On an October afternoon in 2004, Ray Jinnah stood beside his Bel Air swimming pool to address 60 guests gathered for his latest fundraiser for New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. A beaming Clinton warmly thanked him. At about the same time, the Justice Department began investigating allegations that Jinnah’s fundraising was illegal. Today, having fled the country, Jinnah is on the FBI’s “featured fugitives” list. Jinnah’s story offers a window into the world of modern political fundraising, where candidates are so hungry for cash that they ask few questions about those who raise it. Even as Jinnah built a gilded political Rolodex, he was facing corruption charges in Pakistan and accusations in the US that he was a tax deadbeat, who had engaged in bankruptcy fraud. Business records show he engineered deals that often hinged on money transfers from Pakistan or London, then stiffed partners and employees while pouring funds into campaigns and an ostentatious lifestyle. Yet in Jinnah, top Democrats thought they had a point man to tap the growing, increasingly affluent Pakistani- American community. And Jinnah found a way to cloak himself in legitimacy. He used his Clinton ties as a self-marketing tool. Born in Pakistan, Abdul Rehman Jinnah (56), shared a last name but no family ties, with Pakistan’s founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He migrated to California, buying a house in Los Angeles’ Northridge area. His business ventures ranged from prospective theme parks to frozen yogurt to cellphones. He obtained a green card and saw his older son Rizwan (now 31), join a prestigious law firm. His younger son Ahmed (27), graduated from the University of California, and went into business with his father. Yet Jinnah’s financial practices raised troubling questions. He often made big promises, then failed to deliver. Yet even as Jinnah’s debts piled up and the Internal Revenue Service hounded him for payroll taxes, he and his family lived opulently, putting US$ 130,000 down on a million-dollar villa in Dubai. He had a chauffeur-driven Mercedes, and his sons drove Bentleys and Mercedes AMGs. Jinnah became known equally for his explosive temper—once beaning an underling with a gavel he kept on his desk—and his questionable business acumen. A grand jury indicted Jinnah on May 18, 2006. Shortly thereafter, Jinnah fled. He told friends he was going to Pakistan to wrap up a major land deal. With 2008 presidential fundraising likely to rank as the most aggressive ever, Jinnah’s fast climb and faster fall are a cautionary tale.-Chuck Neubauer & Robin Field
