October 13, 1999
Web posted at: 5:04 p.m. EDT (2104 GMT)

WASHINGTON -- Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt will not face criminal charges in a probe over his denial of a casino license to an Indian tribe, the independent counsel investigating the Cabinet member said Wednesday.

A deputy to Independent Counsel Carol Bruce issued a statement saying Bruce was ending her 18-month investigation into whether Babbitt may have lied to a congressional committee when he described his role in rejecting the gambling permit.

"Regarding the perjury allegations, Ms. Bruce said she and her staff concluded that the evidence was insufficient to prove that Secretary Babbitt violated the statutes prohibiting perjury and false statements in his Senate testimony," Deputy Independent Counsel Cary Feldman's statement said.

Babbitt issued a statement Wednesday saying he was "gratified" by the decision. He thanked Bruce and her staff "for conducting a thorough and professional investigation" and said her decision was not surprising.

"As I have said from the beginning, all the employees of the Department of Interior who participated in the Hudson Casino decision acted with complete integrity," Babbitt said.

President Bill Clinton also applauded the decision.

"I was convinced that he would be vindicated," Clinton said. "Secretary Babbitt's record of superb stewardship of our nation's lands speaks for itself, and I look forward to his continuing service to our country."

Tribal leaders and their attorney claimed Babbitt had bent to the will of competing and politically connected Indian groups who both opposed the license and had provided campaign contributions to the Clinton Administration.

Feldman also said Bruce and her staff had interviewed over 450 witnesses and reviewed 630,000 pages of documents before reaching their conclusion.

"The evidence ... would not support a finding of a criminal quid pro quo -- an explicit agreement between any opponent of the casino application and any government official involved in the Hudson decision to perform an official act in exchange for a political contribution," the Feldman's statement said.

Bruce was one of the independent counsels recommended by Attorney General Janet Reno, and appointed by a three-judge panel before the independent counsel statute expired this summer.

Wednesday, October 13, 1999

• Buchanan jumping to Reform Party
• Voting on test ban treaty growing more likely
• Independent counsel investigation of Babbitt ends with no charges
• AFL-CIO endorses Gore for Democratic nomination
• Clinton moves to protect 40 million acres of unspoiled forests
• First couple hosts millennium evening
• Senate turns aside filibuster threat on farm aid
• House passes bill to tighten 'date rape' drug restrictions
• Alabama rejects governor's plan for a lottery
• Colorado governor, lieutenant governor settle feud

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