Clinton Pal Cops A Plea

Presidential friend Yah Lin "Charlie" Trie pleaded guilty to two charges Friday and pledged to cooperate in an investigation of campaign fund-raising. In return, prosecutors dropped indictments pending against him in Washington and Arkansas.

Under the deal, the restaurateur turned campaign fund-raiser -- who has been implicated in improper contributions from China -- will be sentenced to probation.

Justice Department investigators now will be able to interview Trie about the Asian sources of campaign contributions funneled through him to the Democratic National Committee. Trie also could be questioned about donations to President Clinton's legal defense fund.

Right after his guilty plea, federal marshals served Trie with a subpoena to appear June 10 before the House Government Reform Committee chaired by Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., which is looking into campaign finance abuses.

Trie pleaded guilty to one felony count, causing false statements to be made to the Federal Election Commission. He said he caused the DNC's treasurer to submit a report to the commission that gave false names for donors. He gave no details in court on who had actually given the money.

"I know that the DNC had the names of the wrong persons," Trie told the judge.

He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of making political contributions in the names of others. He admitted getting other people to make campaign contributions for him -- $5,000 worth -- in February 1996.

"I requested that somebody else give the money for me," he said.

In return for his cooperation, the government agreed to dismiss an Arkansas indictment that accused him of attempting to obstruct a U.S. Senate investigation. He was on trial this week on this charge.

Also to be dropped is the Washington indictment accusing him of arranging illegal campaign donations to the DNC from Chinese businessmen in an effort to curry favor with President Clinton.
Trie, born in Taiwan and now a naturalized U.S. citizen, had become friends with then-Gov. Clinton when Mr. Clinton frequented a Chinese restaurant Trie owned near the state Capitol.

A judge must approve the prosecutors' recommendation that Trie be given three years' probation. The government agreed not to pursue home detention or electronic monitoring during his probation.

Trie's trial in the Arkansas case had begun Monday. He was accused of obstructing justice by ordering an employee to destroy documents subpoenaed in 1997 by a federal grand jury and by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. The charges carried a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Democratic National Committee has returned $640,000 that Trie raised. President Clinton's legal defense fund has returned an additional $460,000 raised by Trie.

Prosecutors had expected to wrap up their case Friday. Defense lawyers said thousands of documents were provided to congressional investigators, making Trie's business anfund-raising activities an open book.

But Maria Mapili, who managed his office here, testified earlier this week that Trie ordered her to get rid of documents that the Senate panel sought in its probe. She said she threw out some papers but hid others that were later seized or turned over to the grand jury.

In a statement after making his plea, Trie said that he was ready to start a new life after fighting the government for so long.

"After three years of constant struggle, my physical and spiritual resources to resist are exhausted," he said.

Written By James Jefferson