Reply #9: Suit Sheds Light on Clintons’ Ties to a Benefactor. [View All]

[NYC]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/26/us/politics/26clinton.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Today's Times had a similar article.

...The disclosure of the trips and the consulting fees is just a small part of a broader complaint about the way Mr. Gupta has managed his company. But for the former president, and for the senator who would become president, it offers significant new details about their relationship with an unusually generous benefactor whose business practices have lately come under scrutiny.

In addition to the shareholder accusations, The New York Times reported last Sunday that an investigation by the authorities in Iowa found that infoUSA sold consumer data several years ago to telemarketing criminals who used it to steal money from elderly Americans. It advertised call lists with titles like “Elderly Opportunity Seekers” or “Suffering Seniors,” a compilation of people with cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. The company called the episodes an aberration and pledged that it would not happen again.

Asked to describe Mr. Clinton’s consulting services, an infoUSA official said they were limited to making appearances at one or two company events each year. Jay Carson, a spokesman for Mr. Clinton, would not elaborate on what the former president does for infoUSA, but said that he shared the public’s concern about misuse of personal information...

Aides to Mrs. Clinton were at pains to distance her from infoUSA, pointing out that she had sponsored legislation that would strengthen privacy rights of consumers. As for the flights on infoUSA’s plane, Phil Singer, Mrs. Clinton’s spokesman, said the senator “complied with all the relevant ethics rules” on accepting private air travel...

The International Herald Tribune had an article on May 22nd and another today.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/26/america/NA-GEN-US-Clintons-Contributor.php

Longtime Indian-born benefactor embroiled in suit that cites his plane trips for the Clintons

From the May 22nd article:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/22/technology/tele.php

2 companies pledge to avoid telemarketing criminals

...InfoUSA was singled out Monday by Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, as deserving scrutiny.

"Senator Obama has serious concerns that InfoUSA perpetuated a fraud on seniors, and he has contacted the appropriate executive agency to ensure that consumer protection laws are being vigorously enforced and seniors are protected from telemarketing schemes," said Ben LaBolt, a spokesman...