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Is Fred biting the hands that feed him?
Thursday, August 7th 1997: Yesterday, against the backdrop of President Clinton's press conference lecture titled "Why I'm raising money at a record pace," Senator Fred Thompson decided to take what I might characterize as a very dangerous step -- He's taking my advice and issuing subpoenas to executives of American corporations noted for campaign finance "largesse." He issued 30 yesterday, and among the not-so-delighted recipients will be Carl Lindner - Mr. Chiquita Banana and a heavyweight political funder for both sides of the aisle.
To be honest, I didn't think Thompson would do it. But the thrust of the inquiry, and the possible unveiling of any government quid pro quos that big givers attract will tell us just how serious Thompson and his Senate colleagues are in their quest to find the "truth."
For all we know Thompson will assure the chiefs of some of America's biggest corporations that they'll have a free ride/kid-gloves treatment when it comes to their turn at bat. But, if Thompson is honest, he'll find all the smoking guns he needs right here in backyard America.
Thompson is taking a big personal risk. If rumors that he'd like to be considered presidential fodder are true, he's stepping on the biggest stones to get there. Embarrassing political financiers is not the best way to attract the $30 million he'll need to make a run at the Republican nomination by 1999. Added to this is the fact that American businessmen make the best and easiest targets for Justice Department investigations -- they're here and their files are easily reachable.
Another hurdle for Thompson is that these guys give to both sides. It will be tough for Senator Fred to find a mega-giver that doesn't "paper" both Republicans and Democrats. So both sides are beholden to the "targets."
Carl Lindner looking happy 
Let's take a look at Lindner. In my book he's just behind Dwayne Andreas -- Superbanker to the Congress-- as Head of the Class in campaign finance 101.
Lindner nearly smothers campaigns with money. His contributions in Cincinnati -- his home -- heavily favor Republicans, but in national arenas he gives generously to both sides. Depending on who you believe, since 1988, Lindner and his associates and companies may have given more than $1 million in soft money to the Democrats and nearly $2 million to the Republicans. Lindner, his family, and business associates also make donations directly to politicians. Among them: $106,000 to George Bush's presidential campaigns in 1988 and 1992; and more than $200 thousand to Senator Robert Dole since 1980. In a field of Dole patrones, Lindner ranks near the top.Lindner also provided Dole his private jet at least a dozen times prior to and during the presidential race last year.
You have to give credit to Mr. Lindner, he knows the system. The Lindners of Cincinnatti are prodigious givers and use the entire family to "make their point" in Congress. Favoring Republicans, the Lindners bought their way to Democrat approval through Carl near Christmas, 1993 when he gave the DNC $250,000 in soft money. Since then he's spread around a pile of money, perhaps as much as $1 million to every notable, and some not-so-notable candidates. Party affiliation is unimportant, except that Republicans now control the Congress.
In 1995/96 Carl, Richard and Robert Lindner gave $332,000 to Republicans in soft money. In 1995/6 the Lindners of Ohio gave more than 450 additional contributions - most of them in $1,000 increments from various family members working for various Lindner holdings.
The Lindners know the value of doubling up and tripling up on hard money contributions as well. Federal law prohibits giving congressional candidates more than a certain amount in the primary and general. ($2,000) One way to get around this is to have your wife, kids, grand kids -- and any other family members you can dig up -- make the max contributions. Here's the Lindner family tree -- from Federal Election Commission records -- which shows the Lindners, headed by Carl, know the value of "Wifey Wads" and "Kiddy Kash.":
In alphabetical order, the Ohio Lindners who gave mucho dinero are - Alan, Alan B., Betty, Betty J., Betty Johnston, Betty R., Carl, Carl H. Carl H III, Charlene, Charlene W., Courtney, Courtney O'Neal, Courtney O'Neil, Craig, David, Edith, Edith B., Edyth B., Frances, Frances R., Keith, Keith E., Martha, Martha S. Paul, Paula, Richard, Richard F., Robert D, Robert D.,Jr, Robert J. and last, but not least, S. Craig [Lindner]. All those Lindners -- all giving money toward the same goal.
But what was that goal? And will Thompson ask that question?
Who knows?
Some suggest that last year President Clinton and U.S. trade officials took up Lindner's case in the World Trade Organization, pushing Europe to buy more Chiquita bananas, and fewer from their own former colonies. It worked. But then why would Lindner give so heavily to Republicans? Your guess is as good as mine, but a Congressional investigation on Banana gate wouldn't be good now, would it?
Big Lindner Winner Senator Susan Collins 
One last thing. I looked at how the Lindners treated members of the Thompson Committee to get some indication of who owes who. The results? Well Thompson got $1,000 from Carl; John Glenn got $3,000 from Carl, Edyth and Frances; Susan Collins got a whopping $10,000 from S. Craig, Robert, Martha, Keith, Frances, Edith, Courtney, Carl, Carl H. and Betty; Senator Brownback also got $10,000 from exactly the same Lindners, Thad Cochran got a $1,000 and Bob Smith ran away with $5,000 in Lindner family rewards.
Not a majority Carl, but not bad.
Glenn, a Democrat, got his $3,000 because he happens to be a Senator from Lindner's home state. But the other five committee members were all Republicans.
The Lindners sort of stiffed the rest, but remember, they gave mightily to the Senatorial Campaign Committees of the RNC and gave the DNC plenty as well.
Oh, by the way, recent media focus on big givers ain't exactly stopping the Lindners in their tracks. Already, this year, Carl has given $50,000 to the Republican State Elections Committee and Robert Lindner pumped $10,000 into the Republican Senatorial Committee.
As they say on Capitol Hill, "Money talks." But will Lindner, come the Fall when he's up there on the firing line?
© 1998, 1997, American Politics Journal Publications Inc.