China Tried to Contribute to Congress Members, Pelosi Says

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), citing “credible sources,” said Wednesday she has information that the Chinese government has attempted to make contributions to members of Congress through intermediaries.

Pelosi repeatedly emphasized that the elected officials had no way of knowing the true source of the funds--only that they were to have come from persons or groups sympathetic to the People’s Republic of China. She later said there is “no evidence of anybody falling for the bait.”

The allegations surfaced at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department’s budget request. Pelosi told Atty. Gen. William P. Barr that she understood that the department had the information and asked whether it was investigating.

“If I did have the information, it’s the kind of thing I would not be discussing,” Barr said. Pelosi, a leading congressional critic of China’s human rights policies, asked if Barr could at least acknowledge that the department has received the allegations.

“I’d rather not do it in this forum,” Barr said, suggesting that he might be able to respond if Pelosi detailed the allegations in a letter.

Justice Department officials declined to expand on Barr’s guarded comments, but a source familiar with political-contribution inquiries said he was aware of no such investigation.

Federal law bars foreign governments and nationals from contributing to U.S. political candidates. Individuals who serve as a conduit for such illegal funding could be charged under the federal conspiracy statute, as could officeholders who knowingly accept the money.

Aside from any legal consequences, any suggestion that China had attempted to violate the ban would be highly embarrassing and could strain U.S.-Chinese relations. A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy here said Pelosi’s allegations are “absolutely untrue and unfounded.”

When Barr declined to acknowledge that the Justice Department knew of the contribution allegations, Pelosi asked him “hypothetically” if the department would be “required to investigate” such allegations.

“We would investigate if it involved someone we felt we could get jurisdiction over,” Barr responded, apparently referring to diplomatic immunity that protects officials of foreign embassies and consulates from prosecution.

Times staff writer Jim Mann contributed to this story.