Clinton Fund-Raiser Hsia Ill; Her Sentencing Is Postponed

Sentencing for convicted Los Angeles fund-raiser Maria Hsia was postponed Monday because she is suffering from an unknown virus.

But that did not stop lawyers in the case from sparring over whether federal officials have fairly investigated campaign finance abuses. Hsia was to be sentenced in U.S. District Court here for her role in obtaining $100,000 in illegal donations for the Clinton-Gore campaign at a 1996 fund-raiser held at a Buddhist temple in Hacienda Heights, Calif.

But the longtime immigration consultant became ill at her home in Southern California and was admitted to a hospital Saturday with a fever of more than 102 degrees, her attorney, Nancy Luque, told U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman. Hsia recently traveled to China and doctors are concerned that she may have contracted an unknown strain of a virus, Luque said.

Friedman rescheduled sentencing for Jan. 31, if Hsia’s health allows.

Hsia, convicted in March on five felony counts of causing false reports to be filed with federal election officials, faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and $1 million in fines. But prison sentences are rare for violations of federal election law and Hsia’s attorneys are arguing that she should not spend any time behind bars.

Luque argued Monday that federal authorities are going after Hsia with increased vigor because she refused to cooperate with the Justice Department’s campaign finance investigation.

The attorney also complained that federal prosecutors have withheld information improperly that could have helped Hsia’s defense--and even might have affected Luque’s surprise decision not to put Hsia on the stand to testify at her trial in February.

“I believe this is the tip of the iceberg. I believe there’s a lot of other exculpatory information I should have been provided,” Luque told the judge.

Prosecutors said they had already turned over to Hsia’s attorneys everything relevant to her defense, as required by federal rules. But the judge directed them to work with Luque to determine if there is other material from their files that should now be provided.

Luque also charged that federal authorities improperly used material from Hsia’s appearance before a grand jury investigating the Buddhist temple fund-raiser, “robb[ing] her of her ability to remain silent.” Luque promised to show at Hsia’s sentencing that prosecutors have wrongly portrayed her client as the ringleader of a scheme to funnel illegal contributions through temple nuns and monks.

“The temple was involved in the reimbursement of contributions long before Miss Hsia was on the scene,” Luque said.