Starr blames LR for McDougal acquittal

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Copyright © 1999 Associated Press.
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WASHINGTON -- Prosecutor Kenneth Starr said Sunday the decision by a Little Rock jury to acquit former Clinton business associate Susan McDougal may be linked to the "horrible" effects his investigations of President Clinton and the first lady have had on the state.
"This was a Little Rock trial," Starr said on ABC's This Week. "This is difficult for the state of Arkansas. A sitting governor has been convicted and resigned. The president's business partners, the first lady's clients have been convicted."
Starr said his office has asked the Arkansas court for permission to interview the jurors in the McDougal case and would not make a decision on a retrial on two remaining counts until after that is done.
Some jurors said they thought Starr's prosecutors were arrogant, and they acquitted McDougal on an obstruction of justice charge partly on that basis.
"I would take that with a grain of salt," Starr said, noting that the comments were made only by a few jurors. "But I will say this," he said. "This has been horrible for Arkansas."
Starr's investigations into Clinton's Whitewater land dealings have led to former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker's pleading guilty to fraud, convictions against McDougal and her late husband James McDougal and friend Webster Hubbell, and charges against other Arkansas bankers and businessmen.
Susan McDougal last week was acquitted of the obstruction of justice charge stemming from her refusal to talk to Starr about her dealings with Clinton. The jury deadlocked on two criminal contempt charges.
Starr also repeated statements he made at a Senate hearing last week that he believes the independent counsel law is flawed and should not be renewed when it expires June 30.
He said that rather than have an independent counsel's office, the attorney general should appoint and be accountable for special prosecutors.
"The point is there is no mechanism to judicially check the attorney general's exercise of her authority under this statute," Starr said. "It is a false hope."
A Newsweek poll of 751 adults found 35 percent said Starr did a good job in handling the Monica Lewinsky matter, and 54 percent said he did a bad job.
The poll released Sunday also found that 35 percent said the independent counsel law should be extended, while 58 percent supported its termination.
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
Starr said U.S. District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright was "extremely well reasoned" in her opinion holding Clinton in contempt of court for giving false statements about his affair with Lewinsky.
But he would not comment on whether the decision would lead to his indicting Clinton.
"There are very serious issues with respect to a sitting president," he said.

This article was published on Monday, April 19, 1999

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