U.S. Moves to Halt Rodham Nut Deal

The White House is trying again to squelch a hazelnut deal in the former Soviet republic of Georgia that involves First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s brothers and is championed by a Georgian opposition leader. Prompted by concerns that the involvement of President Clinton’s brothers-in-law, Tony and Hugh Rodham, was being mistaken as U.S. support for opposition leader Aslan Abashidze, a U.S. official told Georgia last week that Washington does not back the nut venture, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Jim Fallin said. “We have communicated with the Georgian government through their embassy and made it very clear that the business deal is not supported by the U.S. government and it should not be construed as such, and we have asked the Rodhams to not go forward with the deal,” Fallin said.