12A
Thursday, December 7, 1995
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Panel set to investigate Gingrich
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The House ethics committee Wednesday approved an outside counsel to investigate Rep. Newt Gingrich's conduct, ensuring a protracted probe extending well into the 1996 election year. The vote was 10-0.
Gingrich's spokesman, Tony Blankley, and congressional sources said the counsel would investigate a college course taught by the House speaker and financed with tax-deductible donations.
The committee also found Gingrich violated a rule that prohibits mingling official and unofficial resources, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. He did so by permitting a political adviser, Joseph Gaylord, to work out of his Capitol office, the sources said.
The committee dismissed a complaint that Gingrich received a gift of free cable television time and that a publisher's auction for his book, "To Renew America," was rigged. The auction drove up the advance Gingrich was offered to $4.5 million — an amount he relinquished after intense criticism.
Democrats on and off the committee have been demanding an outside counsel for months as they focused their 1996 House campaigns as a referendum on the Georgia Republican's confrontational personality and conservative legislative program.
"There's virtually no way any reasonable person could find a violation, but we look forward to getting an expert in to confirm that," Blankey said. "This is a substantial vindication."
The committee, which voted to begin a formal "preliminary inquiry," said the special counsel would investigate all tax issues involving his college course. In order to reach that decision, the committee found it had "reason to believe" there may have been violations.
The decision begins a long process that will result in a committee decision to either file formal charges or find no basis for charges. If charges are filed, Gingrich would have a formal hearing to present a defense.
Any major disciplinary action, ranging from a reprimand to expulsion, would be decided by the full House.
A complaint filed a year ago contends that Gingrich's college lectures — taught in Georgia but beamed around the country by satellite — were really a fund-raising tool of GOPAC.
The complaint by former Rep. Ben Jones, D-Ga., said that if the course was political rather than educational, the tax-deductible donations that financed the lectures and satellite hookups were improper.
Solicitations for the course were made by GOPAC staff members, who went to work for two tax-exempt foundations. Donors were allowed to deduct their contributions on their federal income tax returns.
GOPAC's fundraising role in the course, which began in the fall of 1993, has been well documented in news stories and GOPAC records.
According to records compiled by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, of the 26 corporations, foundations and individuals who contributed during the initial semester, eight were GOPAC "charter members" — those contributing at least $10,000.
NOW apologizes for Simpson remarks
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The National Organization for Women apologized Wednesday for what it called racially insensitive remarks by the group's top Los Angeles official following the O.J. Simpson verdict.
NOW President Patricia Ireland told a news conference the group's board of directors voted last weekend to censure Tammy Bruce, the board
Los Angeles NOW president. Ireland said such an action was unprecedented during her tenure as a national officer starting in 1981.
"I deeply regret that Tammy Bruce ... has made public statements that clearly violate NOW's commitment to stopping racism." Ireland said.
One example cited by NOW quoted transcripts from a "Nightline" segment the day after the verdict in which Bruce said, "What we need to teach our children is ... not about racism, but is about violence against women."
Bruce replied in a statement she was baffled and disappointed by the response of the national organization.
"In the aftermath of the Simpson trial, Los Angeles NOW and NOW chapters and leaders throughout the country have worked to maintain a national dialogue on the epidemic of domestic violence." Bruce said.
thousands of women who are (at) risk in this country, including women of color."
Simpson was acquitted Oct. 3 of murdering his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman. Prosecutors introduced evidence at his trial that he subjected his wife to physical abuse.
. Ireland said that NOW has a strong national campaign to stop violence against women.
"I don't have time to be arguing with a bunch of Black women."
"We know, as do most NOW members and Americans in general that domestic violence, and all violence against women, is color blind; that speaking on the horrors of domestic violence does not make one a racist, and that by not speaking against this epidemic is abandoning
Tammy Bruce Los Angeles NOWpresident
"However, we have a problem when one of our leaders pollutes our message with statements that leave the widespread perception that domestic violence is more important than racism on NOW's agenda," she added. Another example cited by NOW was an Oct. 11 statement by Bruce that her message to Simpson was, "You are not welcome here, you are not welcome in this country, you are not welcome on our airwaves, you are not welcome in our culture."
The NOW statement also referred to a Nov. 17 Associated Press story about Bruce's refusal to appear via satellite on a Philadelphia TV talk show. The host of the show, AM Philadelphia, opened the segment on which she was to have appeared by reading comments that coordinating producer Amy Willen said Bruce had made.
Bruce told the AP at the time that not all of the words in the comments attributed to her were accurate and that many had been taken out of context. She added that she believed her comments were actually anti-racist.
"I don't have time to argue with a bunch of black women; we've moved beyond that," Bruce was quoted as having said.
Crown Jewels recovered from doghouse in Queens
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — In his year as a baggage handler at Kennedy International Airport, Gilbert Terrero never found any trouble — until FBI agents said they found him with $500,000 worth of jewelry belonging to the Duchess of York.
Terrero was charged Wednesday with rifling through the former Sarah Ferguson's suitcase in the belly of a British Airways jet and emerging with a diamond-studded necklace and bracelet — wedding gifts from Queen Elizabeth II.
The 12-diamond flower-cluster necklace was recovered from a doghouse behind Terrero's home in Queens. The bracelet was found in an airport locker after the baby-faced 19-year-old allegedly bragged to co-workers about swiping the goods.
"The FBI is happy to report that we've recovered the crown jewels," James Kallstrom, head of the FBI's New York office, announced at a news conference where the valuables were displayed on a red velvet cloth.
Well, not all the jewels. Still missing were five small diamonds pried out of the jewelry, as well as other items from Fergie's luggage. Kalistrom was confident the missing items would be found.
The 19-year-old suspect's family claimed Terrero found the jewelry lying on the airport floor Monday night.
The red-haired duchess, who married Prince Andrew in 1986, was in the United States promoting her "Budgie the Helicopter" children's book. She wore the diamonds to a White House reception on Sunday.
The duchess fared much better than the average victim of a sticky-fingered airline employee. The recovery rate of property stolen from baggage is "virtually non-existent," said Marty Salfen, senior vice president for the International Airline Passengers Association.
Alec Baldwin charged with battery
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Alec Baldwin was charged Wednesday with battery for allegedly attacking a free-lance cameraman who was filming the actor, wife Kim Basinger and their infant daughter.
Photographer Alan Zanger was in the street filming them as they arrived at their suburban Woodland Hills home on Oct. 26.
Baldwin allegedly punched him. Zanger responded by placing Baldwin under citizen's arrest. Police booked the actor for investigation of misdemeanor battery. He was released on his own recognizance.
The charge carries a sentence of up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine, said Mike Qualls, a spokesman for the city attorney. Baldwin faces arraignment Jan. 9.
Zanger suffered a broken nose and other medical problems in the scuffle, according to a lawsuit he filed.
Baldwin publicist Lisa Kasteler wouldn't comment.
'Mystery Science Theater' canceled
MINNEAPOLIS — Comedy Central has decided not to renew "Mystery Science Theater 3000," but the show's producer said Tuesday he is confident that the TV cult favorite will reappear in some format.
Declining ratings prompted the cable network not to renew the Twin Cities-produced series for an eighth season.
"Mystery Science Theater 3000," or "MST3K" to fans, started on a Twin Cities UHF station in 1988 and later found a national audience on cable. The show features a lost-in-space human and his robot sidekicks watching bad movies and making sarcastic comments.
Comedy Central will rerun "MST3K" in 1996 and plans to show five new episodes on Saturday afternoons, starting Feb. 3, Fox said.