*** INDEPENDENT COUNSEL DONALD SMALTZ RELEASES FINAL REPORT ***

www.oic.gov ^ | October 25, 2001 | Donald Smaltz

[HAL9000]

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT

Division for the Purpose of
Appointing Independent Counsels
Ethics in Government Act of 1978, As Amended

Division No. 94-2

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FINAL REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL

In Re:

ALPHONSO MICHAEL (MIKE) ESPY

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DONALD C. SMALTZ
Independent Counsel

www.oic.gov

Filed January 30, 2001
Published October 25, 2001
Washington, DC

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Click here to download the full report. - about 950K, HTML format.

[Askel5]

And, yes, it's FRONTLINE and it's PBS, but it has tons of valuable information.

Sorta like Klayman only different ... since Frontline's folks probably work for free, are not in it for the money and are part of the charitable organization known as the Public Broadcasting Service.

(Just rattling your cage ... thanks for the posting the link. There most certainly IS a lot of good info in there. =)

[Howlin]

It's not like Larry Klayman at all; they a real investigatie reporters and you can draw your own conclusions.

And they didn't ask anybody for money to help them find out the facts.

[MamaLucci]

Your comments got me to thinking, Tyson Chicken...salmonella...perhaps someone was sending BJ a "message"?

[agrandis]

Hmmmmmm... chickens..... salmonella...

Was the vial from Springdale, AR, I wonder?

[Soul Citizen]

What ever happened with the other meat producer driven out by the rival Tyson foods?

Remember the, fecal coliform scare, was it Hudson foods?

Seems all the influence sure could have influenced the USDA investigating other meat packing plants!

Further what ever happened to the arkansas ties to the Congo, where a clinton business friend got diamond/gold contracts after Kabila?

[Askel5]

Lol ...

(Must be my rabbit ears or our local affiliate and their Arabian Nights worth of ideas for fundraising ... I didn't think PBS ever quit asking folks -- or the government that floats them whether we like it or not -- for funds! =)

[HAL9000]

Excerpt from response letter - Lee J. Radek, Chief, Public Integrity Section, U.S. Department of Justice

Independent Counsel Smaltz also alleges in his report that he made a referral to the Department of Justice concerning allegations that Tyson Foods made illegal gifts to former Governor Clinton and other government officials, and that he did not believe that any further action was taken. The Department of Justice did review the information identified by Independent Counsel Smaltz concerning the referred allegations. A Senior Trial Attorney with the Public Integrity Section carefully reviewed the information and concluded that no further investigation was warranted."

Radek does not state the reasoning for not pursuing the investigation. I'd be willing to bet that Radek's "Senior Trial Attorney" never contacted the witness - Joseph Hendrickson - to evaluate the information.

[Howlin]

Oh, PBS surely DOES ask for money (and they give such CRAPPY gifts for contributions -- I never have understood why anybody would give money to get videos you can tape yourself off of PBS, but maybe it's just me); I mean the people on that documentry didn't have a scroll at the end saying, "If you'll keep sending us more money, we'll see what else we can find and then try to sell it to PBS." (And they didn't ask us all to join them on a cruise to discuss the issues.) :-)

[AGreatPer]

Just got back from Sam's Club tonight. Just noticed something. 90% of chicken products are from Tyson Foods, Arkansas. Sam's Club from, where else, Arkansas. Hmmm.

Just makes me wonder if Sam Walton was a butt likkin boy of the Democrats too?

Not related to this post but interisting.

[freekitty]

I am still waiting for everyone including Billy Boy and the Hildabeast to be proscuted and put in jail. It's beyond me when they have the goods on these creeps, they don't seem to know how to proscute. Hopefully, one of these days, they will.

[Askel5]

I never have understood why anybody would give money to get videos you can tape yourself off of PBS, but maybe it's just me

You're going to laugh but the one tape I was tempted to purchase was the Lawrence Welk Reunion Extravaganza. Seriously. Maybe it's the Okie in me but I must have watched it through to the end every time I caught it during the last fundraiser ... crying when the Champagne Ladies glided center-stage, laughing at tried and true schtick, marveling that Arthur was STILL a Stepper and wondering why in God's they let Ralna gig Guy right in front of everyone. Not cool.

Sure, I was going to pretend it was for "my grandparents" but it's REALLY ME who's got the total soft spot for the Welk show. Is that a riot or what?

I guess there's nothing like the Welk show to zap me back in time and summon faces and places almost long forgotten but yet still dear. Getting a little teary just thinking about it. (Thank goodness it's time to book it to choir and hammer the Bach until I begin to black out.) See ya.

[WillaJohns]

Breaking News

September 4, 1997

Local Hudson plant gets new owner in sale to Tyson

Tyson Foods Inc. has agreed to acquire Hudson Foods Inc. The agreement to pay $642 million in cash and stock means a change in ownership for the Hudson Specialty Foods plant on Princeton-Glendale Road in West Chester that employs more than 700. Little Rock-based Tyson is located only a few miles from Hudson's base. The move comes just days after Hudson recalled 25 million pounds of hamburger because of a contamination scare.

Copyright 1997 American City Business Journals Inc.

From: http://cincinnati.bcentral.com/cincinnati/stories/1997/09/01/daily13.html

[Howlin]

Well, dang it......OKAY ASKEL.....you forced it out of me.......I BOUGHT THE DOLPHIN ONE. *Sobbing*

[lepton]

OIC's investigation culminated in the return of a 39-count indictment against Espy, charging multiple violations arising out of his acceptance of things of value from persons and entities regulated by USDA, his concealment of these gifts from the public, and other abuses of his office. The indictment charged that he had received more than $30,000 in gifts and benefits from agricultural interests. At trial, Espy did not dispute receipt of the gifts, but he argued that these gifts did not affect the decisions he made and that he did not have the criminal intent required for a conviction. After a two-month trial, the jury found former Secretary Espy not guilty on all counts.

And here it is made evident that the jury just refused to convict him regardless of the evidence. Two of the counts were for receiving gifts from meat producers. These two counts were under a law that did not require any intent and was not an issue of bribery, merely accepting the gifts at all was illegal, and Espy admitted to accepting the gifts. Ironically, Espy himself voted for this law while a member of Congress.

[bayourod]

As I recall, the payoffs to Governor Clinton were for the purpose of the state overlooking the pollution of ground water caused by waste from Tyson operations.

If I were a cynic I would be tempted to generalize that Democrats (and others) pass laws making it impossible for businesses to make a profit, and then accept bribes to overlook the violation of those laws.

But if I put my irrational suspicions aside, the truth is certainly something as simple as the CEO of Tyson was just paying Clinton to stay away from his wife (or mistresses).

[IncPen]

WHen Hillary was booed the other nite one of her staff was quoted by Drudge as disparaging the 'booers' as "people who thought she murdered Vince Foster" or some such

I kept wondering what would prompt them to say that... but then I thought, "Something bad is about to come out"

It was a classic Clintonian 'nuts and sluts' premtive sstrike

[Illbay]

In total, OIC collected more than $10 million in criminal fines, civil recoveries, and restitutionary orders for the United States Treasury. OIC also referred three matters to the Department of Justice for prosecution and one matter to the Federal Election Commission for civil disposition, resulting in the recovery of an additional $560,000 for the United States.

Now wait just a doggone second! I DISTINCTLY remember Boy Clinton expressing his outrage that this "harrassment" of Espy had turned up absolutely nothing.

Of course, I can also recall Carville saying Ken Starr was on a partisan witchhunt and had come up with absolutley nothing in Whitewater--even though multiple indictments and eventual prison terms came out of the investigation.

[Sueann]

They already had an "on-going investigation" and so it was a moot point!! Any other reason you all can think of??

[ChaseR]

"It will be a whitewash like all the others."

Sadly, I'm starting to expect another whitewash too. :(

[glock rocks]

They already had an "on-going investigation" and so it was a moot point!!

well, maybe an on-going "investigaion"