Winter Auction 2015 closing February 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2015
$10,000 was the maximum donation to the Trust allowed per individual per year with contributions from political action committees (PAC), corporations, or labor organizations not permitted. Donations could only be made by U.S. citizens who were not registered lobbyists or employed by the executive branch of the U.S. government. As a college student, David E. Kendall spent the summer of 1964 working in Mississippi to register voters. The experience led him to go to law school. After graduation, he served for a year as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White. He then worked for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund. Kendall has represented the Clintons in the matters involving Whitewater, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, impeachment, and illegal fundraising. He continues to represent them in civil litigation matters. In June 1994, the Presidential Legal Expense Trust was established by President and Mrs. Clinton to help pay legal bills resulting from the Whitewater real estate controversy and the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit. Three years later, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs chaired by Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson subpoenaed documents relating to contributions that Yah Lin "Charlie" Trie, an Arkansas restaurateur and friend of President Clinton, had delivered to the Trust. After questions were raised about their origins, the President returned the $639,000 that Trie had raised for his legal defense fund and the Democratic National Committee returned $645,000 that he solicited. Shortly thereafter, the Presidential Legal Expense Trust was dissolved.
On February 28, 1998, a new fund called the Clinton Legal Expense Trust was formed to raise money to continue paying the mounting legal expenses for Whitewater and Paula Jones, and for the new campaign fundraising controversy. Donations to the Trust were later used to pay legal fees resulting from the Monica Lewinsky matter and the President's impeachment. On May 22, 1999, two months after the Clintons signed the document here offered, in a Federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas, Charlie Trie pleaded guilty to two charges related to his political fundraising. He admitted giving false donor names to the Democratic National Committee's treasurer which were then submitted in a report to the Federal Election Commission.
This typed document signed and dated "Bill Clinton 3/7/99" as President and "Hillary Rodham Clinton/March 5, 1999" as First Lady, on a one page, 8.5" x 11" letter. Headed "Certification by President and Mrs. Clinton to Clinton Legal Expense Trust." In full "This will certify that we have incurred legal expenses in connection with fundraising matters, from November 1, 1998 to January 31, 1999, in an amount of $38,348.42 as reflected on the attached statement of Williams Connolly, dated March 3, 1999, as certified by David E. Kendall, Esq." Both the one page March 3, 1999 Williams Connolly "Statement for Legal Services Rendered" and the "Certification by Counsel" typed document signed "David E. Kendall/March 3, 1999." Referring to the statement, the Clintons continue "A total of $365,039.11 is presently due for billed but unpaid legal fees and expenses. We further certify that we are familiar with the legal services rendered, that we have read the Clinton Legal Expense Trust Indenture, dated February 17, 1998, and that we believe these legal expenses are appropriate for reimbursement by the Trust." PSA/DNA LOA.
This lot has a Reserve Price that has not been met.