Philippines Extradites Computer Executive on Campaign -Finance Charges

On December 26, 2002, the Philippines Government extradited Mark Jimenez, a Filipino legislator, on charges that he made illegal campaign contributions and committed tax evasion, mail fraud, conspiracy and making false statements. Jimenez, 55, is a Filipino native born Mario Batacan Crespo. He fled the U.S. in 1998 shortly before a U.S. Department of Justice campaign-finance task force accused him of conspiracy to avoid U.S. election laws that forbid hard-money contributions from foreign nationals. According to the indictment, Jimenez helped funnel hundreds of thousands of illegal dollars into the re-election campaign treasures of President Clinton and Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Robert Torricelli of New Jersey through 23 employee straw donors. Jimenez established a computer parts export firm, Future Tech. At least seven employees donated $1,000 each to Clinton at a Miami fund-raise hosed by Jimenez. The indictment charges that Jimenez later gave the same employees a bonus. When Jimenez departed, he is alleged to have left millions of dollars in unpaid debts. In 1999, lawyers accused Jimenex of diverted more than $17 million from his business, which caused the business to declare bankruptcy. After arriving in the Philippines, Jimenez became friendly with an adviser to Filipino President Joseph Estrada’s forceful departure from office. The same year, Jimenez was elected to the Philippines’ House of Representatives.