WASHINGTON – As the trial of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s former chief fund-raiser opened yesterday, it was revealed that one of her closest aides – always by her side when she ran for Senate – could be a key player in the case.
She’s Kelly Craighead, who was Clinton’s ever-present travel director and close pal – so close that the former first lady performed the 2001 civil ceremony when Craighead wed Erick Mullen, a former aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Craighead’s name surfaced as jury selection began in the federal trial in Los Angeles of Clinton’s ex-finance director, David Rosen, who is charged with illegally under-reporting the costs of an Aug. 12, 2000 Hollywood gala.
The proposed jury questionnaire lists Craighead and other key players – including longtime Clinton loyalist Harold Ickes – to prevent conflicts of interest by checking if jurors know any of them.
The list also includes Sen. Ted Kennedy’s brother-in-law, Ray Reggie, who wore a wire to tape Rosen discussing costs of the Clinton gala.
The Clinton camp – the senator’s office and lawyer David Kendall – declined comment on why Craighead would be listed as a key player or whether she is likely to be called as a witness. Federal prosecutors say Clinton isn’t a target, but her critics are watching for revelations that could embarrass her as she eyes a 2008 White House bid and runs for re-election next year.
Craighead, who previously worked for Clinton while she was first lady, and later at the senator’s political-action committee, Hillpac, couldn’t be reached for comment.
But Aaron Tonken, a convicted felon involved with the Hollywood gala, told The New York Sun in February that he gave pricey gifts, such as a $10,000 gold watch to Craighead and updated her on hanky-panky with the gala’s books.
Tonken – whose name is also on the jury questionnaire – said he gave Craighead a Hawaiian vacation and a Baume & Mercie gold watch worth $10,000 – and she kept the watch for a year and returned it only after an FBI inquiry, the report said.
Tonken also claimed that he regularly updated Craighead about unreported gala expenses and about FBI inquiries when he began cooperating with the feds about a month after the fund-raiser, it added.
About 60 jurors were given the questionnaire, which also underscores Clinton’s polarizing image. It asks, “Do you have such strong feelings one way or another about Hillary Clinton that would make it difficult for you to impartially consider this case?”
The advantage of underreporting the cost of the gala by hundreds of thousands of dollars is that it would have given Clinton’s campaign a lot more coveted “hard” money to spend.
Rosen faces up to 15 years in jail and $250,000 in fines. Clinton has said she is standing by him and expects him to be cleared. With Post Wire Services