Whitewater Just Won't Go Away
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The recent convictions in Little Rock weren't a big surprise to me.
No matter how much supporters of President Bill Clinton want to pooh-pooh Whitewater, it just doesn't seem like it is going to go away anytime soon.
And now, with close Clinton adviser and pal Bruce Lindsey drawn into the mess as an "unindicted co-conspirator," things are really going to heat up in the White House.
I will be the first to admit that much of what is going on in Arkansas may be politically motivated. But with all the indictments and convictions, it looks as if there is substance to the investigation.
It all goes back to the late 1970s, when Bill and Hillary Clinton teamed up with James and Susan McDougal to become co-owners of Whitewater Development Corporation.
Jim McDougal also was the owner of Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, a financial institution that later failed at taxpayers' expense.
Hillary worked for Rose Law Firm in Little Rock. Billing records show that she did extensive legal work on behalf of Madison, despite the fact that she was a business partner of James McDougal.
Most recently, Arkansas Gov. Jim Guy Tucker and James and Susan McDougal were convicted on numerous counts charged in a federal indictment.
Counts ranged from bank fraud and wire fraud to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
The looming question is whether then-governor Bill Clinton and wife Hillary broke any laws while involved in the complex entanglement of land, business, legal and political deals known as Whitewater. In other words, were they in the same league as Gov. Tucker and the McDougals?
We may know more about that after the trials of Herby Branscum Jr. and Robert Hill. Those are set to begin in the next few weeks in Little Rock. Branscum and Hill face 11 felony counts, all relating to the relationship between Perry County Bank of Arkansas and President Clinton's 1990 gubernatorial campaign. Branscum and Hill were partners in the Perry County Bank and close political allies of the Clintons.
Consider for a moment the rest of the Whitewater scorecard:
• Webster Hubbel - Pleaded guilty to two felonies: mail fraud and attempted tax evasion. (Hubbel was a former law partner of Hillary Clinton and former associate attorney general in the Clinton administration.)
• Neil Ainley - Pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of concealing cash payments to President Clinton's 1990 gubernatorial campaign. (Ainley is the former president of Perry County Bank. That's the bank that lent Gov. Clinton $180,000 for his 1990 gubernatorial race.)
• Christopher Wade - Pleaded guilty to one felony violation related to making any false statement or report, or the overvaluing of land, property or security for the purpose of influencing the actions of financial institutions or federal agencies. (Wade is the former real estate broker for Whitewater Development Corp.)
• Stephen A. Smith - Pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit an offense against or to defraud the U.S. government or federal agency. (Smith is a former Clinton aide and former president/co-owner of Madison Bank and Trust.)
• Robert Palmer - Pleaded guilty to one felony violation of conspiring to commit an offense against or to defraud the U.S. government by filing false appraisals to clean up Madison's books. (Palmer was a real estate appraiser for Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan.)
• Charles Matthews - pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor violations of trying to bribe David Hale after being charged with defrauding the Small Business Administration. (Matthews is a Little Rock lawyer.)
• Eugene Fitzhugh - Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor violation of also attempting to bribe David Hale. (Fitzhugh is a Little Rock lawyer.)
• Larry Kuca - Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor violation of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. (Kuca is a former director of Madison Financial Corporation, another of McDougal's enterprises.)
Now, when you consider all this, do you get the impression that Bill and Hillary were squeaky clean, innocent bystanders watching helplessly as their associates broke the law?
It will be interesting to note if the McDougals and Tucker - facing long prison sentences - will suddenly feel like cooperating with prosecutors. Or will they be like Liddy and Ehrlichman of Watergate infamy and quietly take the fall?
Clinton supporters like to say that if Whitewater prosecutors haven't found anything on Bill yet, they never will. It's true, an indictment may never have Bill or Hillary's name on it.
But what kind of endorsement is that? Bill and Hillary, the only non-indicted Whitewater suspects.
A couple conclusions seem inescapable.
There was some serious good ol' boy influence peddling and abuse of power going on in Little Rock while Bill Clinton was governor.
During the evil "decade of greed," as the Clintons like to call it, there was plenty of greed to go around right in their own backyard.
There was a significant drought of character and integrity among those involved in Whitewater.
And judging by recent events in Washington, it appears those traits followed President Clinton into the White House. [[In-content Ad]]
The recent convictions in Little Rock weren't a big surprise to me.
No matter how much supporters of President Bill Clinton want to pooh-pooh Whitewater, it just doesn't seem like it is going to go away anytime soon.
And now, with close Clinton adviser and pal Bruce Lindsey drawn into the mess as an "unindicted co-conspirator," things are really going to heat up in the White House.
I will be the first to admit that much of what is going on in Arkansas may be politically motivated. But with all the indictments and convictions, it looks as if there is substance to the investigation.
It all goes back to the late 1970s, when Bill and Hillary Clinton teamed up with James and Susan McDougal to become co-owners of Whitewater Development Corporation.
Jim McDougal also was the owner of Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, a financial institution that later failed at taxpayers' expense.
Hillary worked for Rose Law Firm in Little Rock. Billing records show that she did extensive legal work on behalf of Madison, despite the fact that she was a business partner of James McDougal.
Most recently, Arkansas Gov. Jim Guy Tucker and James and Susan McDougal were convicted on numerous counts charged in a federal indictment.
Counts ranged from bank fraud and wire fraud to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
The looming question is whether then-governor Bill Clinton and wife Hillary broke any laws while involved in the complex entanglement of land, business, legal and political deals known as Whitewater. In other words, were they in the same league as Gov. Tucker and the McDougals?
We may know more about that after the trials of Herby Branscum Jr. and Robert Hill. Those are set to begin in the next few weeks in Little Rock. Branscum and Hill face 11 felony counts, all relating to the relationship between Perry County Bank of Arkansas and President Clinton's 1990 gubernatorial campaign. Branscum and Hill were partners in the Perry County Bank and close political allies of the Clintons.
Consider for a moment the rest of the Whitewater scorecard:
• Webster Hubbel - Pleaded guilty to two felonies: mail fraud and attempted tax evasion. (Hubbel was a former law partner of Hillary Clinton and former associate attorney general in the Clinton administration.)
• Neil Ainley - Pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of concealing cash payments to President Clinton's 1990 gubernatorial campaign. (Ainley is the former president of Perry County Bank. That's the bank that lent Gov. Clinton $180,000 for his 1990 gubernatorial race.)
• Christopher Wade - Pleaded guilty to one felony violation related to making any false statement or report, or the overvaluing of land, property or security for the purpose of influencing the actions of financial institutions or federal agencies. (Wade is the former real estate broker for Whitewater Development Corp.)
• Stephen A. Smith - Pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit an offense against or to defraud the U.S. government or federal agency. (Smith is a former Clinton aide and former president/co-owner of Madison Bank and Trust.)
• Robert Palmer - Pleaded guilty to one felony violation of conspiring to commit an offense against or to defraud the U.S. government by filing false appraisals to clean up Madison's books. (Palmer was a real estate appraiser for Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan.)
• Charles Matthews - pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor violations of trying to bribe David Hale after being charged with defrauding the Small Business Administration. (Matthews is a Little Rock lawyer.)
• Eugene Fitzhugh - Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor violation of also attempting to bribe David Hale. (Fitzhugh is a Little Rock lawyer.)
• Larry Kuca - Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor violation of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. (Kuca is a former director of Madison Financial Corporation, another of McDougal's enterprises.)
Now, when you consider all this, do you get the impression that Bill and Hillary were squeaky clean, innocent bystanders watching helplessly as their associates broke the law?
It will be interesting to note if the McDougals and Tucker - facing long prison sentences - will suddenly feel like cooperating with prosecutors. Or will they be like Liddy and Ehrlichman of Watergate infamy and quietly take the fall?
Clinton supporters like to say that if Whitewater prosecutors haven't found anything on Bill yet, they never will. It's true, an indictment may never have Bill or Hillary's name on it.
But what kind of endorsement is that? Bill and Hillary, the only non-indicted Whitewater suspects.
A couple conclusions seem inescapable.
There was some serious good ol' boy influence peddling and abuse of power going on in Little Rock while Bill Clinton was governor.
During the evil "decade of greed," as the Clintons like to call it, there was plenty of greed to go around right in their own backyard.
There was a significant drought of character and integrity among those involved in Whitewater.
And judging by recent events in Washington, it appears those traits followed President Clinton into the White House. [[In-content Ad]]