The one thing that a former US president need not worry about is money. As a rule, the money has been there even before reaching the White House; the system in place ensures that all living presidents receive a healthy pension from the public purse. Add the cost picked up by the taxpayer for housing, Secret Service security, and there are no real concerns about turning from prince to pauper.
However, the habits built in by a successful career, that ususally was made possible through independent local financing (PAC reform still has loopholes, wealthy supporters can figure on ways to give candidates considerable sums) don’t leave after departure from office. Factor in the incredible fees that public speaking appearances can bring, and the move is from Pennsylvania Avenue to Easy Street. Still, some former presidents expect that taxpayer to bail them out for the mistakes made in office.
It is amazing, how Bill Clinton is still teflon-coated. From his tenure at Little Rock to Washington, one scandal after another, and still, no long-term understanding that for some things one must pay oneself. Such as, occasionally, if needed good, legal counsel.
One scandalous part of his past that will not go away is the Whitewater one. Independent investigation into the failed Arkansas land deal, where Governor Clinton allegedly did his utmost to influence the outcome never saw Hillary or Bill indicted. However, lawyers take money, and Clinton appealed to the taxpayer to pay for his advice - claiming his legal costs were $3.5 million US dollars. The US Court of Appeals for the district of Columbia last week turned down his request.
Yet a payment of $85,000 was authorized - a fraction of what Clinton receives per speaking engagement. That settlement was intended to cover the costs of reviewing the final report. Many are outraged that things went even that far, with justification.
See, Bill’s argument was that he never would have been faced with such legal bills if he had not been President. The appeals court rejected this claim, pointing out that a President has the advantage of taking use of the independent counsel statute - both a s a means of distancing himself from allegations as well as, in theory, ensuring an unbiased investigation
The Whitewater investigation, by the bye, lasted more than seven years and cost the US government $70 million. Not only that, beyond the other sundry tawdry personal details (Gennifer Flowers and La Lewinsky) that surfaced, confirming Bill’s lack of ethical understanding and/or moral actions, Whitewater was significant for what was found down the line. The appeals court noted in a 14 page decision that Whitewater ultimately ended up with 24 indictments, at least 16 convictions, and yup, the impeachment of the president, William Jefferson Clinton. As we know, the House filed charges, the Senate refused to convict.
Now, had Clinton been impeached, he might not have demanded millions from the “giver-nment” for his legal fees. We will never know, whether that would have brought him to his senses. There is, however, something beyond mere arrogance in this affair.
To be fair, Clinton did agree to not seek reimbursment for legal work related into an associated inquiry, necessary because of certain matters concerning Lewinsky. Cynically, though, in this case - had he been tossed from the White House by the Senate (the record does show that Clinton was indeed impeached; that’ll never change), he just might have had the chutzpah to keep the issue alive.
Then again, it is not as if President Clinton has been alone in scandals over legal fees. Others have just been resolved with far less publicity - and that is part of the advantage of the independent counsel statute. Clinton’s two predecessors both faced high legal bills. Reagan and Bush senior were both required to have legal counsel during the Iran-Contra investigation. President Reagan was re-imbursed for 72 per cent of his costs, then-Veep Bush for 59 %. The full costs of Nixon’s legal bills may never be known.
Elsewhere, the same has taken place. In Canada Frank Moores and Brian Mulroney, no penniless paupers themselves, ensured that their legal bills accrued during the Airbus scandal were paid for by the average Canadian.
In all of these cases the only true winners were the lawyers, the true losers taxpayers. While no-one would ever want to argue that Presidents, Premiers and Prime Ministers not have the legal counsel available to any wealthy businessman, it seems somehow so wrong. Politicians, many of them at least, are in the game for a myriad of reasaons . Public service though, beyond vanity and personal financial interest, should be the determining factor.
The Iran-Contras, Watergates, Whitewaters, Tapegates, Monicagates and so forth end up taking a life of their own. Beyond public fascination and intense media scrutiny, the final results, reports, public and private review of the findings end up being so thick, so detailed, that only the lawyers who created them know the truth. This is where the private taxpayer suffers; this is why there is suspicion of politicians and lawyers everywhere.
One is reminded of the Warren Zevon song “Lawyers, Guns and Money” Written during yet another period of great scepticism of the goals of American international involvement, (somethings never change) Zevon only echoed what most of us know. Takes that holy trinity to save your bacon, pull your fat from the fire. And if you are really lucky, you just might get the unsuspecting saps known as the people to pay for the whole wonderful political ride, rafting from Whitewater to well paid speaking engaments beyond, now safely hidden and protected by the Secret Service. Who is paid for by.... Oh, never mind.
Leader July 23: Keeping counsel
Arvamus
TRENDING
