Susan McDougal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan McDougal
|
|
|---|---|
McDougal in 1996
|
|
| Born |
Susan Carol Henley
June 27, 1955 |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Spouse(s) | |
Susan Carol McDougal (born June 27, 1955) is a businesswoman who was involved in a real estate case known as the Whitewater controversy. She spent time in prison because she refused to answer questions for a special investigation.
She was asked if former President Bill Clinton had lied during her trial. When she would not answer, she was given a jail sentence for refusing to cooperate with the court. This is called contempt of court. She spent a total of 22 months in prison. In January 2001, President Clinton gave her a full pardon, which meant she was officially forgiven for her actions.
Contents
Early Life and Business
Susan Carol Henley was born in Heidelberg, West Germany, on June 27, 1955. In 1976, she married Jim McDougal. In the 1980s, the McDougals were involved in a real estate business deal with Bill and Hillary Clinton. This business deal later became known as the Whitewater controversy.
In the late 1980s, Susan McDougal moved to Los Angeles, California. There, she worked as a personal assistant for an actress named Nancy Kovack. Later, McDougal was accused of misusing money from the Kovacks. She prepared to defend herself against these accusations. After her time in prison for the Whitewater case, her trial in California began. In 1998, McDougal was found not guilty on all charges. She later filed a lawsuit against Nancy Kovack, saying she had been unfairly accused. This case was settled outside of court.
The Whitewater Case
The Whitewater controversy was a big investigation into a real estate company that Susan and Jim McDougal owned. This company had also involved Bill and Hillary Clinton. On August 5, 1994, a special investigator named Kenneth Starr began looking into the case.
Susan McDougal's trial started in 1996. A key witness, David Hale, claimed that 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 of her part in the Whitewater case. She was sentenced to two years in prison for fraud and conspiracy. Her prison time began on March 7, 1998. Before her sentencing, her ex-husband, Jim McDougal, started working with the special investigator's office. He tried to convince Susan to cooperate to avoid prison. Susan McDougal always said she had not done anything wrong.
Refusing to Answer Questions
After her sentencing, Susan McDougal was asked to appear before a special group called a grand jury. She stated her name but then refused to answer any other questions. In her book, she explained that she was afraid of being accused of lying if she told the grand jury what she believed was the truth. She felt that the investigators had already accepted other people's stories as true, even if she disagreed with them.
McDougal publicly refused to answer questions about whether President Clinton had lied during her trial. She was specifically asked if Clinton knew about an illegal $300,000 loan. Because she refused to answer, a judge sentenced her for contempt of court.
Time in Prison
From September 9, 1996, to March 6, 1998, Susan McDougal spent 18 months in prison for refusing to cooperate. This included eight months in solitary confinement, where she was kept alone. She also experienced "diesel therapy," which she described as being moved around the country to different jails.
She was moved from Arkansas to Los Angeles, then to a transfer center in Oklahoma City, and finally to a jail in Little Rock, Arkansas.
After her release on March 7, 1998, for contempt of court, McDougal began serving her two-year sentence for the 1996 Whitewater conviction. She was released after four months for health reasons.
Later, her trial for the accusations of misusing money in California began. In 1998, she was found not guilty on all 12 charges.
In March 1999, McDougal's trial for criminal charges of contempt of court began. The jury could not agree on a verdict for contempt of court. In January 2001, President Clinton gave McDougal a full pardon.
Life After Prison
After her time in prison, Susan McDougal became an advocate for prison reform. This means she worked to improve the prison system. She also served as a chaplain at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
See also
- List of people pardoned by Bill Clinton
