Critics Aside, House Donor Probe Gets More Power

WASHINGTON —  The House brushed aside Democratic complaints of a partisan “witch hunt” and voted Friday to give its chief investigator the power to subpoena sworn depositions in his investigation of financial abuses during the 1996 political campaign.

The 216-194 vote, mostly along party lines, ended a week of contentious debate between Republicans eager to move their investigation forward and Democrats who charged that they were being unfairly targeted by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee.

“This is a lot more of a partisan fishing expedition and a lot less of a serious investigation,” said Rep. John Joseph Moakley (D-Mass.). The investigation continues “not so much to get facts, but to get after Democrats,” he said.

Under Friday’s House resolution, Burton has unilateral authority to subpoena witnesses for sworn depositions after “consultation” with the minority. Burton said earlier in the week that he expects to take depositions from 150 to 200 people and that he needs the authority because many of the witnesses have either left the country or refused to testify.

“We are investigating a possible massive scheme for funneling millions of dollars in foreign money into the U.S. electoral system,” Burton said, including allegations that “the Chinese government at the highest level decided to infiltrate our political system.”

Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski (D-Pa.) charged that Burton is not interested in an investigation but is intent on going after the Clinton administration and other Democrats. “This is a political witch hunt,” he said.

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During hearings and debates throughout the week, Republicans repeated that deposition authority had been granted routinely to investigation committee chairmen over the last 20 years.

But Democrats complained that Burton intends to use the power without seeking consensus from the minority, thereby violating the spirit, if not the letter, of previous House resolutions.

“These procedures deny the minority the chance even to debate the issue,” ranking minority member Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles) said. “They allow Chairman Burton to act unilaterally and ensure the minority will have no real voice.”