Huang Says Fund-Raising Incident Not Clear-Cut
Did not know at the time that some donors were reimbursed
By Larry Margasak/AP

Vice President Al Gore’s 1996 appearance at a Buddhist temple was not planned as a fund-raiser, but individuals who attended were asked for contributions once a separate money-raising event was canceled, a former Democratic Party official testified Feb. 16.

“It became a very mixed matter,” John Huang told a U.S. District Court jury at the trial of a Democratic fund-raising colleague, Maria Hsia.

Huang said Gore was to attend a separate, money-raising event the same day on a Los Angeles trip, but that appearance was canceled because of the vice president’s “tight schedule.”

In consolidating the two planned appearances into one, Huang said a luncheon -- originally to be part of the fund-raiser at a restaurant -- was moved to the “community outreach event” at the Hsi Lai Temple. “The event at the temple ... was never a fund-raising matter,” Huang said.

Later, however, Huang testified that fund raising became mixed with the community event. He said he had already received “commitments” before the April 29, 1996 temple appearance from individuals who originally were to give money at the fund-raiser.

Under cross-examination from Hsia attorney Nancy Luque, Huang said a Hsi Lai official also informed him that she was contacting people to donate and finding it “quite hard” to get people to contribute.

In a trial that mirrors an event that has dogged Gore in his current run for the presidency, Hsia is charged with five felony counts of causing false statements to be filed with the Federal Election Commission about the true source of campaign donations. Prosecutors have described the immigration consultant’s actions as a scheme to illegally reimburse contributors for more than $100,000 in donations they made to the Clinton-Gore 1996 re-election campaign and the Democratic Party.

Huang said he had hoped to bring back $200,000-$250,000 from Gore’s West Coast fund-raising trip but, knowing that he would not reach his target, asked Hsia for help.

The day after the temple appearance, Huang said, Hsia handed him an envelope with $100,000 in checks but added he wasn’t aware at the time that some of the donors had been reimbursed. Huang, who has testified before Congress and spoke numerous times to prosecutors, answered “no ma’am” when asked by Luque whether Hsia “did anything improper with respect to these contributions.”

To demonstrate that there originally were two separate events, Luque showed Huang his invitations to the restaurant. Huang said he had sent some out before the event was canceled.

Huang’s description of the temple appearance as a “community outreach event” matched the description originally used by Gore. More recently Gore has said, “I have acknowledged my mistake in attending” the event.

Huang said that in planning the temple event, he thought that having a dignitary like Gore would be “a plus factor” for the Asian American community. He acknowledged that he personally hoped “some of the wealthier Asian Americans would open up their wallets” -- although “not necessarily at that time.”

Huang said that when Gore arrived at the temple, a vice presidential aide asked what Gore should talk about. Huang said he suggested remarks on “being more inclusive” and “having more religious tolerance.”

The chief Asian American fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee in 1996, Huang said many in that community leaned toward the Republicans and he hoped the temple event “could inspire” people to be “drawn to the Democratic side.”

Last August in a plea agreement, Huang was sentenced to one year of probation, 500 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine for illegal contributions. Under the deal, Huang agreed to provide information to government officials on other campaign finance investigations and to testify before a Congressional committee.

Besides, Huang and Hsia, at least eight other Asian Americans have been charged with campaign finance violations stemming from the 1996 campaign.

As a result of Huang’s cooperation with investigators, the House Reform Committee released a report last November stating that Huang had also worked with the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, but did level any new charges at the White House.

Huang originally became embroiled in the investigation in 1996 after the DNC returned more than $1.6 million in “questionable funds” originating from Asian American donors. However, the DNC’s action received criticism at the time when some accused it of indiscriminately returning money to anyone with an Asian surname regardless of whether or not they were U.S. citizens.