Chinagate

Chinagate is the name of a scandal in the United States associated with improper campaign donations to the Democratic Party. Allegedly the ultimate source of this money was the government of the People's Republic of China.

Related Topics:
United States - Democratic Party - People's Republic of China

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John Huang and Charlie Trie, both members of the China lobby and donors to Bill Clinton, have been indicted on charges of campaign finance abuse in connection with such donations.

Related Topics:
John Huang - Charlie Trie - China lobby - Bill Clinton

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The nickname comes from a trend of naming political scandals by appending "gate" to the end of a word that summarizes the nature of the scandal. This calls to mind the most damaging political scandal of modern politics, the Watergate scandal of the Nixon administration which resulted in the resignation of the President of the United States under threat of impeachment. Unlike Watergate, however, neither the President nor anyone in the White House were ever shown to have improperly taken money from the Chinese government. In fact, the investigation, headed primarily by the House Committee on Government Reform, was unable to turn up wrongdoing by anyone but a few low level campaign contributors, none of whom were known to the President.

Related Topics:
Nickname - Watergate - Nixon - President of the United States - Impeachment

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chairman Dan Burton?s campaign finance investigation spanned the 105th and 106th Congresses. It has been characterized as the most partisan, unfair, and abusive investigation since the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s, and was also the most expensive congressional investigation in history. According to the New York Times, the investigation was a ?House investigation travesty? and a ?parody of a reputable investigation? (Apr. 12, 1997). The Washington Post called the investigation ?its own cartoon, a joke, and a deserved embarrassment? (Mar. 20, 1997). Norman Ornstein, a congressional expert at the American Enterprise Institute said, ?the Burton investigation is going to be remembered as a case study in how not to do a congressional investigation as a prime example of investigation as a farce.? Los Angeles Times (May 2, 1998).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~