WASHINGTON (CNN AllPolitics, March 9) -- The FBI last year warned six members of Congress that they had been targeted by China to receive illegal campaign contributions funneled through international corporations, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Citing unidentified U.S. officials, the newspaper said the six lawmakers, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), were alerted in individual classified briefings based on what the officials called "specific and credible" intelligence information.

The FBI briefing materials, the Post reported, included this statement: "We have reason to believe that the government of China may try to make contributions to members of Congress through Asian donors."

The identities of the other congressional members warned by the FBI could not be immediately confirmed by the paper. The paper also said it was unable to learn how much money Beijing was attempting to funnel into the campaigns.

Bill Chandler, Feinstein's press secretary, told CNN that she received an FBI briefing on the matter on June 14, 1996. He stressed that Feinstein, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, had had no contact with Chinese officials regarding campaign contributions before or after the FBI meeting.

Chandler said the FBI meeting lasted about 10 minutes at her Washington office. He declined further comment.

On Friday, Feinstein returned $12,000 in campaign contributions from individuals connected to the Lippo Group, an Indonesian banking and real estate conglomerate with Beijing ties involved in questionable contributions to the Democratic Party.

Unclear whether money reached lawmakers

According to the Post's sources, a Justice Department task force created late last year to investigate fund-raising activities during the 1996 campaign has found no evidence that Feinstein or any other member of Congress knowingly received illegal payments from the Beijing government.

But, the sources said, investigators have obtained "conclusive evidence" that Chinese government funds were funneled into the United States last year, although it remains uncertain whether any of the money ended up in congressional or presidential campaign coffers. Such contributions would violate federal law barring international individuals, corporations and governments from donating to U.S. political campaigns.

"There is no question that money was laundered," one source told the paper. The newspaper said it was unable to learn who received the Chinese government funds or how much has been traced by government investigators.

Evidence of Chinese efforts to influence congressional races was first discovered by U.S. intelligence agencies in the spring of 1995, the officials said, as Congress prepared to vote on renewal of China's most-favored-nation status, a U.S. government designation providing substantial trade benefits.

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy has categorically denied allegations that Beijing attempted to influence U.S. elections.