Some Whitewater Charges Against Pair Dismissed

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —  A judge threw out four charges each against Gov. Jim Guy Tucker and Susan McDougal in the Whitewater trial Monday, but let stand all 19 counts against James B. McDougal, her ex-husband.

Tucker and the McDougals, who were President and Mrs. Clinton’s former partners in the Whitewater land development, were indicted last August on fraud and conspiracy charges for allegedly misusing $3 million in federally backed loans.

In the original indictment, McDougal was named in 19 counts, Tucker 11 and Susan McDougal eight. Tucker still faces seven felony charges, including conspiracy, and Susan McDougal, four.

Among the charges the judge dismissed against her was the conspiracy count alleging she helped plan some of the loan transactions. Tucker was cleared of counts involving a real estate loan.

In throwing out the charges, U.S. District Judge George Howard Jr. said a reasonable jury would not infer guilt based on the evidence presented by prosecutors.

David Hale, who ran a federally backed lending company, has claimed outside of court that Clinton pressured him to make the $300,000 loan to Susan McDougal. During the trial, he said only that Clinton benefited from the loan, but no other witness backed up his account.

Clinton has denied Hale’s claim and has given videotaped testimony. Sam Heuer, James McDougal’s lawyer, said he won’t show the videotape today, when the defense begins presenting its case.

Hale, the chief prosecution witness in the trial, was sentenced to 28 months in prison on two unrelated fraud charges.

Meanwhile, a Senate Whitewater Committee spokeswoman said Monday that Senate investigators have made progress toward learning how First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s legal records appeared on a table in the White House and will present their findings today.