CAMPAIGN ’88 : Hart Funding Probed

The Federal Election Commission is looking into whether former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart knowingly received illegal campaign contributions during his 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns, according to documents filed in federal court in Los Angeles.

The commission voted unanimously on March 30 to look into allegations of illegal fund-raising and campaign expenditures by Hart and Orange County businessmen David Stein and Stuart Karl, the documents show. That inquiry remains open, an FEC source said.

Karl was indicted by a federal grand jury and has pleaded guilty to funneling illegal contributions to Hart organizations. The Federal Election Commission currently is investigating Stein’s involvement with Hart, and the FBI is demanding to see Stein’s banking records, according to the court documents.

One document shows these other individuals named as targets of the FEC investigation: Keaton C. Granger, treasurer of Americans With Hart Inc., the 1984 presidential campaign organization; Stephen D. Alfers, treasurer of Friends of Gary Hart-1988 Inc.; Keith Glaser, a Hart organizer, and Douglas Rosen of Los Angeles, Hart’s 1984 finance director.

The documents were filed by FEC lawyers in response to a request by Stein that FEC subpoenas be quashed. The judge took Stein’s request under submission. An FEC spokesperson declined comment, saying matters under preliminary investigation by the agency are secret.