Judge Dismisses Four Charges Against Espy

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Dec. 16) -- A federal judge dismissed four of the more serious charges facing former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, ruling that the laws in question do not apply to a member of the cabinet.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Monday the 1907 Federal Meat Inspection Act, which Espy was charged with violating three times, regulates the acceptance of gratuities by Agriculture Department inspectors, not its cabinet-level secretary.

Those three charges were the only ones filed against the former Agriculture secretary that carried mandatory prison sentences of one year. If convicted on any of the remaining counts, Espy could still be sent to jail at a judge's discretion.

In August, a grand jury indicted Espy on 39 counts of illegally accepting gifts and favors worth more than $35,000 from major businesses working with the Agriculture Department while he headed the agency in 1993 and 1994. He was also charged with lying to investigators and trying to cover up those activities.

Under the indictment, Espy was accused of violating the meat inspection law by allowing Tyson Food Inc. to pay for travel and food expenses as well as skybox tickets to a football playoff game. Those charges were tossed out by Urbina.

The judge also dismissed a fourth count of lying to former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta during the White House's internal investigation into the gifts.

Espy's trial is set to begin March 30. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

In Other News:

Tuesday Dec. 16, 1997

• Clinton Declares '97 'A Banner Year'
• Reno Not Expanding Casino Investigation
• Report: Separate The Sexes In Military Training
• Reno Defends Lee Decision
• Judge Dismisses Four Charges Against Espy
• Freeh, Clinton Display Strained Relations
• Freeh: 'No Closed Aspects' To Campaign Task Force Probe