Press Highlights OCC Chief's Meeting with Bankers, Fund-Raisers

Comptroller of the Currency Eugene A. Ludwig made headlines last weekend-quite unintentionally, he says.

The front pages of Saturday's New York Times and Washington Post featured stories about Mr. Ludwig's attending a meeting with bankers and President Clinton last year that was arranged by Democratic Party fund- raisers.

Friday, the Clinton administration released reams of documents showing that the Democratic National Committee had organized 103 meetings for administration officials and industry leaders during the last two years. The newspapers highlighted a May 13 meeting for bank executives because a senior regulator was involved.

While White House and Treasury Department officials told the papers there was nothing wrong about the meeting, Mr. Ludwig, through his spokeswoman, said he would not have attended if he had known party fund- raisers were involved.

The guest list sent to Mr. Ludwig for the meeting did not include the names of any Democratic Party fund-raisers, OCC spokeswomen Leonora Cross reiterated Monday. "If he had known they were invited, he wouldn't have gone," she said.

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