Chinese-American leaders came to the defense of the embattled city comptroller, John

Chinese-American leaders came to the defense of the embattled city comptroller, John C. Liu, on Thursday, comparing the federal inquiry into his campaign fund-raising to what has been called a hazing campaign before the death of Pvt. Danny Chen.

With Mr. Liu present but unusually tight-lipped during a hastily convened news conference, the leaders suggested that Mr. Liu’s campaign fund-raising troubles were fanned by potent forces determined to prevent him from becoming mayor in 2013.

Referring to barriers faced by Asian-Americans, the leaders invoked Private Chen, a Chinatown native who apparently committed suicide in Afghanistan in October after being subjected to harsh treatment by fellow soldiers. Eight members of his battalion were charged Wednesday in connection with his death.

“Yesterday’s paper showed that Danny Chen suffered racism, bigotry and abuse,” said Virginia M. Kee, a founding member of the Chinese-American Planning Council. “I see another assassination. This is a character assassination. Worse than death, you lose your good name.”

The news conference was the first time some of Mr. Liu’s ardent backers had voiced their support in so public and unified a fashion, after months of what they said was nonstop negative publicity.

In October, an investigation by The New York Times highlighted irregularities in Mr. Liu’s fund-raising practices. Last month, federal authorities accused one of his top fund-raisers, Xing Xu Pan, of illegally recruiting so-called straw donors — people who were listed as having contributed to Mr. Liu when others were actually giving the money.

The inquiry appeared to widen this month, as agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation delivered subpoenas to some of Mr. Liu’s biggest donors, seeking a broad range of records and other information.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/nyregion/ny-chinese-american-leaders-come-to-comptrollers-defense.html?_r=1