David Geffen Angry Over Clinton Pardons

Perhaps you'll remember David Geffen and his descriptions of his former friends and White House residents - Bill and Hillary Clinton. Geffen has described Bill Clinton as a "reckless guy" and criticized Hillary's stand on the War on Terrorism when he asked Maureen Dowd "Is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton?" More pointedly, Geffen is supporting Barak Obama for the Democratic nomination in 2008. What's behind all these verbal attacks?

His personal attack on Hillary harkens back to then-President Bill Clinton's refusal to grant a pardon to an American Indian activist Geffen believes was falsely convicted of murder. DreamWorks co-chairman Geffen and Bill Clinton were once very close, and Geffen raised some $18 million for Clinton. He was even a guest in the infamous Lincoln Bedroom during the Clinton presidency. Then Geffen turned his back on the Slickster when Bill pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich in the last days of his Administration - after rebuffing Geffen's request for a pardon for Leonard Peltier.

Hollywood sources at first said that Geffen took the betrayal in stride, but went ballistic when he learned that Clinton had issued pardons to Rich and 139 other felons during his final days in office. Rich was indicted on tax evasion, commodities fraud, and other charges in 1983 - and fled to Switzerland. After Clinton pardoned him, a House committee probing Clinton's pardons sought testimony from Rich's ex-wife Denise. Although subpoenaed by the court, Denise Rich invoked the Fifth Amendment.