Henry Cisneros in 1996

Key Post stories on former housing secretary Henry Cisneros and the independent counsel investigation of whether he misled FBI agents about payments he made to his former mistress:

Cisneros Pleads Guilty
September 8, 1999
Former housing secretary Henry G. Cisneros pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of lying to the FBI about money he paid to a former mistress, ending a wide-ranging independent counsel investigation that lasted more than four years and cost more than $9 million.

Trial of Ex-HUD Chief to Begin
September 7, 1999
Former housing secretary Henry Cisneros, a onetime Democratic Party star whose promising political career was derailed by scandal, returns to Washington to stand trial on criminal charges accusing him of lying to the FBI about $250,000 in alleged "hush money" he paid to a former mistress.

Counsel Has Previous HUD Connections
August 30, 1999
David M. Barrett, the independent counsel prosecuting former housing secretary Henry Cisneros, brings a unique perspective to the job: Before Barrett was selected to investigate Cisneros, his own dealings with high-ranking officials at the Department of Housing and Urban Development were scrutinized by an independent counsel looking into a Reagan administration scandal.

Cisneros Accuser Admits Lying to Prosecutors
June 27, 1999
Defense lawyers have exposed serious weaknesses in the case against Cisneros, including an admission from the star witness that she had lied in 11 meetings with investigators.

Cisneros's Ex-Mistress Testifies
June 22, 1999
Cisneros's ex-mistress testified in federal court that he lied to FBI agents about their relationship.

Counsel Can Try Cisneros
March 10, 1999
A federal appeals court upheld an independent counsel's right to bring Cisneros to trial.

Henry & Linda: A Painful Story of Public Service and Private Anguish
February 2, 1998
The case against Henry Cisneros is a frankly voyeuristic cliche of sex, lies and audio tape – a spelunking expedition into the anguished soul of a politician.

Cisneros's Ex-Mistress Pleads Guilty
January 16, 1998
Linda Jones, the ex-mistress of former housing secretary Henry Cisneros, pleaded guilty in Lubbock, Tex. to 28 felony counts including conspiracy and bank fraud.

Cisneros Pleads Not Guilty
January 9, 1998
Former housing secretary Henry Cisneros pleaded not guilty to felony charges that he lied to the FBI about paying $250,000 in hush money to a former mistress.

Ex-Housing Chief Cisneros Indicted
December 12, 1997
Former housing secretary Henry Cisneros was indicted by a federal grand jury on 18 felony counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI involving more than $250,000 in payments he made to an ex-mistress. (See the complete text of the indictment.)

Cisneros Sums Up
January 8, 1997
Henry Cisneros, the former mayor of San Antonio, came to Washington flush with enthusiasm to help the nation's cities. But he found many frustrations in his four years at the helm of HUD, a department that was badly demoralized by scandal during the Reagan administration.

Cisneros to Leave a Legacy of Public Housing Reform
November 30, 1996
Henry Cisneros spent countless hours during his four-year tenure pleading the case of the mammoth federal agency while Congressional appropriators cut its budget.

Independent Counsel, Witness in Probe at Odds
November 16, 1996
A rift has developed between the independent counsel investigating Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros and one of the probe's star witnesses, Cisneros's former mistress, sources close to the investigation said.

Cisneros to Pay $49,000 to Settle Suit
By Former Mistress
May 29, 1995
Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros agreed to pay his former mistress $49,000 to settle the 1994 lawsuit that prompted an independent counsel investigation into false statements he made to the FBI.

Special Counsel Sought to Investigate Cisneros
March 15, 1995
Attorney General Janet Reno has concluded that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros misled the FBI about payments to his former mistress, Linda Medlar. Reno asked a three-judge panel to appoint an independent counsel to determine whether he criminally concealed information or conspired with Medlar to do so.

Warning Signs Failed to Alarm Clinton Team
March 15, 1995
The tale of Henry Cisneros illustrates a recurring problem for the Clinton administration: Either from political hubris or political need, the White House has repeatedly turned away from warning signals that emerged in FBI background checks or initial candidate interviews only to face a full-blown embarrassment weeks or months or years later.

Regarding Henry :
The HUD Secretary's Unforgettable Affair
October 12, 1994
They might have made quite a pair, the big-haired blond Anglo fund-raiser and the elegant Latino mayor with the presidential ambitions, but they never got a chance to show it off. And they almost certainly never will.

Cisneros Sued for $256,000 by Former Lover
July 30, 1994
A Texas woman sued Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros for $256,000, alleging he ceased making promised monthly payments to compensate her for "anguish," "emotional distress" and loss of livelihood following the end of their three-year love affair.