A L S O+T O D A Y Finally, the Flynt Report By Carol Lloyd Are these smutty tales true? Let the reader beware The unhappiest allies By Gabriel Kahn Italians question NATO moves in Kosovo as the country braces for more refugees Day Two: The airstrikes persist NATO bombards Yugoslavia for the second night, saying it will attack, disrupt, degrade, devastate and destroy Yugoslav forces unless Milosevic capitulates Outlaw nation? By Laura Rozen Even Serbs who hate Milosevic are outraged at NATO bombing   T A B L E+T A L K Don't ask, don't Teletubbie? Know of any other gay icons for children? Do tell in the Headlines area of Table Talk   How-to, why-not and what-for -- find it all at barnesandnoble.com Search by:  Keyword Title Author     R E C E N T L Y The bombing begins By Jeff Stein Will NATO strikes push the Serbs to peace talks, or engulf the region in bloody chaos? (03/25/99) The Kosovo myth By Christopher Ott A battle fought 600 years ago animates the Serbian lust for a province now populated by Albanians (03/25/99) Banned in Belgrade By Janelle Brown The Web provides links to Serbian diatribes, Albanian liberation dispatches and Yugoslav radio you can't get in Yugoslavia (03/25/99) Where does Elizabeth Dole really stand on abortion? By Daryl Lindsey The question won't go away (03/24/99) Susan McDougal's moment of truth By Suzi Parker Bad day for Starr as she says Clinton told the truth about Whitewater loan (03/24/99) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Browse the Newsreal Archives - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
		VERDICT ON STARR'S WITNESS | PAGE 1, 2 - - - - - - - - - - The state conviction of Hale also was a setback for Starr because the independent counsel had tried to prevent Hale's prosecution, alleging that Arkansas prosecutors brought charges against Hale in an attempt to discredit him as a prosecution witness for Starr's office. Larry Jegley, the prosecuting attorney for the Arkansas 6th Judicial District who tried the case against Hale, said the jury's guilty verdict vindicated his office and discredited Starr's claims that his prosecution was politically motivated. Jegley said Starr's allegations are "hogwash. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Prove it." Salon disclosed last August that Starr intervened with state prosecutors on numerous occasions between 1994 and 1996 in an attempt to prevent them from indicting Hale. Starr had been so determined to stop the state prosecutors from charging Hale that in September 1995, one of Starr's top deputies threatened that the independent counsel would consider charging Arkansas prosecutors with federal witness intimidation if they proceeded with charging Hale. Starr was concerned at the time that the state criminal charges would discredit Hale's testimony as a witness against then-Gov. Tucker and the McDougals. He was also said by associates to believe that a conviction of Hale on the state charges would ultimately harm Hale's credibility as a witness in any potential Whitewater-related impeachment referral to Congress. Starr's office declined to comment about Hale's conviction. The jury that found Hale guilty Thursday night only sentenced him to 21 days in prison, even though it could have sentenced him to as long as eight years in prison. Hale's wife, Linda Sue, pleaded with the jury not to incarcerate her 57-year old husband for any lengthy period of time, because of what she described as his life-endangering health problems. Noting that Hale had suffered two heart attacks and had had heart surgery, she testified that any long sentence would almost certainly be a death sentence. "I don't think David would make it through another prison sentence," she told the jury during the sentencing phase of the trial. Hale had already served 20 months in prison, a result of his having pleaded guilty to two felonies as part of a plea-bargain with Whitewater prosecutors in March 1994. Hale then admitted to having defrauded the Small Business Administration of more than $3.2 million by making a series of fraudulent loans through his federally subsidized lending company. Hale received a substantially reduced prison sentence by agreeing to provide the independent counsel with information about alleged wrongdoing by Tucker, the McDougals, President Clinton and other Arkansas political and business leaders. Jegley, the state prosecutor, did not ask the jury for the maximum sentence, nor did he criticize the jury's lenient verdict. The jury, Jegley said outside the courtroom, "tempered justice with mercy." "I think they realized that Mr. Hale was ill [but] they also wanted to give him some time," Jegley said. Jegley pointed out that more importantly, Hale faces a lifetime ban on ever working in the insurance business in the United States. "He took advantage of poor people, he took advantage of the elderly, he took advantage of retirees, and now he can't do that anymore," Jegley said. While waiting for the jury to return the verdict, Hale held hands and said prayers with his wife, his 26-year-old daughter, Amy, and his three attorneys. Hale said that he was able to "find it in my heart" to forgive those who meant to do him harm, such as the state prosecutors, because of his strongly held religious beliefs. During breaks in the trial, Hale read the biography of an evangelist whose life he said he was trying to emulate. SALON | March 27, 1999 Murray Waas has covered the Whitewater investigation for Salon. Suzi Parker is a frequent contributor.