DHS nominee & Hillary

There is an interesting connection between the new nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security, Judge Michael Chertoff, and Senator Hillary Clinton. In August 2000, Clinton held a Hollywood fundraising gala. Her finance adviser was recently indicted with relation to this event, for intentionally understating the costs of the fundraising event in order to have more money to spend on the campaign.

In 2003. when Chertoff was nominated to the federal bench, Byron York of National Review Online wrote this piece detailing objections raised by Larry Klayman of Judicial Watch to Chertoff's nomination. Peter Paul, a Hollywood businessman, helped organize the Clinton fundraiser, apparently hoping to secure a business deal with Bill Clinton after he left office. Paul later sued the Clintons, alleging election fraud by under-reporting his contributions to the fundraiser. Judicial Watch, representing Paul, asked the Justice Department to prosecute the Clintons and sought immunity for Paul in exchange for his testimony. At that time, Chertoff was head of DOJ's Criminal Division, and he declined to give Paul the deal he requested.

On the eve of the committee vote for Chertoff, Klayman alleged that he had incriminating information related to Chertoff regarding the "misuse of organized crime operatives by the FBI and other government agencies" in New Jersey, while Chertoff was U.S. Attorney there. The Committee investigates the allegations against Chertoff and found "no credible evidence linking Mr. Chertoff with any of the wrongdoing alleged by Judicial Watch."

Since the information warranted an investigation into Chertoff (as York noted), and since Clinton's finance adviser has been indicted regarding the same fundraiser, will some investigative journalists not motivated by partisan bias -- oh, say, at CBS, for instance -- begin to investigate the Clintons' role, if any, in the allegations? I'm not holding my breath.