Gov't Won't Pay McDougal's Legal Bills

The Miami Herald ^ | Fri, Jan. 09, 2004 | Associated Press

[Kaslin]

WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court rejected Susan McDougal's request to have the government pay her legal bills stemming from the special counsel's investigation of President Clinton.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said McDougal could not receive $345,412 from the government for legal bills in connection with her indictment by then-special counsel Kenneth Starr on charges of obstructing the probe. A jury acquitted McDougal of one count and deadlocked on two others, which were later dismissed.

"Congress did not say that fee awards are available to an individual who is indicted but acquitted," the court said. "Congress explicitly said that the court may award fees only 'if no indictment is brought against such individual ... '"

McDougal was indicted for refusing to testify before a grand jury about Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, now a U.S. senator. The Clintons and McDougal were business partners in the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. McDougal said at the time she feared that Starr would charge her with perjury unless she falsely implicated the Clintons.

Starr's investigation of Clinton eventually led to the president's impeachment by the Republican-controlled House on a mostly party-line vote. The Senate acquitted him.

Separately, McDougal earlier was convicted of four felonies in connection with Whitewater. Clinton pardoned McDougal in 2001.

[Thebaddog]

Now that you mention it, the stain is never refered to for his impeachment. He's only the second president to be impeached. Whadda guy.

[Imal]

"I'm not a rat!"

[Lancey Howard]

Yes, Clinton fans, there is no suspense. They played horizontal sheet games.

Doug, I always figured Susan for a coke whore, and I also figure she was more the Monica type, like Bill preferred.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

...Thank you for your CLARITY.

ALOHA RONNIE

[Alamo-Girl]

I don't think they will pay in any visible way either. If they did, and a Democrat administration followed a Republican one, they would try to do the same.

[Denver Ditdat]

How long will we have to wait for the Clintons to pay for the very serious damage they did to our country?

I don't think that there will ever be an earthly accounting for the Clintons. We'll have to wait for Judgment Day for them to get their due.

[trustandobey]

You are most likely right, but Judgement Day is getting closer!

[Humidston]

Well, she needs money really bad.... She has to keep buying new sets of kneepads. They wear out so fast.

[Kaslin]

Well, she needs money really bad.... She has to keep buying new sets of kneepads. They wear out so fast.

Yeah and she expects the tax payers to pay for them.

[BlackElk]

Maybe MacDougal whose lawyers' bills were incurred REFUSING TO OBEY legitimate court orders to testify because he skeevy little heart was going pitty-pat for the Arkansas Antichrist, should be whacked with non-bankruptable Rule 11 sanctions for wasting the time of federal courts with her clearly frivolous claims and with punitive orders to pay the Justice Department's legal fees for defending her ludicrous claims.

[lentulusgracchus]

Now, there's an idea!

More jail time for Susan.......sounds about right to me!

Maybe she'll eventually get tired of being the bagholder/wheel man for the Clintons and start spilling her guts to someone like, oh, Mike Issikoff.