Dole Campaign Press Release - Former CIA Director Woolsey Questions Clinton Ties to Loutchansky

President Clinton's former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey issued the following statement today about the Democratic National Committee's 1993 invitation to Grigory Loutchansky to dine with President Clinton. Time magazine has said that Loutchansky is "considered by many to be the most pernicious unindicted criminal in the world."

"At a Congressional hearing in April, the current Director of Central Intelligence, John Deutch, identified Grigory Loutchansky's company, Nordex, as an 'organization associated with Russian criminal activity,' Mr. Deutch then refused to discuss the company any further in open session to avoid disclosing sensitive information.

"While respecting similar restrictions on the disclosure of confidential information, I can add this: John Deutch was right in April of this year and the same is true at the end of my tenure in 1995. Next to Loutchansky, the Lippo syndicate looks like the Better Business Bureau.

"At bare minimum, any DNC invitation to Loutchansky in 1995 would show a severe lack of scrutiny and appalling bad judgment. It would be unwise in the extreme for there to be any ties between the U.S. government and Loutchansky or Loutchansky's company, Nordex."

Woolsey is currently a Partner at Shea & Gardner, a Washington, D.C. law firm. He served as Director of Central Intelligence under President Clinton from 1993 to 1995. He also served as Ambassador and U. S. Representative to the Negotiation on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) from 1989 to 1991 and as Under Secretary of the Navy in the Carter administration. Prior to that, he served as General Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services.