Statements by President Clinton’s supporters suggesting the pending report by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr on the various Clinton scandals will focus only on the Monica Lewinsky affair are totally without merit, according to a well-placed attorney close to the investigation.
The report is said to be well over 500 pages in length and growing daily, with nothing mentioned about Lewinsky until page 400. The attorney confirmed that the report is “massive and will deal with everything.” He added that Starr intends to make a “very thorough report.”
Another source also verified that the report “does not focus on Lewinsky alone. It covers it all. In fact, there is much the press and public don’t know.” He was certain that after a review of Clinton’s testimony before the grand jury, and a review of evidence from other
sources, it is very likely that Clinton will be asked to come back and answer more questions.
The number one damage control tactic used by Bill Clinton for many years has been what political consultants call “the three Ds” — deny, discredit and destroy, according to former Clinton political consultant Dick Morris. The art and science of damage control is to manipulate public opinion.
Morris confirmed that Clinton has successfully used the tactic of “deny, discredit and destroy,” for many years with one scandal after another. When Clinton appeared before the American people to explain his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, he once again used “the three Ds” in an effort to manipulate public opinion, said Morris.
Though Morris praised Clinton’s remarks last night on national television, the very methods of manipulation he described were evident as Clinton attempted to minimize his affair with Lewinsky, transfer blame to Starr, and thereby extend even longer the continuing investigation.
Current Clinton damage control master-mind, James Carville, has admitted publicly that his No. 1 goal is to discredit and destroy Starr. He formed the Education and Information Project for that very purpose, and he has personally referred to EIP as “smear central.”
According to Morris, reports in the press, generated by interviews with Carville, often portray the Starr investigation as being too long, too costly and fruitless. Carville, he says, knows that the more often the press hears such claims, true or not, the more likely the press will repeat the same claim.
“This has gone on too long, cost too much, and hurt too many innocent people,” said Clinton of the Starr investigation in his speech to the American people. Yet, the facts, according to the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, contradict the claims made by Carville and other Clinton supporters.
There have been 19 independent counsel investigations initiated under the provisions of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, according to Jack Maskell, the legislative attorney who prepared the report. His report lists the independent counsels, the dates of their work, the results of each, and the cost associated with each investigation according to General Accounting Office records.
Four of the 19 investigations are currently under way, and 12 of the investigations resulted in no indictments against those investigated, including two which were sealed. The following is a description of the seven investigations which resulted in convictions or guilty pleas in order from the fewest to the most. Also shown is the length of time of
each investigation, the total cost, and the cost per conviction as of the date of the report:
James C. McKay appointed 2/2/87 until 7/18/88 (17 months) to investigate White House aide Lyn Nofziger and Attorney General Edwin Meese expending $2,796,000. The investigation resulted in a conviction of Nofziger, which was overturned on appeal due to a technical failure on pleading. There was no indictment of Meese. One conviction, cost per conviction: $2,796,000.
Whitney North Seymour, Jr. appointed 5/29/86 until 8/16/89 (39 months) to investigate presidential aide Michael Deaver expending $1,552,000. The investigation resulted in a conviction of Deaver on three counts of perjury. One conviction, cost per conviction: $1,552,000.
David M. Barrett appointed 5/24/95 and is ongoing (36 months) to investigate Secretary of HUD Henry Cisneros expending thus far $5,467,514. There have been three guilty pleas with four indictments pending, including one of Cisneros. Three guilty pleas, cost per guilty plea or conviction: $1,822,504.
Lawrence E. Walsh appointed 12/19/86 until 8/4/93 (80 months) to
investigate Lt. Col. Oliver North and others expending $47,865,000. The
investigation resulted in seven guilty pleas, four convictions with two
overturned on appeal, three indictments, and six Presidential pardons.
11 guilty pleas or convictions, cost per guilty plea or conviction:
$4,351,363.
Donald Smaltz appointed 9/9/94 and is ongoing (44 months to date) to
investigate Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy expending $14,839,986.
The investigation resulted in six guilty pleas, one no contest plea, six
jury convictions with two verdicts set aside, four acquittals, one civil
suit settlement, and three indictments pending, including that of Espy.
13 guilty pleas or convictions, cost per guilty plea or conviction:
$1,236,665.
Kenneth W. Starr appointed 8/5/94 and is ongoing (45 months to date)
to investigate President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham
Clinton and others expending $29,600,976. Additionally, Robert Fiske
expended $6,073,000 on his portion of the investigation. The
investigation resulted thus far in 12 guilty pleas, three convictions
with two acquittals, and there are five indictments pending. 15 guilty
pleas or convictions, cost per guilty plea or conviction: $2,378,265.
Arlin M. Adams and Larry D. Thompson were appointed 3/1/90 and 7/3/95 respectively with no report filed to date (98 months to date) to investigate Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Samuel R. Pierce and others expending $27,597,009. The investigation brought about 11 guilty pleas, six criminal convictions, one reversal on appeal, on acquittal, and no indictment of Pierce. 17 guilty pleas or convictions, cost per guilty plea or conviction: $1,623,353.
Based on the CRS report, the longest independent counsel investigation is that of Arlin M. Adams and Larry D. Thompson with 98 months and still going. In fact, there have been 12 investigations with absolutely no convictions, making the Kenneth Starr investigation far from being the longest. Starr is second only to Adams and Thompson for the most guilty pleas and convictions. Considering that Starr has five pending indictments (and more possible indictments) it is likely that Starr will end up with more than Adams and Thompson when all is said and done. Starr’s investigation is an expensive one, but on a cost per conviction basis the Walsh investigation was nearly twice as expensive.
Despite the claims by Clinton, the Starr investigation has not gone on as long as others that were less successful, it has cost less than others per conviction, it has obtained many convictions, additional convictions are likely, and at least 15 of the people investigated were not “innocent.”