"Do you recall posing for this picture?"
"I don't recall posing."
"Well . . ."
"This would be the time that we were at his office, but I don't recall specifically taking, getting a picture taken. I'm sure we did have our picture taken. We had our pictures taken with just about everybody we met with in Los Angeles or anyplace else during the campaign trail."
"Do you recall any of the circumstances through which this picture took place?"
"After our meeting, it was about a half-hour meeting, we did get a tour of his office. I don't recall whether or not he actually printed the newspapers there or whether it was a corporate office. Several of his associates or people, plant managers were introduced to us and I think at least one other gentleman, one of his associates was in on the meeting."
Locke was shown an English translation of the story written in Chinese. It read: "Gubernatorial candidate Mr. Gary Locke and his wife made a visit to the International Daily on the morning of 1 July 1996 to see an old friend, Mr. Ted Sioeng, the general manager, and renew past friendships."
Locke didn't know why Sioeng had written that. "Self-promotion" maybe, he offered.
SIOENG, AN INDONESIAN-BORN businessman, has now fled the US. He is a key figure in the federal probe and, along with associates and relatives, has been linked to illegal foreign contributions possibly funneled through John Huang.
Did any of Sioeng's family assist in his campaign, Locke was asked.
"Not that I know of."
"Did you attend . . . "
"They," Locke interrupted, "may have contributed, I don't know."
Bopp then read a letter sent in May on Locke's behalf by 1996 campaign consultant Blair Butterworth to committee chair Burton, noting Sioeng's family and associates did contribute. Butterworth said Ridwan Dinata, Sundari Elnitiarta, Kent La, and Glenville Stuart gave money during the last week of July 1996 but their donations "were not associated with [given during] any event involving Governor Locke."
"To our recollection, that's correct," said Locke.
La is Sioeng's business associate, who has obtained immunity from the House committee. Stuart works in an LA liquor store. Dinata and Elnitiarta are Sioeng's relatives. They and a woman named Slyvana Djojomartono, a manager at Sioeng's LA hotel, gave Locke's campaign $5,400, collected and sent in by Locke's California fund raiser, David Lang. Locke recently returned $1,100 of it after being informed by committee probers that at least that much was probably laundered.
Last month, the Burton committee gave Locke a thumbs-up. He never "knowingly accepted illegal donations," according to committee spokesman Will Dwyer. That ended another in a series of five past or current probes of Locke's campaign finances—most relating to out-of-state fund raising. At least one IRS investigation continues, dating back to Locke's earlier political campaigns for state legislator and King County executive.
The governor whom one aide calls a "Boy Scout" is not happy. He recently told a Seattle Times reporter, "I'm not about to go around asking every single person who contributes . . . 'Are you a US citizen?' . . . 'Was this check reimbursed?'"
But that might be simpler.
