Indonesian Family Also Gave to Dole ’88 Drive

The wealthy Riady family of Indonesia, which has donated at least $854,700 to Democrats through its various entities since 1979, also contributed $1,000 to then-Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) when he was seeking the 1988 Republican presidential nomination, federal elections records show.

Dole, who has accused President Clinton and the Democrats of granting the family favors in return for campaign money, received $1,000 on Dec. 31, 1987, from Aileen Riady, wife of James T. Riady, deputy chairman of the Lippo Group financial and real estate conglomerate.

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, general chairman of the Democratic Party, said: “It’s just the raw hypocrisy of this” when asked Wednesday about the Dole contribution.

Dodd dismissed Dole’s criticism of Clinton for accepting money from the Riadys as “desperate stuff” and said Clinton’s opponents are “trying anything and everything in hope that something sticks. I don’t think it does.”

Dole campaign spokeswoman Christina Martin said Aileen Riady’s contribution to Dole “in effect brought her the opportunity to financially support a presidential candidate,” while James T. Riady’s soft-money contributions to the Democratic Party “appear to have offered presidential access and the chance to influence United States foreign policy.”

James Riady, who knew Clinton in Little Rock, Ark., as a student and banker, later met with him at the White House and during a state visit to Indonesia.

An analysis for Newsday by the Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit public interest group, shows that Riady-related individuals and entities gave Democrats and Republicans at least $861,700 in contributions between 1979 and 1996.

Of this amount, the Riadys gave $9,000 to the Republicans as “hard money,” contributions to individual campaigns, but no “soft money,” contributions to the national parties for general use.

“By giving to Dole and others, the Riadys show that they are pragmatic businessmen and want to make investments in both parties,” said Sheila Krumholz of the center.