What is the relationship of Mark Rich and Bill Clinton?

[lateo]

I was reading something aboot the BCCI scandal and I saw Mark Rich's name come up. Anyone know how he and BC became friends and when?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Friends?

His ex-wife(Clinton Fundraiser) and Scooter Libby lobbied Clinton for the pardon. Yes, THAT Scooter Libby. Clinton, on the advice of them and some of his aides granted it. When the merde hit the ventalateur, Clinton went right off on a lot of people. Felt he had been conned.

He was right. Getting conned can happen to the best of us.

[On the Road]

3. I Actually Think it Was a Good Pardon

in the sense that Rich was charged with was legal. His business partner Pincus stayed in the US, was tried, and exonerated. The statute Rich was being prosecuted on was unusual for the situation and Rich concluded that he was being railroaded and left the country. But the fact that he fled the country made it impossible for him to return until the pardon.

I believe the situation may have been that Rich was unable to visit his American children by his ex-wife, and she lobbied her friend to get a pardon so that he could attend a wedding.

Rich does not seem like a particularly nice person, but that really isn't the question.

In any case, it was the height of hypocrisy for Republicans to attack Clinton on this, since so many had been lobbying for a pardon under Bush Sr.

[blm]

2. Mark Rich and Bill Clinton were never friends.

Clinton became friends with Denise Rich through various NY fundraising events but that was long after she was divorced.

It was Ehud Barak who eventually got Clinton to pardon Rich, but only after Rich had begun working out a settlement for the back taxes he owed.