Maria Hsia

A March 3 headline indicates that Maria Hsia, a Democratic fund-raiser, was convicted of five felonies and the subhead states, “No evidence links vice president to any wrongdoing.” Why such a statement? We remember that Al Gore first stated he did not know that the affair at the Buddhist temple was a fund-raiser. When discovered memos indicated that this was not the case, he changed his story. Perhaps the trial did not link the vice president with this, but there are surely plenty of indications that he was involved.

The article goes on to indicate that U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman, the same judge who earlier dismissed a large part of the government’s case and was overruled by an appellate court, is not following normal procedures and has refused to set a date for sentencing. With the politicizing of the courts and the numerous examples of our elected officials being willing to lie, I (a former high school principal) am greatly alarmed at how difficult it has become to teach students respect for the courts and respect for our elected officials.

WILLIAM THOMAS

Palm Desert

*

It took a stain on a dress before Bill Clinton would admit to an inappropriate relationship with Monica. It took Hsia’s conviction arising from Democratic fund-raising activities before Gore would admit to making 1996 fund-raising errors (March 6).

KEN GUSTAFSON

Santa Clarita