Whitewater was no close call for prosecutors

[DonViejo]

By David E. Kendall July 10 at 6:16 PM

David E. Kendall, an attorney at Williams & Connolly, represents Hillary Clinton.

As a matter of historical fact, it may be correct, as The Post reported Sunday, that Whitewater prosecutors now say they came “close” to filing charges against then-first lady Hillary Clinton back in the 1990s. As a matter of legal and factual analysis, from one who observed this investigation at every step: Never .?.?. a .?.?. close .?.?. call .?.?. at .?.?. all.

Putting aside significant ethical questions about the propriety of prosecutors casually reminiscing, decades later, about the potential guilt of subjects who were never charged, the facts speak for themselves. While independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr and his staff may have secretly hoped for and ruminated about the possibility of bringing a criminal case against Clinton, they never even presented an indictment to the many grand juries they used.

This was not for want of trying: The independent counsel investigation lasted eight years, generated more than 3,000 grand jury subpoenas, collected more than 10 million pages of documents and cost more than $70 million (unadjusted for inflation) — which dwarfed all other independent counsel investigations, including Iran-Contra, and exceeded the cost to the government of the failure of the savings and loan ostensibly under investigation. Clinton testified fully and truthfully under oath six times. If she had in fact given false testimony, there was an ample opportunity for prosecution.

Largely forgotten today is the origin of the Starr investigation, which was a failed $203,000 Arkansas land deal (Whitewater Development Corp.), in which the Clintons were passive investors. Notably, all loans and taxes were ultimately paid, and only the Clintons (and their partners, James B. and Susan McDougal) lost money. After the McDougals abandoned the project, it fell to Hillary Clinton to ensure that the project’s obligations were properly paid and accounted for, a role which led, many years later, to her minute scrutiny by the independent counsel.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/whitewater-was-no-close-call-for-prosecutors/2016/07/10/cf0a23d6-46da-11e6-bdb9-701687974517_story.html

[SheriffBob]

1. Whitewater

Was a modern day witch hunt. Same goes for Benghazi.

[wiggs]

2. Then there was travelgate, the christmas card list-gate, rose law firm records-gate,

something having to do with a commodities investment in which the clintons made some money, etc...

Sounds very much like lapel-pin gate, birtherism, teleprompter scandal, college records, pal-ing around with terrorists, terrorist fist jab, secret muslim gate, palm tree gate, and dozens of others?

When will dem leaders make an overall case against the low tactics of polarization, fear, hate, deception going back decades? When will the gop base get tired of being lied to the most? When will dem leaders, journalists, pundits, and 90% of voters just say that the gop has lost all credibility and has lost privileges to comment on anything?

[SheriffBob]

3. The gop has a lot of racisrsts and haters

The gop base laps up this propaganda like flies on shit.

[Bill USA]

4. WW investigation "exceeded cost to the Govt of the failure ofthe S&L ostensibly under investigation"

Great Post. Recommended!

[Hekate]

5. GOP has been trying to bring down the Constitutional federal government for 30 years

They've managed to poison politics in this country. How the Clintons have managed to survive being the focal point of all this bile is a miracle. But at this point, I hope the GOP chokes on it.