Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Starr Investigation Cost Tops $35M > WASHINGTON (AP) -- The four-year Whitewater > investigation had cost taxpayers $35 million by the end > of September, an audit of the independent counsel's > expenses shows. > > The General Accounting Office audit shows spending by > Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr of President Clinton's > Whitewater dealings was the most expensive among six > independent counsel probes that cost nearly $8 million > in the six months ended Sept. 30. > > Starr has spent more than $29 million and his > predecessor, Whitewater special prosecutor Robert Fiske, > about $6 million. Starr appears on track to surpass the > biggest-spending independent counsel of all, Lawrence > Walsh, who ran up a $40 million bill investigating the > Iran-Contra arms and money case during the Reagan > administration. > > Starr racked up $3.4 million for salaries, travel, rent > and other expenses from March through September. FBI > agents working with Starr cost another $485,927 and the > Internal Revenue Service spent $67,063 helping him, the > GAO found. > > In January, Starr's probe was expanded to include the > Monica Lewinsky matter, pushing the investigation into > high gear. Dozens of witnesses have been subpoenaed to > appear before the grand jury, including one from Japan. > > The next six-month report on independent counsel > expenses will be issued in September. > > Donald C. Smaltz, independent counsel investigating > former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, spent $2.5 > million from March through September, the GAO said. Espy > is charged with accepting $35,000 in sports tickets, > travel and lodging from Arkansas-based Tyson Foods Inc. > and other companies regulated by the Agriculture > Department. > > Smaltz's probe has led to more than $10.5 million in > fines and costs against companies involved in the Espy > gifts, including $6 million assessed against Tyson Foods > for some $12,000 in gratuities. In addition, seven > people, five corporations and one law firm have been > convicted. > > Independent Counsel David M. Barrett's probe of > allegations that Henry Cisneros, the former Secretary of > Housing and Urban Development, lied to the FBI about > payments to a former mistress cost $1.6 million during > the six-month period, including FBI costs, the GAO said. > Cisneros' trial is set for Nov. 4. > > A short-lived probe of another former Clinton White > House official lasted seven months and cost $196,038, > the GAO reported. Independent Counsel Curtis E. Von Kann > cleared Eli J. Segal of conflict-of-interest allegations > for fund raising for a private group while he headed the > AmeriCorps national service program. > > An investigation by Independent Counsel Daniel S. > Pearson of the financial dealings of former Commerce > Secretary Ron Brown, who died in a plane crash during a > trade mission to Bosnia, had $10,372 in expenses, GAO > said. > > An independent counsel investigation of Reagan > administration-era corruption at the Department of > Housing and Urban Development racked up $532,360 in > expenses in the same six-month period, GAO said. > -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
