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Q: The cost of Clinton - Lewinsky scandal ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: The cost of Clinton - Lewinsky scandal
Category: Relationships and Society > Politics
Asked by: timespacette-ga
List Price: $15.00
Posted: 14 Aug 2003 13:51 PDT
Expires: 13 Sep 2003 13:51 PDT
Question ID: 244867
What was the total cost to taxpayers of the investigation into
Clinton's relationship to Monica Lewinsky?
How does one measure the cost in terms of human energy output?
How long did the main part of that investigation go on?
Answer  
Subject: Re: The cost of Clinton - Lewinsky scandal
Answered By: pinkfreud-ga on 14 Aug 2003 15:18 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
The Clinton/Lewinsky investigation lasted six months, and cost
taxpayers $6.2 to $7 million (depending upon definitions of what is to
be included as a part of the investigation):

"Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr spent more than $6 million on the
Monica Lewinsky scandal and the overall investigation of President
Clinton is becoming the most expensive in history, congressional
auditors reported yesterday... Starr's expenditures totaled $6.2
million in the six months through last Sept. 30, up nearly 60 percent
from the $3.9 million in the previous six months, said the GAO
[General Accounting Office]. "

Southcoast Today
http://www.s-t.com/daily/04-99/04-01-99/a05wn028.htm 

"Independent Counsel Ken Starr's office spent $6.2 million during the
six months last year when wrapping up its case against President Bill
Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky matter. With that additional spending,
Starr's probe is about to become the most expensive independent
counsel inquiry ever."

CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/04/01/counsel.probe.costs/

"Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr spent $6.2 million during the
six months last year when he was deposing former White House intern
Monica S. Lewinsky and concluding his impeachment case against
President Clinton, according to the General Accounting Office.

From April through September, Starr's spending on salaries, travel,
rent, supplies and private outside contractors--along with special
services from the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and other agencies of
the government--increased more than 50 percent over the previous six
months."

Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/counsel040199.htm

"Independent counsel Kenneth Starr spent $7.2 million investigating
President Clinton during the six-month period that included the Senate
impeachment trial... Starr's expenses for the six-month period ending
March 31 included $5.7 million for salaries, travel and rent and $1.5
million for costs of U.S. Marshals Service, FBI and Justice Department
employees detailed to Starr's office, the General Accounting Office,
the investigative arm of Congress, said in a report released
Thursday."

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/Clinton/A1dstarr2.html

Regarding the cost in terms of human energy output, the figures I've
found are quite vague. The best I can say is that tens of thousands of
man-hours were devoted to the investigation by an untold number of FBI
agents, US Marshals, clerical support staff, and Ken Starr's stable of
27 attorneys:

"Starr has declined to release the kind of detailed billing and
expense statements contained in the documents provided to The Times on
Wednesday. The only financial reports previously released through the
General Accounting Office summarized information and did not include
line-item expenditures... Most of the money was spent on personnel and
benefits. Starr revealed that he had 'approximately 57 employees' on
the payroll, including 27 attorneys. Starr said the average attorney
salary was $95,838."

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/Clinton/ablaclinton29.html 

Google search strategy:

Google Web Search: "lewinsky" + "investigation" + "cost" + "million"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=lewinsky+investigation+cost+million

Google Web Search: "lewinsky" + "investigation" + "total cost"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=clinton+lewinsky+investigation+%22total+cost

Google Web Search: "lewinsky" + "investigation" + "cost" + "gao"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=lewinsky+clinton+investigation+cost+gao

I hope this information is useful. If anything is unclear, or if a
link does not function, please request clarification, and I will
respond as quickly as I am able.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

Request for Answer Clarification by timespacette-ga on 14 Aug 2003 19:28 PDT
How would an investigation into the Bush Administration's claims about
Iraq differ from the Clinton/Lewinsky investigation?  I  mean in terms
of who would do it / how it would take place (obviously not the
content)  . . . . who would do it?  What would be the process?  Would
it be a threat of impeachment, as it was for Clinton?

Should I ask a separate question for this?
Or I could tack on another 10 bucks for this one. . .?

Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 14 Aug 2003 21:50 PDT
The matter of a possible investigation into the Bush administration's
claims about Iraq is quite a bit different from the Monica Lewinsky
affair - for one thing, there are no cigars involved. ;-)

I think it would best to post the Bush/Iraq matter as a separate
question for the full field of Researchers to access. While I do find
the question quite interesting, it calls for the sort of political
speculation that is outside my area of expertise; I'm good at tracking
history, but not so good at predicting the future, politically
speaking.
timespacette-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
thanks, I'll do that.

Comments  
Subject: Re: The cost of Clinton - Lewinsky scandal
From: drtandem1-ga on 10 Sep 2003 23:29 PDT
 
It was Clinton obstructing justice that cost millions, not Ken Starr. 
How about the millions it cost for Clinton to blow up an aspirin
factory when Monica was going to testify?  How many millions did it
cost when Clinton bombed Baghdad for no apparent reason for 4 days
while he waas being impeached?  How many millions did it cost us when
he allowed space and missle guidance technology to be stolen by the
communist Chinese?  Ken Starr was merely the messenger.  Clinton was
the problem.

The only thing I was wondering was if they would try him as an adult?

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