The Senate agreed yesterday to cut off money to the decade-long investigation of former housing and urban development secretary Henry G. Cisneros, which has cost nearly $21 million.
Legislation that provides money for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan includes an amendment sponsored by Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) to stop spending by June 1 on the probe led by independent counsel David Barrett. A report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress's investigative arm, shows Barrett spent $1.26 million during the six months ending Sept. 30, 2004. The largest expenses were for salaries and benefits and contracted services.
Cisneros admitted in 1999 that, when being considered for a Cabinet job, he lied to the FBI about how much he paid a former mistress. Cisneros, housing secretary from 1993 to 1996, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was fined $10,000.
President Bill Clinton pardoned Cisneros in January 2001.
"This is the most unbelievable waste of taxpayers' money I've ever seen," Dorgan said. "It's been 10 years since the investigation started, six years since the subject of the investigation pleaded guilty and four years since the subject was pardoned." He predicted the measure will have little trouble becoming law.
The Washington Post reported this month that Barrett was close to completing the investigation and issuing a report. Barrett prosecuted Cisneros on a single misdemeanor and then focused on pursuing possible obstruction of justice and other charges against people connected to Cisneros.
The only significant prosecution has been of Cisneros's former mistress, Linda Jones, who spent nearly 18 months in prison for conspiracy, bank fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. Two of Jones's relatives also pleaded guilty to charges. Clinton also pardoned Jones.
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