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Thursday, May 26, 2005 1:38 p.m. EDT
Prosecutors: Rosen Failed to Report Gifts
In their closing arguments yesterday before the case against Hillary Clinton's fundraiser David Rosen headed to the jury, prosecutors charged that Rosen had accepted lavish, secret gifts that were "clearly meant to buy influence and access."
Justice Department lawyer Daniel Schwager told the Los Angeles jury that Aaron Tonken, who helped organize an Aug. 12, 2000 fundraiser that's at the center of Rosen's trial, plied Rosen with luxury hotel rooms and the use of a fancy car in a bid to gain access to the Clintons.
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Among the favors Rosen accepted:
A $10,000 stay in the Beverly Hills Hotel, which Schwager called "one of the swankiest hotels in L.A."
The use of Tonken's $80,000 Porsche 911 convertible.
A $3,500 stay in another posh L.A. hotel, L'Ermitage.
Rosen insisted on Tuesday that he paid for the last item out of his own $105,000 salary. But prosecutors say that Rosen failed to report all of the gifts to the Federal Election Commission as required by law.
Schwager told the jury that Rosen knew Tonken was getting invitations to the White House, and considered the favors a quid pro quo.
Rosen, however, insisted that wasn't true, noting that someone else had arrange Tonken's visits with then-President and Mrs. Clinton.
As evidence that Rosen considered the gifts nothing more than a friendly gesture, the Clinton finance chairman told the jury that he had rebuffed "many crazy requests" from Tonken.
The jury is set to weigh two counts of election fraud against Rosen. U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz dismissed a third count on Wednesday.
If convicted, the one-time top Clinton aide faces 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
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