AS further details of Democratic fundraising emerge, the Attorney General has again turned down Republican requests to appoint a special counsel to investigate allegations of abuse by President Clinton and aides.
This is Ms Janet Reno's fourth refusal to yield to Republican demands for a criminal investigation into the role of the President, the Vice-President Al Gore and senior aides in fundraising which opponents claim broke the law.
Ms Reno's Justice Department is conducting its own investigation, but the Republicans want an independent counsel or prosecutor to be appointed.
Ms Reno said that there was not sufficient evidence so far to warrant appointing an independent counsel, but she would do so if such evidence turned up in the future.
The Republican leadership reacted angrily. The Speaker, Mr Newt Gingrich, said her reluctance raised questions about "whether she is the protector of the President or the enforcer of the law". The Senate majority leader, Mr Trent Lott, called her decision "inexcusable".
Her decision came amid further revelations of fundraising practices by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and its close co-ordination with the White House on giving big donors privileged access to the President and his senior aides.
The DNC files which have been subpoenaed by Congressional committees show that big donors were expected to be appointed ambassadors or senior officials in the Clinton Administration in return for their contributions.
The New York Times has highlighted the attendance of Ms Nancy Soderberg at a fundraising dinner while she was deputy director of the National Security Council at the White House. Ms Soderberg also played a prominent role with her boss, Mr Tony Lake, in the White House efforts to secure an IRA ceasefire and help the Northern Ireland peace process.
Mr Lake withdrew his nomination as director of the Central Intelligence Agency following criticism at his Senate hearing.