Ali Says He Made ‘Imposter’ Calls

Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali suddenly has taken responsibility for a flurry of recent phone calls to politicians and journalists, after reports that an “Ali telephone imposter” had made the calls.

“I’ve been making the calls,” Ali said at a news conference on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday.

The Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution had reported last week that Ali told sports columnist David Kindred that he was not responsible for the phone calls, which the newspaper said were aimed at promoting projects for personal gain.

At his Washington news conference, Ali acknowledged that he had told the Atlanta newspaper that he did not make the phone calls, adding that he made the denial in order to escape questioning by Kindred, who “kept following me around.”

The Atlanta newspaper reported that an “Ali voice” this year had called at least 6 U.S. senators, 2 administrative assistants, 10 press secretaries, 9 journalists, 14 senatorial aides, then-Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III and Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr., counsel to President Reagan.

The newspapers’ report suggested that many of the calls may have been made by Ali’s attorney, Richard M. Hirschfeld of Charlottesville, Va., who, according to associates quoted by the newspaper, does a convincing impersonation of the former champ.

At his news conference, Ali said Hirschfeld told him that the newspaper story “was crazy.”

“How can somebody use my voice?” Ali said.

Ali told reporters that Hirschfeld had set up meetings last spring with several politicians, including Sens. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) and John Warner (R-Va.), as well as with Meese.

“I did this because I had things I wanted to say,” he said in a handwritten statement.