ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 4, 1997 TAG: 9703040097
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
A confidential memorandum released Monday indicates that first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton embraced an ambitious White House plan to help re-elect her husband by merging White House and Democratic National Committee computer databases for ``political purposes.''
The 1994 memo, written by an administration official who was assigned to develop a massive computer system, recommends deploying White House personnel to work with political operatives to utilize high-powered technology for the 1996 presidential campaign.
``I suggest that instead of continuing with an old outdated system that does not meet our current demands, let my team work with the DNC to help them design a system that will meet our needs and technical specifications,'' aide Marsha Scott wrote on White House stationery.
The first lady, in a notation scrawled on top of the letter, responded: ``This sounds promising. Please advise. HRC.''
The memo appears to confirm earlier accounts that the first lady personally directed Scott to oversee building a computer system with federal funds that was used to keep tabs on as many as 350,000 people and help the Democrats solicit large donations for last year's presidential campaign. Federal law prohibits use of government property for political purposes.
To date, the critical role played by Hillary Clinton in helping to raise money and generate support for her husband's re-election has been largely overlooked. She served as hostess of four White House coffee receptions that were organized for supporters by the DNC and appeared frequently as the star attraction at party fund-raisers, records show.
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB