Fla. Man Linked To Campaign Fraud

Miami businessman Mark B. Jimenez was charged today with 17 counts of making illegal contributions to President Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign and the campaigns of other Democrats.

The indictment was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, charging him with using straw donors to make contributions to the candidates.

The 52-year-old businessman, who is CEO of Future Tech International in Miami, becomes the 12th person charged by the Justice Department campaign finance task force.

"We are not letting up," Attorney General Janet Reno said in announcing the indictment.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Jimenez and his attorney,Abby Lowell, has been notified.

The grand jury indictment charged that donors who made contributions to Clinton and the other candidates were then reimbursed, ultimately by Jimenez. The straw donors were employees of FTI and of Mark Vision Computer, a Miami-based company owned by a close relative of Jimenez, the grand jury said.

Initially, the employees were paid for their contributions through the FTI and MVC payrolls and later reimbursed from Jimenez' personal funds, the government charged.

The grand jury charged that the straw contributions to the Clinton campaign totaled $23,000 and were made in connection with a Sept. 19, 1995, fund-raiser at the Sheraton Bal Harbour in Miami.

Among the other Democrats who got uch contributions were Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., and Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio.