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The Clinton Chronicles Video
By Fred Clarkson
Citizens for Honest Government, producer of The Clinton Chronicles video,
is a project of Creative Ministries Inc., a Westminster, Calif., nonprofit.
Creative Ministries spawned Pat Matrisciana's production company, Jeremiah
Films, which made The Clinton Chronicles, as well as videos that attack
Mormons, gays, and environmentalists. The company also makes apocalyptic
videos such as "Earths Two-Minute Warning," which examines "Bible-predicted
signs of the end times." Matrisciana also distributes a film that "proves" UFOs
are real. However, these aliens are not from outer space. They have been
sent by Satan as part of "a worldwide enterprise of subliminal production."
While videos about the end of the world and UFOs may seem to be an unlikely
addition to Matrisciana's arsenal of political propaganda videos, this
supernatural conspiracy involves Clinton. Many premillenialist evangelicals
believe that a final showdown with the forces of Satan is at hand, embodied
in the activities of Clinton and his inner circle.
The video (and a book version) implicate Clinton in cocaine sniffing,
drug smuggling, money laundering, murder (of Vince Foster) and sexual harassment
(of Paula Jones). This video stew of allegations seeks to convince conservative
Christians that Clinton is a satanically inspired rascal who is capable
of anything. The film's biggest public booster has been the Rev. Jerry
Falwell, who hawked the film on his nationally broadcast television program,
The Old Time Gospel Hour. Reportedly, 150,000 copies of the video have
been sold.
An article by investigative reporter Murray Waas in the Web zine Salon
disclosed internal Citizens For Honest Government financial documents showing
that the group paid at least $200,000 to various "expert witnesses" who
are featured in The Clinton Chronicles. These "experts" fed information
to independent counsel Kenneth Starr, and helped launch investigations
by congressional committees and federal agencies. The American Spectator and The
Wall Street Journal have both relied on "witnesses" paid
by Citizens For Honest Governments as sources for stories.
Where Citizens for Honest Government gets its funding is unknown. Waas
reports that Matrisciana and Scaife-sponsored reporter Christopher Ruddy
share a bank account. As of September 1997, it contained more than $3 million.
He also writes that "modest payments" have been made from that
account to "critics of the president." It is not clear, however,
who was the original source of the funds. Matrisciana told Waas that neither
Citizens for Honest Government nor he received any funds from Scaife. Previous | TOC | Print | Next |
