More Data Sought on Comptroller's Role in Democratic Fund-Raising

Rep. Spencer Bachus fired off two letters Thursday requesting more information for his investigation into Comptroller Eugene A. Ludwig's involvement with Democratic fund-raising.

The Alabama Republican told the comptroller of the currency that he was not satisfied with answers his agency submitted last week to his first query about a controversial White House meeting last May.

President Clinton and Mr. Ludwig attended that meeting, organized for 17 bankers by Democratic National Committee officials.

"Your reply ... fails to explain fully the circumstances of your involvement in the May 13 event," Rep. Bachus wrote. "Additional questions have been raised concerning the activities of the OCC in regard to this and other matters."

Rep. Bachus also asked why the Comptroller's Office is one of 250 category headings in a White House data base that includes many campaign contributors.

In a separate letter to President Clinton, Rep. Bachus requested: any information in the data base regarding the comptroller's office; how the information was gathered and used; and a description of any involvement agency officials may have had in the creation or use of the data base.

In his letter to Mr. Ludwig, Rep. Bachus asked whether the agency provided the White House or the Democratic National Committee with any information for inclusion in the data base.

Rep. Bachus also directed the comptroller to describe in detail how and by whom he was first contacted about attending the event.

In addition, the lawmaker asked who requested the agency prepare four briefing memos for President Clinton in anticipation of the meeting. Rep. Bachus asked Mr. Ludwig and President Clinton to respond by Feb. 19.

Rep. Bachus and House Government Reform and Oversight Committee Chairman Dan Burton are expected today to ask the White House to explain why it has restricted access to these briefing memos.

While an OCC spokesman has said these memos do not contain controversial information, the White House has prevented the agency from making them public.

Mr. Ludwig has said he was not aware that Democratic fund-raisers were at the meeting and would not have attended had he known they were there.

Mr. Ludwig said he did not know, and therefore could not recognize, Democratic National Committee chairman Donald L. Fowler or finance chairman Marvin S. Rosen.

According to the stack of documents the agency gave Rep. Bachus on Feb. 6, Mr. Ludwig exchanged 80 phone calls and 46 faxes with the 17 bank chief executives from last May 14 to Jan. 13 of this year.

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