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Bush Adviser's Tie to BCCI

Deputy campaign manager works for the bank's major owners



an article reposted without permission, written by the  Associated Press

as it appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on Feb. 28, 1992, Page: A14

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Washington



President Bush's new deputy campaign manager has earned more than $200,000 for 

his firm by providing public relations services for the principal owners of 

the scandal-ridden Bank of Credit and Commerce International.  The Center for 

Public Integrity, a nonprofit group that researches public officials and 

ethics issues, said yesterday that James Lake's work simultaneously for the

campaign and for the main owner of a bank prosecuted by the Bush

administration is a conflict of interest, although legal.  "For a president

who claims he's concerned with ethics and who says he's going to get to the

bottom of the BCCI scandal, it is preposterous for him to have a top-level

campaign adviser representing a majority investor in the bank," said Chuck

Lewis, the center's executive director. "There's simply no good explanation

for it." Lake and the Bush campaign, however, deny that any conflict exists,

saying they have consulted with the White House and taken all steps to avoid

even the appearance of a conflict.  According to documents Lake filed with the

Justice Department, he and his consulting firm were paid $201,375 last fall by

the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.  Family Owns Much of BCCI



The authority is owned by the Al Nahayan family, which rules over the Persian 

Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi and owns 77 percent of BCCI along with other Abu

Dhabi investors.  BCCI, accused of laundering drug money, aiding arms

traffickers and secretly buying three U.S. banks, recently forfeited its

entire $550 million in U.S. assets to settle criminal racketeering charges.

Lake has been working as a senior communications adviser to Bush's campaign.

He was promoted yesterday to deputy campaign manager for surrogates, advance

and scheduling. He is not being paid by the campaign.  Lake said he continues

to advise the Abu Dhabi company on communicating with U.S. news media in the

BCCI scandal. He said he has taken precautions to avoid conflicts, including

avoiding any lobbying for the Abu Dhabi group.  "They have not asked nor have

I given them any advice on dealing with this government, only advice in 

dealing with the media," Lake said. "I have not and do not intend to discuss 

this client's business in any way with the campaign." Suggestion of Fraud



Abu Dhabi, and the Al Nahayan family have not been directly implicated in the 

international bank's alleged wrongdoing. But BCCI's former auditor has 

suggested that members of the family participated in fraudulent activities, a 

charge the family denies.  U.S. and foreign investigators continue to probe 

BCCI, and seven grand juries are still at work in the United States alone, 

prosecutors say.  Lake is the second Bush aide known to have a BCCI-related 

client. Last fall, former White House aide Ed Rogers canceled under pressure a 

$600,000 lawyer's contract to represent a central figure in the BCCI scandal.  

Rogers had just left as an assistant to then-chief of staff John Sununu when 

he got the contract to work for Sheik Kamal Adham, who the government said 

acted as a front man for BCCI's secret purchase of First American Bankshares 

Inc. of Washington.  The Center for Public Integrity released a study titled 

"Under the Influence," in which it identified more than 100 paid and unpaid 

advisers to the seven major presidential candidates and their outside 

interests.  It identifies Lake as one of 31 advisers who work as agents for 

foreign interests or for firms registered as foreign agents.  The group also 

said some of Washington's prominent consulting firms have or recently had 

officials advising rival campaigns. One lawyer, former Jimmy Carter aide 

Stuart Eizenstat, has been simultaneously advising the Clinton and Kerrey 

campaigns, it said.



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