and received his financial help. Starting in 2004, he gave to an array of federal candidates, including the Senate campaigns of Barack Obama (Ill.) and Clinton.

Nemazee, who was helping head up the Kerry fundraising effort in New York when he first met Hsu, said Hsu's attraction from a fundraising perspective is that he delivered and did so consistently. "You've got people who will make commitments, and they'll raise a portion of it. He always raised what he said he was going to raise."

When 2008 presidential candidates began recruiting donors, several reached out to Hsu. But in an interview with The Post in July, Hsu said he had no doubts where he would land.

"I committed myself [to Sen. Clinton] way before she announced," Hsu said. "No caution at all. I told her I would support her."

The Clinton campaign stood by Hsu until the Los Angeles Times reported his outstanding arrest warrant. At that point, the campaign reversed course, announcing it would donate to charity the $23,000 in direct contributions Hsu made to Clinton's presidential campaign, her Senate reelection and her political action committee. The campaign did not plan to return any money Hsu raised from other donors.

[lars008-2009]

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature, and has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. John Stuart Mill

It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it. Robert E. Lee

A self-respecting nation is ready for anything, including war, except for a renunciation of its option to make war. Simone Weil

If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. Thomas Paine

Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realise that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events. Winston Churchill

One ought never to turn one''s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Winston Churchill

[lars008-2009]

We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately. Ben Franklin

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Ben Franklin

We make war that we may live in peace. Aristotle

It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war. John F. Kennedy

There''s a graveyard in northern France where all the dead boys from D-Day are buried. The white crosses reach from one horizon to the other. I remember looking it over and thinking it was a forest of graves. But the rows were like this, dizzying, diagonal, perfectly straight, so after all it wasn''t a forest but an orchard of graves. Nothing to do with nature, unless you count human nature. Barbara Kingsolver

They have not wanted Peace at all; they have wanted to be spared war -- as though the absence of war was the same as peace. Dorothy Thompson

There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the enemy. George Washington

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain. John Adams

[starleo146]

Oh Please, give me a break! Where did the nes about Guliani''''s South Carolina Chairman Tom Ravenehl being indicted on federal cocaine trafficing charges end up? How about Romney''''s South Carolina finance chairman being indicted on 23 counts of fraud?

The answer is nowhere on CBS or nowhere among the main stories on any of the MSM sites or Fox.

Posted by realpatriot1 at 03:44 PM : Sep 07, 2007

If they would keep up with there own they wouldn''t have time to know what the H*e*l*l Hillary or Obama or anyone is doing. Craig alone is enough to keep them busy.

[jimmyc1955]

realpatriot1

One very clear distinction is that the guy arrested is a major contributor to national democratic figures and all their campaigns. The two republican events are: 1 - Local law enforcement issues that began before a campaign was announced 2 - Don''t require anybody to return money for unknown sources from an admitted felon. Our Gov of Pennsylvania (who has redefined the concept of tax and spend - he added a tax on the poor and stupid and gave us state wide gambling) had to return $40K. thats a whole lot of money for a second term gov who was going to win in a landslide.

And BTW - they most certainly did appear on the front of the CNN page.

[lars008-2009]

it is fascist nazi terrorislam stupid%u2026.

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the fascist nazi terrorslam imperialist empire of the darkside...

I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair''s bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.
More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465570&in_page_id=1770
Bless the Beasts and Children
Fascist nazi terrorslam kills every man woman and child in the village again%u2026 typical mo for terrorslam%u2026
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/bless-the-beasts-and-children.htm

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20arabia%20pagan

the truth about fascist nazi terrorislam...
http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/

[realpatriot1]

Jimmyc1955/mike71067,

Oh Please, give me a break! Where did the nes about Guliani''s South Carolina Chairman Tom Ravenehl being indicted on federal cocaine trafficing charges end up? How about Romney''s South Carolina finance chairman being indicted on 23 counts of fraud?

The answer is nowhere on CBS or nowhere among the main stories on any of the MSM sites or Fox.

[lastdance2]

The report is in error -

It is not - Hillary Clinton
It is not - Bill Clinton

It should read : "Comrade Hillary"
It should read : "Citizen Bill"

Lastdance

[jimmyc1955]

If the face at the top of the page were Rudy Guliani where in CBS''s web page do you think that picture would appear?? The big one on the home page did I hear you say??? Hillary next to a convicted felon - buried deep on the political page of CNN and CBS - you have to search for it.

Is it any wonder why conservatives flock to Fox? Why people tend to watch Fox for news that the mainstream broadcasters decide the public doesn''t need to know??

[mike71067]

I love the photo at the top of this article. It speaks a thousand words. The Democrat Culture of Corruption is rearing its ugly head.

[gunownerdan]

Dr. Ron Paul is the only presidential candidate who would actually obey the oath of office.
ronpaul2008.com

[gunownerdan]

The fact is in politics, the best prostitute will get the most money.
Hitlery has a lot of money for a reason.

[forthepeopl1]

CLINTON WILL MAKE SURE IS DOESN''T DO ANYTIME..

THEY HAVE TRYED TO GET RID OF HIM, HE IS IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW.

HE WILL NEVER MAKE TRIAL.SO DONT WORRIE THEY CANT HAVE HIM RUNNING HIS MOUTH..

[forthepeopl1]

Hsu was arrested in Colorado on federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution after the California attorney general''s office sought assistance from federal authorities in apprehending him, FBI spokesman Joseph Schadler said. The federal charges will be dropped once Hsu is returned to California to face sentencing in state court, Schadler said

[name_verify]

Wicked flashback -- it is the 1990s all over again. The Clintons are a magnet for this kind of thing. Their finger prints are all over but they will claim that there is a vast right wing conspiracy out the get them if anybody asks any questions.

[drputt45]

Hey, not all crooks are politicians, but it seems all politicians are crooks.

[toongal4u]

Didn''t one of those yesterday arrested New Jersey officials also endorse Hillary Clinton?

[tcoleman12]

Hsu sleeps with the fishes!!! That is how the Clintons deal with their problems.

[forthepeopl1]

A federal judge struck down parts of the revised Patriot Act as unconstitutional Thursday, saying courts must be allowed to supervise cases where the government orders Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers.

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero said the government orders must be subject to meaningful judicial review and that the recently rewritten Patriot Act "offends the fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers."

The law had been challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union, which complained that the revised law allowed the Federal Bureau of Investigations to demand records without the kind of court order required for other government searches.

The ACLU said it was improper to issue so-called national security letters, or NSLs -- investigative tools used by the FBI to compel businesses to turn over customer information -- without a judge''s order or grand jury subpoena. Examples of such businesses include Internet service providers, telephone companies and public libraries.

[brianbwb-2009]

All the candidates from both sides are dirty, none more so than the others. For those who can''t see past your party''s rhetoric about how the other is bad and yours is good, you are the reason we have messed it up to this stage.

[realpatriot1]

Klingon69,

Do you have any evidence that she did know his background? Is there any evidence that Romney knew the background of his campaign finance chair who was indicted on 23 counts of money laundering or that Larry Craig had been the subject of allegations of homosexual predatory behavior since 1982? Those instances seem to hit somewhat closer to home, don''t they?

Where does the guilt-by-association and partison scorekeeping stop and the committment to say enough''s enough begin?