Buddhist Nuns Charged in Donation Case

Two Buddhist nuns from Southern California who ignored subpoenas from federal prosecutors in connection with Democratic fund-raising abuses were indicted Wednesday on charges of criminal contempt.

A federal grand jury charged the two women, Yi Chu and Man Ho, with flauting subpoenas as well as a federal judge’s order by traveling to Taiwan to avoid testifying at the trial of Los Angeles immigration consultant Maria Hsia.

Although the nuns were considered key witnesses for the prosecution, Justice Department lawyers used 27 other witnesses to obtain Hsia’s conviction last month on five felony counts stemming from her role in a Buddhist temple fund-raising event attended by Vice President Al Gore four years ago.

The defendants could not be reached for comment, but their Washington attorney, Mark Flanagan, said they “were available in the United States to testify for 15 months” after the subpoenas were issued in May 1998.

The nuns have since been reassigned to duties in Taiwan, Flanagan said. The indictment “serves no legitimate purpose” because the government won its case against Hsia, he added.

Both nuns were officials of the Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights. Yi Chu was temple treasurer and Man Ho was the sect’s administrative officer at the time of Gore’s visit in April 1996.

The original 1998 subpoena was renewed repeatedly as Hsia’s trial was delayed three times, the indictment said. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman rejected a legal challenge from the nuns, ruling that there was “no adequate excuse” for not returning to the United States to testify.

Prosecutors had hoped that the nuns could link Hsia to a scheme in which dozens of foreign donors associated with the temple were reimbursed for political contributions to the 1996 reelection campaign of Gore and President Clinton. The temple luncheon and a follow-up solicitation netted more than $100,000 for the campaign, virtually all of which was subsequently returned by the Democratic National Committee when questions were raised about its legality.

Robert J. Conrad Jr., who heads the Justice Department’s campaign finance task force, said that the nuns could not be taken into custody unless they return to the United States or travel to a third country from which they might be extradited.

Officials said that, despite the successful conclusion of the Hsia trial, they decided to press charges because the nuns’ flauting of Justice Department subpoenas--as well as a subsequent court order from Friedman, who presided at the trial--was so flagrant.

“No one can ignore a subpoena compelling her to appear at trial,” Conrad added. Criminal contempt, upon conviction, is punishable by a prison term or a fine, at the discretion of a judge.

Appearing before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee three years ago, the two women told of altering and destroying evidence that could lead investigators to learn the donations were unlawful.

“I really got nervous,” said Yi Chu, describing why she destroyed financial documents months after the luncheon. Man Ho said she tore up a list of $42,500 in checks collected at the event because “I was afraid the document might cause embarrassment to the temple.”

But neither of the women, in their Senate testimony, linked Gore to any of the improprieties. Although they testified under a grant of immunity for their remarks before the Senate committee, legal experts said that this grant does not protect witnesses from perjury nor from flauting subpoenas.