The victor was John Thune, a Republican businessman and onetime aide to former Senator Jim Abdnor.

Jim Johnson, a onetime aide to former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, made a similar point.

To further inoculate himself, he notes that he recently added Oscar James, a onetime aide (though no relation) to Mayor James, to his campaign staff.

"He gets things done," says a onetime aide.

The onetime aide said that after he discovered that the money had come from the South African military, he did not brief Chief Buthelezi.

He is a onetime aide to George McGovern, the former Senator from South Dakota.

If Mr. Brown should win, a onetime aide said, "It's easy; you go."

In Zimbabwe, the plane had been met by Simon Mann, a British expatriate and onetime aide to senior British military leaders.

It could not be immediately learned whether any of the President's onetime aides or Vernon E. Jordan Jr., a close friend, helped in setting up the transaction.

"There is a sort of transformation within the party," argues Jabbour, a onetime aide to Hafez al-Assad.