Tripping Down Special-Prosecutor Memory Lane

Last week the Clinton Administration faced the prospect of two independent- counsel investigations, one focusing on Whitewater and one on Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. But hey, that's nothing new. How many of these long-ago probes do you remember?

Prosecutor

Arthur Christy

1979

Target

White House chief of staff Hamilton Jordan

Allegation

cocaine use

Outcome

no indictment

Costs

182,000

Prosecutor

Gerald Gallinghouse

1980

Target

Carter national campaign manager 1980 Tim Kraft

Allegation

cocaine use

Outcome

no indictment

Costs

$3,300

Prosecutor

Leon Silverman

1981

Target

Labor Secretary Ray Donovan

Allegation

illegal payoffs, links to organized crime when a construction exec

Outcome

no indictment

Costs

$326,000

Prosecutor

Jacob Stein

1984

Target

Presidential Counsellor Ed Meese

Allegation

accepting financial favors from friends appointed to federal jobs

Outcome

no indictment

Costs

$312,000

Prosecutor

Whitney North Seymour

1986

Target

White House aide Michael Deaver

Allegation

improper lobbying after leaving office

Outcome

convicted of perjury

Costs

$1.5 million

Prosecutor

James McKay

1987

Target

White House aide Lyn Nofziger

Allegation

improper lobbying after leaving office

Outcome

conviction overturned on appeal

Costs

$2.6 million

Prosecutor

Joseph DiGenova

1992

Target

Sundry Bush Administration officials

Allegation

illegal search of Bill Clinton's passport files

Outcome

ongoing

Costs

$1.3 million