Party Leaders’ Possible Conflict of Interest Cited

WASHINGTON —  A public interest group criticized past and current chairmen of the Democratic and Republican parties Wednesday, charging that they have had potential conflicts of interest.

The Center for Public Integrity report singled out current Democratic Party chief Ronald H. Brown for soliciting government business for his law firm while he has run the party.

“Of all the elected chairmen since 1977, none has simultaneously worn more hats nor raised more questions about potential conflicts of interest than the current chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Ronald Brown,” the report said.

“He has solicited government business for both his law firm and the company he heads,” including traveling to Japan on law firm business, the study said.

Brown said he has done no outside client work since he took over as chairman in 1989. He declined to comment further on the report, saying he had not seen it.

Like his Republican counterpart, Richard N. Bond, and about half of the party leaders since 1977, Brown has represented foreign clients.

The report by the center--a nonprofit group that monitors public ethics--portrayed party chairmen as powerful non-government political leaders with unusual access to the inner circles of government.

The center said that while no laws were violated, many party chiefs have had outside business, lobbying or legal interests that could present appearances of conflicts of interest--despite party charters that said their job is a full-time endeavor.

The center recommended that both Democrats and Republicans have clear rules on conflicts of interest to avoid appearances that officials are doing both party and private business simultaneously.