New York Post
Editorial Nov. 2, 1999

HAROLD ICKES KEEPS ON SLEAZIN'

It looks like Hillary Clinton's top political strategist, Harold Ickes, has once again moved from the frying pan into the fire.

John Huang, the Democratic National Committee money-man who helped raise $2 million for the Clinton-Gore re-election efforts, is reportedly prepared to tell Congress of yet another Ickes financial outrage.

Huang will testify that, in 1995, then-deputy White House chief of staff Ickes asked him to raise money for the re election campaign of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.). The problem is that Huang was then an official at the Commerce Department - and the Hatch Act prohibits supervisors from asking subordinates to make political contributions or do partisan political work.

To that end, the congressional committee unanimously voted to give Huang immunity in return for his testimony.

On top of that, The Post's Brian Blomquist and Gregg Birnbaum reported Sunday that Ickes has repeatedly flouted federal lobbyist-disclosure law requiring him to identify his clients and how much they're paying him. After being ignored for more than a year, officials have referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney in Washington.

In an administration rife with ethically challenged officials, Ickes has consistently been at the top of the list. He initially lost out on an administration job over allegations linking him to mob-controlled labor unions. He was also connected to Arthur Coia, long-serving president of the Laborers International Union of North America and heavy Democratic contributor. Earlier this month, Coia, identified by the FBI as an organized-crime associate, copped a plea on fraud charges - conveniently avoiding a trial at which Ickes and other administration officials would likely have faced some embarrassing questions.

Despite his role at the center of the now-notorious 1996 Clinton-Gore fund-raising apparatus, Ickes was spared a full scale independent counsel investigation when Janet Reno, America's hear no evil, see no evil attorney general, declined to authorize a probe into charges that Ickes lied to Congress about his role in helping the Teamsters while the union was a potential hot source of campaign cash.

With Harold Ickes in charge, Clinton for Senate is bound to be as sleazy and corrupt as the Clinton White House.

Letters to the Editor

The New York Post
1211 Avenue of Americas
New York, NY 10036-8790

Dear Editor

Your November 2 editorial "Harold Ickes keeps on sleazin'," shows a blatant, irresponsible disregard for facts or the truth, Let me set the, record straight about Arthur A. Coia, General President of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) First and foremost, Mr. Coia has not "copped a plea on fraud charges." In fact, he has been neither indicted nor convicted of any crime and remains as General President of the Laborers' Union. One can only assume that your editorial writers based their comments on recent outrageous leaks from government officials who are determined to undermine the Laborers' Union and its innovative internal reform programs, and to destroy Mr. Coia's reputation.

Nearly five years ago, LIUNA entered into an historic Oversight Agreement with the Justice Department in an unprecedented commitment by a labor organization to rid itself of all forms of corruption. Since that time, LIUNA's efforts have been lauded by FBI and Justice Department officials, members of Congress, and others as innovative, effective, and a model for future reform efforts within organized labor.

In an internal hearing last year, Mr, Coia himself was the subject of intense investigations and determined prosecution by former Department of Justice attorneys, and was formally and finally cleared of all charges of mob association. It is a travesty that borders on libel and slander to state otherwise in your paper.

The Laborers' International Union is made up of 800,000 hard working men and women from across this country and Canada. As General President, Mr. Coia has proven himself to be an outstanding, effective, and innovative leader who serves his members well. The New York Post could serve its readers well by checking its facts instead of making unfounded and erroneous allegations. Unfortunately, it's clearly the Post that is "ethically challenged."