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Anatomy of a Political Payoff

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Anatomy of a Political Payoff fz. 4/17 Jack Anderson's Washington Merry-go-round Anatomy of a political payoff sideration. One who turned up in Costa Herring reported that Lee delivered the WASHINGTON — The anatomy of a portfolio to Carter's trusted friend and political payoff, Robert Vesco-style, has Rica was Spencer Lee IV, a close friend of Hamilton Jordan who had master- unofficial adviser, Charles Kirbo. Lee undergone considerable sophistication confirmed that he and Herring had met since the Watergate era. minded Jimmy Carter's successful with Kirbo but said Kirbo had refused to In 1972, the corporate freebooter presidential campaign. Lee was brought to Costa Rica by R. become involved. Kirbo said he had no delivered $200,000 to the Richard Nixon recollection of the meeting. campaign chest in an attempt to fix his L. Herring, a wheeler-dealer, who had made the original contact with Vesco. Lee attended the inaugural festivities case before the Securities and Exchange in Washington on Jan. 20, 1977. Ac- Commission (SEC). According to Herring's sworn account, he discussed with Lee how much they cording to a telephone log authenticated By today's standards, it was a gross by the secretary who kept it, he left a transaction. The cash — $100 bills bound should soak Vesco for pulling the right in brown paper wrappers — was stuffed strings in Washington. "Spencer said, message that day for Herring. Lee 'Would $10 million be unreasonable?' I reported that he had "talked to Hamil- into an old leather briefcase. Two ton and everything is fine." couriers picked up the briefcase in said 'I don't know.' I mentioned this to Robert (Vesco)," recounted Herring. A week after the inauguration, Lee Vesco's New Jersey office, flew to was in Nassau setting up a corporation. Washington in a chartered plane and Vesco refused to make a cash offer- plunked the leather bag on the desk of ing, citing his unhappy Watergate ex- He was accompanied by Herring's at- torney, Fred Bartlett. They named the Nixon's chief fund-raiser, Maurice perience. But he laid out a complex Stans. financial shell game that he promised corporation Southern Ventures Limited, would net the Georgians the $10 million the same code name they had used in in- "Mr. Stans, here is your currency," ternal memos to identify the Vesco one courier said tersely. He opened the they wanted. He spelled out the ela- borate details at a meeting with Herring caper. briefcase, tilted it toward Stans to Herring identified Southern Ventures reveal the stacks of $100 bills and asked and Lee at his luxurious Costa Rican in his sworn account as "the company if he wished to verify the $200,000. retreat on the eve of Carter's inaug- "No," said Stans, "that won't be uration. that would launder the money." Another necessary." No receipt was asked; no The fugitive financier produced a member of the Georgia group, Norman receipt was given. .The cash was later thick portfolio of his holdings — "the Gay, stated in an affidavit that Lee had used to help finance the Watergate whole complex of companies, 70 to 80 told him about "going to the Bahamas to burglary. • companies that had been set up," recall- set up a corporation or corporations for Vesco later sent Nixon another $50,000 ed Herring." The flagship of this cor- the purpose of bringing some of Vesco's check which, unlike the cash, was pro- porate fleet is Property Resources money back into this country." perly recorded. Vesco told us he also Limited, a cash-rich Bahamas-based Not long afterward, a move by the laundered another $250,000 through a company known in financial circles U.S. embassy in Costa Rica to extradite Nassau gambling casino and handed the simply as PRL. Vesco was aborted. The Justice Depart- cash to a White House courier. There is Vesco showed the Georgians how, ment suddenly abandoned its efforts to no mention in all the Watergate annals through a series of paper transactions, bring Vesco back to the United States to of this mysterious payment. they would wind up owning a huge block stand trial. On the same afternoon that the of PRL stock for a mere fraction of its Thereafter, Vesco began the machi- $200,000 down payment was deposited on value. The Georgians' share had a paper nations that transferred the PRL stock Stans' desk, a Vesco aide called upon value of $12 million and an anticipated to the Georgians. They have not been former Attorney General John Mitchell cash value of $10 million. able, however, to cash in the stock. Our who picked up a telephone and arranged "It was briefly discussed," attested sources say Vesco holds the key to this an immediate appointment for the aide Herring, "me handling it for 10 percent final transaction and won't turn it until to sit down with then-SEC Chairman Bill and the Carter people getting the rest of his legal problems have been settled. Casey. This was followed by other meet- it...I was going to get $1 Footnote: Lee emphatically denied ings, which failed to resolve Vesco's million . and Spencer was told he that he had asked Hamilton Jordan or SEC troubles. The disappointed Vesco would have $9 million to distribute." Charles Kirbo to fix Vesco's legal pro- felt obliged to skip the country. The two elated Georgians returned blems. Attorney General Griffin Bell Four years later, he was approached borne with Vesco's financial portfolio in told us that an internal decision had in Costa Rica by a group of Georgians a fat brown folder and with a detailed been made to drop the extradition at- who offered to fix his problems in Wash- memo from Vesco spelling out what he tempts against Vesco, free of outside ington for an appropriate financial con- wanted in return for the $10 million deal. pressure. THE WASHINGTON POST Thursday, September 14, 1978 N1d.13 Jack Anderson The Approach to Vesco in Costa Rica The anatomy of a political payoff, had masterminded Jimmy Carter's suc- home with Vesco's financial portfolio in Robert Vesco style, has undergone con- cessful 1976 presidential campaign. a fat brown folder and with a detailed siderable sophistication since the Lee was taken to Costa Rica by R.L. memo from Vesco spelling gut what he Watergate era. Herring, a wheeler-dealer, who had wanted in return for the $10 million In 1972, the corporate freebooter de- made the original contact with Vesco. deal. Herring reported that Lee deliv- : livered $200,000 to the Richard M. Nixon According to Herring's sworn account, ered the portfolio to Carter's trusted campaign chest in an apparent attempt he discussed with Lee how much they friend and unofficial adviser, Charles to influence his case before the Securi- should soak Vesco for pulling the right Kirbo. Lee confirmed that he and Her-,: ties and Exchange Commission. strings in Washington. "Spencer said, ring had met with Kirbo but said Kirbd By today's standards, it was a gross 'Would $10 million be unreasonable?' I had refused to _become involved. Kirbo transaction. The cash—$100 bills bound said, 'I don't know.' I mentioned this to said he had no recollection of the meet- in brown paper wrappers—was stuffed Robert Piescol," recounted Herring. ing, but will accept Lee's version of it. into an old leather briefcase. Two cour- Vesco refused to make a cash offer- Lee attended the inaugural festivities iers picked up the briefcase in Vesco's ing, citing his unhappy Watergate ex- in Washington on Jan. 20, 1977. Accord- New Jersey office, flew to Washington perience.. But he laid out a complex fi- ing to,a telephone log authenticated by in a chartered plane and plunked the nancial shell game that he promised the secretary who kept it, he left a mes- bag on the desk of Nixon's chief fund- would net the Georgians the $10 million sage that day for Herring. Lee reported raiser, Maurice Stans. they wanted. He spelled out the elaborate that he had "talked to Hamilton and "Mr. Stans, here is your currency," details at a meeting with Herring and Lee everything is fine." one courier said tersely. He opened the at his luxurious Costa Rican retreat on A week after the inauguration, Lee briefcase, tilted it toward • Stans to the eve of Carter's inauguration. was in Nassau setting up a corporation. reveal the stacks of $100 bills and asked The fugitive financier produced a He was accompanied by Herring's attor- if he wished to verify the $200,000. thick portfolio of his holdings— "the ney, Fred Bartlett. They named the cor- "No," said Stans, "that won't be neces- whole complex of companies, 70 to 80 poration Southern Ventures Ltd.. the sary." No receipt was asked; no receipt companies that had been set up," re- same code name they had used in inter- . was given. called Herring. The flagship of this cor- nal memos to identify the Vesco matter. On the same afternoon that the $200,- porate fleet is Property Resources Ltd., 000 down payment was deposited on a cash-rich Bahamas-based company Herring identified Southern Ventures Stans' desk, a Vesco aide called upon known in financial circles simply as in his sworn account as "the company former attorney general John Mitchell PRL. that would launder the money." An- .• who picked up a telephone and arran- Vesco showed the Georgians how, other Georgian. Norman Gay, stated in ged an immediate appointment for the through a series of paper transactions, an affidavit that Lee had told him about aide to sit down with then-SEC Chair- they would wind up owning a huge "going to the Bahamas to set up a corpo- man Bill Casey.
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