Saturday Morning News

Clinton's Lawyers Promise Vigorous Defense Against Disbarment

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MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In political news this morning, President Clinton's lawyer says Mr. Clinton will vigorously defend himself against a lawsuit designed to disbar him. The Arkansas State Supreme Court committee yesterday took the unprecedented step of suing a sitting president to strip him of his law license.

CNN's Kelly Wallace is joining us live from the White House with reaction.

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Miles.

This is certainly not welcome news here at the White House, but it is something, as you mentioned, the president's legal team says they will vigorously fight and it is something they say they fundamentally disagree with.

Back in May, the Arkansas State Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct recommended that Mr. Clinton be disbarred, and yesterday the committee took the next step in the process, formally filing a lawsuit with the court.

The five-page complaint charges the president with, quote, "serious misconduct," and more specifically defines that conduct as "dishonesty, deceit, fraud and misrepresentation by the lawyer."

The lawsuit stems from the president's testimony back in 1998 in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit concerning his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. During that testimony, Mr. Clinton was asked if he had ever had an extramarital affair with Miss Lewinsky. The president replied, no. Later, he did acknowledge having an inappropriate relationship with her.

Now after that testimony, months after, the judge in the Paula Jones case cited the president for contempt of court, accusing him of lying under oath and referring the case to the state's disciplinary committee. Also, a conservative group, the Southeastern Legal Foundation, filed a complaint with the committee charging that the president should be disbarred.

As for what happens next, the president's attorneys have 30 days to respond. They will not claim that the president did nothing wrong, they will just argue that he should not be punished with disbarment. They will try to make the case that he should not be the first sitting U.S. president to lose his law license -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Kelly, while that fight continues the president now focusing on what has been the topic in Washington this past week: campaign fund-raising reform. What's in store today?

WALLACE: That;'s exactly right. Later this morning, Miles, the president will sign into law what will be the first new campaign finance law in more than two decades. The measure, which was passed by the House and Senate this week, will affect so-called "527 groups" and will require these tax-exempt organizations to reveal where they are getting their money and how they are spending it.

And during a statement later this morning, the president is expected to applaud lawmakers for this action, but he is also going to call on them to do more and to take additional steps when it comes to campaign finance reform, such as banning soft money, and that is the unregulated contributions by corporations and other big donors -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Thanks very much. CNN's Kelly Wallace at the White House.

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