Clinton to Host Schiff Fund-Raiser

President Clinton will host a fund-raiser next month for Democrat Adam Schiff’s campaign to unseat GOP Rep. James Rogan of Glendale, one of the prosecutors at his impeachment trial.

Clinton’s plan to appear at Schiff’s June 27 reception in Washington led the Rogan campaign to revive its charge that the president was trying to get back at Rogan.

“We’re not surprised,” Rogan campaign manager Jason Roe said Thursday.

Rogan charged in a letter to potential donors last year that Clinton “wants to crush me and throw me out of Congress as part of his personal crusade of revenge.”

But Parke Skelton, Schiff’s political consultant, denied that Clinton’s motive was payback.

“Clinton is doing a whole series of fund-raising events for Democrats in competitive seats,” Skelton said Thursday. “It certainly wouldn’t be fair to characterize it as revenge for the impeachment.”

Skelton pointed to Clinton’s recent appearance at a fund-raiser for Rep. Michael Forbes (D-New York), who voted for impeachment.

White House spokesman Jim Kennedy responded to Rogan’s charges without mentioning impeachment.

“The president is campaigning on behalf of all Democrats throughout the country,” Kennedy said. “He believes our party offers the best hope to advance issues of concern to the American people, from education to health care and the environment.”

Rogan, too, has reached out to national party leaders for support. He has booked Arizona Sen. John McCain as the guest of honor at a fund-raiser May 30 in Bel-Air.

Top Democrats and Republicans in Washington view the battle between Rogan and Schiff as one of the few races that could determine which party controls the House after the Nov. 7 election.