CLINTON BROTHER-IN-LAW RETURNS MONEY FROM CONSULTING ON PARDONS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bill Clinton's brother-in-law received about $200,000
for successfully lobbying for a pardon and a prison commutation that the
former president granted on his last day in office, The Associated Press
has learned. The money has been returned.

Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, said Wednesday they were
unaware of the arrangements with Hugh Rodham. They said they had asked him
to return the money and were "deeply disturbed" by what had happened.

Rodham, brother of Mrs. Clinton, returned the money in the past 24 hours,
sources familiar with the arrangement said Wednesday.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Rodham was paid for
months of work on the prison commutation request of Carlos Vignali and
received a "success fee" for helping win the pardon of Almon Glenn Braswell.

"Yesterday I became aware of press inquires that Hugh Rodham received a
contingency fee in connection with a pardon application for Glenn Braswell
and a fee for work on Carlos Vignali's commutation application," the former
president said in a statement.

"Neither Hillary nor I had any knowledge of such payments. We are deeply
disturbed by these reports and have insisted that Hugh return any moneys
received," he said.

The office of Mrs. Clinton, now a senator from New York, declined comment.

A source close to Clinton, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
then-White House adviser Bruce Lindsey had been contacted and was aware of
Rodham's involvement with the Vignali request. The source said Lindsey did
not know about the presidential relative's involvement in the Braswell
matter. The source was unaware of any other White House officials'
knowledge about Rodham's role in the Braswell matter.

The decisions on both men were made on the merits of their situations, the
source said.

The Braswell pardon has generated controversy because after it was granted
on Jan. 20 it was disclosed that the businessman was under investigation on
new allegations.

Justice Department spokeswoman Chris Watney declined comment Wednesday.

Braswell did not apply for his pardon through the Justice Department, while
Vignali, son of a wealthy donor, applied for his commutation through the
department in August 1998. Watney refused to say whether Justice
recommended that Vignali be pardoned.

The 140 pardons and 36 commutations Clinton granted just hours before
President Bush took office have generated criticism from Republicans and
Democrats alike and prompted congressional and criminal investigations.

Until now, however, critics have mainly focused on the clemency Clinton
granted to fugitive financier Marc Rich, who was indicted in 1983 on
charges of tax evasion and making illegal oil deals with Iran.

Congressional committees have begun investigations and last week a U.S.
attorney in New York opened up a criminal investigation into the Rich
pardon to determine if donations by Rich's former wife contributed to the
pardon.

Clinton has denied any wrongdoing, saying all the clemency decisions were
made on the merits.

In the Vignali matter, numerous political figures lobbied to commute his
drug sentence, including a Roman Catholic cardinal, a sheriff and community
leaders.

The outpouring of support and the fact that Vignali was a first time drug
offender who got a long sentence were the key factors in the commutation,
the source close to Clinton said.

White House officials were told by a federal prosecutor in California that
the Vignali family would be helpful in rehabilitating him and keeping him
from getting in trouble again if his prison sentence was ended, the source
said.

The source close to Clinton said the White House asked the Justice
Department to conduct a criminal background check on Braswell, did not know
of the ongoing inquiry and was told the check found nothing negative.

Clinton decided to pardon Braswell because his wrongdoing was nearly two
decades old and there was no indication of problems since, the source said.

Federal prosecutors are investigating Braswell in connection with "a
massive tax evasion and money-laundering scheme," according to court
documents filed in 1999 in Los Angeles -- allegations the White House said
it was unaware of.

Braswell, 57, was convicted for fraud and other crimes stemming from false
claims in 1983 about the effectiveness of a treatment for baldness. He was
sentenced to three years in federal prison followed by five years' probation.

After the pardon was announced, some federal officials worried that Clinton
might have pardoned Braswell for any criminal charges that could arise from
the current investigation.

The former president's office has said no one at the White House who
reviewed the matter had any intention of the pardon covering anything other
than the infraction from years ago.

Braswell's pardon application was made at the last minute and was among
about two dozen that bypassed the traditional route through the Justice
Department and the FBI.

The Florida Republican Party and the George W. Bush presidential campaign
last fall returned $175,000 in contributions from Braswell after learning
he was a convicted felon.

Vignali walked out of prison Jan. 20 after serving six years of a 15-year
sentence for participating in a major cocaine ring.

He is the son of Horacio Vignali, a wealthy Los Angeles political
contributor. But the former president said he was disturbed generally over
lengthy sentences for first-time drug offenders and that "I felt that they
had served long enough."

White House officials said Vignali's commutation received support from U.S.
Attorney Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Roman Catholic Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and
a California sheriff. Also writing letters in support were Assembly Speaker
Bob Hertzberg, county Supervisor Gloria Molina, former Rep. Esteban Torres
and state Sen. Richard Polanco.

But federal prosecutors in Minneapolis, where Vignali was convicted, said
they wrote the Justice Department strongly opposing commutation.

Vignali was a first-time offender when he was convicted in 1995. But
prosecutors in Minnesota, as well as the sentencing judge there, defended
his 15-year prison term and described Vignali as having a central role in
the drug conspiracy.