Hotshot political fund-raiser David Rosen didn't hesitate when an old friend, visiting Chicago, called to invite him to a pricey meal at Morton's steakhouse.The Clintons and "hot" campaign cash. Gosh, what a shock! At least the Chinese government wasn't in on this one.
What Rosen didn't know was that his buddy, Democratic Party operative Ray Reggie of New Orleans, was working with FBI agents to record secretly the entire conversation, a tape that is expected to be key evidence as one of the hottest political trials of the year begins Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
A partial transcript of the Sept. 4, 2002, tape obtained by The Times-Picayune captures a conversation rife with gossip about the seamy side of political life, including the sex, drugs and prostitutes enjoyed by big-name Democratic stalwarts. But in due course Reggie deftly steers the conversation toward the feds' main interest: an August 2000 Hollywood fund-raiser for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton that is at the center of Rosen's alleged crimes.
In a detailed discussion of the event, Rosen acknowledges that the gala probably cost far more to produce than he reported on federal campaign forms, a criminal offense and the central question at issue in the case.
Then there's the steamy stuff:
Reggie first met Rosen when he signed on as a fund-raiser and media strategist for Hillary Clinton's Senate bid. Rosen was Clinton's national finance director, and Reggie, with his ties to the Kennedy family, was a powerhouse fund-raiser for the Clintons in Louisiana. After their months spent together separating wealthy Democrats from their hard-earned cash, Rosen was likely not surprised that Reggie would call to catch up with him during a stop in Chicago.Party hearty, dude! I expect ole Bubba had good reasons why he never released his medical records.
During their chat, the familiarity between the two is clear as they trade war stories and exchange gossip about the rich, powerful and politically connected.
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The chitchat ranges from speculation that a wealthy Clinton donor was using cocaine to lusty remarks by Rosen about the donor's young daughter. Rosen does not hesitate to disparage President Clinton, noting that he began calling regularly -- once a week -- after Rosen went to work for Hillary Clinton. "Go screw yourself , Mr. President," Rosen says, pretending to pick up one such call.
The salaciousness reaches its pinnacle with Rosen's rambling anecdote about a fat cat Clinton donor who said after a night of partying that he sent prostitutes to the hotel rooms of two top Clinton loyalists.
"So the next day, (one of the loyalists) calls (the donor) from the golf course with Clinton," Rosen told Reggie. "Clinton gets on the phone, he goes, I just wanna tell you something. . . . The day I'm outta office, I'm going out with you."
