Posted on 07/16/2003 2:01:59 AM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON - The feds will reimburse Bill and Hillary Clinton only $85,000 of the $3.5million they sought to cover legal bills from the Whitewater investigation, a court ruled yesterday.The U.S. Court of Appeals rejected the Clintons' argument that they were wrongful targets of a partisan witch hunt and ruled the inquiry led by former independent counsel Kenneth Starr had merit.
But the lawyer for the Clintons said they were shortchanged, getting less than 3% of what they requested.
David Kendall, the lawyer, said that in the aftermath of the federal government's Iran-Contra investigation, which probed the sale of arms to Iran to finance Nicaraguan rebels, former President Ronald Reagan was reimbursed for72% of his costs, and ex-Vice President George Bush got back 59% of his expenses.
"The facts and the numbers speak for themselves. The good news is that the partisan Whitewater smoke-and-mirrors investigation is finally over," Kendall said.
The ruling won't leave the Clintons in the poorhouse: Though they still have legal bills estimated at $1.7 million to $6.5 million, they've made at least $37 million in speeches, book deals, investments and salaries since they left the White House.
A former longtime Clinton aide said the ruling signals that 35 others - including former White House intern Monica Lewinsky - who have asked for a total of $4 million in reimbursements could be disappointed, too.
The seven-year, $70 million Whitewater investigation began by looking into a failed Arkansas land deal but eventually led to Bill Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives forlying about his tryst with Lewinsky.
Originally published on July 16, 2003
Why don't they just pay their legal bills and shut up? Answer: Then they'd have one less avenue for publicity.
|
|
|
Donate Here By Secure Server
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
That's $85k too much. And it's not 'the feds' who pay, it's you and I.
Well, the Clintons' spin hasn't been too successful in court. Poor dears. Too bad the court costs can't be increased for these two.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.