Federal Express and its chairman contributed $525,000 to Democratic campaigns last year at a time the company was seeking administration help in removing Japanese trade barriers.
Frederick W. Smith acknowledged making the contributions but said they had nothing to do with an Oval Office meeting on Aug. 23, 1996, with President Clinton seeking sanctions against Japan."There is absolutely no connection between fund raising and a meeting with the president or any Federal Express issues," the chairman told The Washington Post in Thursday's editions.
But he said it would be unwise for any company with $13 billion in annual revenues not to make such contributions when asked to do so by leading political figures.
However, an attorney for Federal Express said no such requests were made by officials in the administration.
After supporting Republican George Bush's re-election in 1992, Smith and his company gave $400,000 to GOP groups in 1995 and 1994.
"Sure, you're darn right, you better be responsive," Smith told the Post.
He told the newspaper that he requested the Aug. 23 meeting with Clinton to point out the administration's "lily-livered" failure to stand up to Japan's refusal to allow Federal Express to deliver cargo from Japan to China and other lucrative markets.