House Panel Wants Chung to Testify About Chinese

A House committee investigating campaign finance abuses has subpoenaed former Democratic donor Johnny Chung to testify about his contacts with a senior Chinese military official who allegedly sought to funnel money into U.S. elections through Chung.

Chung, whose prior testimony on the matter remains sealed in grand jury transcripts and classified documents, would be the first major Democratic fund-raiser with ties to China to discuss them publicly. Others have invoked the 5th Amendment or left the United States.

The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee scheduled Chung’s appearance for April 27-28 after the Justice Department dropped its objections to public testimony by the Torrance businessman. Earlier this month, The Times reported that Chung had told federal investigators that the chief of Chinese military intelligence, Gen. Ji Shengde, ordered $300,000 deposited in Chung’s bank account in mid-1996 to subsidize secret contributions to help reelect President Clinton.

“We want to know about his contacts with the Chinese government and businesspeople,” said Kevin Binger, the committee’s staff director. “There are a lot of wire transfers that we don’t know the origin of from Hong Kong and China that we want to ask about. We want to ask about all his contacts with the Democratic National Committee and the White House.”

Republican lawmakers have long asserted that China had a plan to influence the 1996 presidential race. China denies any role in funding U.S. elections.

Chung, who pleaded guilty to campaign finance and other violations last year, has cooperated with a federal investigation of 1996 campaign abuses. He was sentenced to probation and community service late last year after prosecutors recommended leniency.

A Justice Department official said Friday that prosecutors agreed to let Chung testify because “we’ve really gotten what we needed from him.”

Chung’s attorney, Brian A. Sun, said he must still resolve with the Justice Department whether Chung can discuss classified information.

Sun said he feared that the hearing before the sharply polarized panel could become “a partisan circus.”

“We’ll do all we can to avoid that circus atmosphere,” he said.

Some Democrats are skeptical of Chung.

In 1997, Chung provided limited information during a closed-door appearance before the committee, which is headed by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.). Chung did not disclose his contacts with Ji at that time.

“I don’t know whether his latest account is accurate,” said Rep. Henry A. Waxman of Los Angeles, the panel’s ranking Democrat. “If it were accurate, then it’s troubling. But I have a serious question in my mind about his credibility.”

The White House and the DNC said they had no knowledge of the source of Chung’s contributions when he made them. Chung donated $366,000 to the DNC, which was returned in 1997. He visited the White House more than 50 times, often with Chinese associates.