Susan McDougal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan McDougal
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McDougal in 1996
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Susan Carol Henley
June 27, 1955 |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Spouse(s) | |
Susan Carol McDougal (born June 27, 1955) is a businesswoman. She became well-known because of her connection to the Whitewater controversy.
She spent time in prison for not answering questions from a special jury. These questions were about whether President Bill Clinton had told the truth during her court case. She was in jail for about 22 months in total.
In January 2001, President Clinton gave her a full pardon just before he left office.
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Early Life and Work
Susan Carol Henley was born in Heidelberg, West Germany. Her parents were James B. Henley and Laurette (Mathieu) Henley. In 1976, Susan married Jim McDougal. The McDougals were business partners with Bill and Hillary Clinton in a real estate company called Whitewater in the 1980s.
In the late 1980s, McDougal moved to Los Angeles, California. There, she worked as a personal assistant for Nancy Kovack, who was an actress. Later, McDougal was accused of taking money from the Mehtas. She prepared her defense and was found not guilty of these accusations in 1998.
The Whitewater Case
In 1994, a special investigator named Kenneth Starr began looking into the Whitewater case. Susan McDougal's federal trial started in 1996. A key witness, David Hale, said that President Bill Clinton had discussed an illegal loan with him and McDougal years earlier. At that time, Clinton was the Governor of Arkansas.
On May 28, 1996, McDougal was found guilty in the Whitewater case. She was sentenced to two years in prison. Her prison time began on March 7, 1998, after other court steps were finished. Her ex-husband, Jim McDougal, worked with the investigators and tried to get her to do the same to avoid prison.
McDougal did not follow her ex-husband's advice. Her sentencing hearing began on August 19, 1996. After the judge gave her a two-year prison sentence, she was asked to appear before another special jury.
Refusing to Testify
When McDougal appeared before the special jury, she refused to answer most questions. She later wrote that she was afraid of being accused of lying if she told her side of the story. She felt that the investigators had already decided to believe others' statements.
McDougal told the jury, "Get another independent counsel and I'll answer every question." She was criticized for not answering questions about whether President Clinton had lied during her trial. A judge then sentenced her for refusing to cooperate with the court.
Time in Prison
From September 9, 1996, to March 6, 1998, McDougal spent 18 months in prison for not cooperating. This included eight months where she was kept alone. She was also moved between different jails across the country.
McDougal was moved from Arkansas to Los Angeles, then to a transfer center in Oklahoma City, and finally to the Pulaski County Jail in Little Rock.
After her release on March 7, 1998, she began serving her two-year sentence for the 1996 Whitewater conviction.
Later, McDougal faced new charges for refusing to cooperate with the court. After serving four months for the Whitewater case, she was released for health reasons.
In March 1999, McDougal's trial for the new charges began. The jury could not agree on one charge and found her not guilty on another. In January 2001, President Clinton gave McDougal a full pardon.
Later Life
After leaving prison, Susan McDougal became a supporter of changes to the prison system. She also worked as a chaplain at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
See also
- List of people pardoned by Bill Clinton
- The Hunting of the President
