Court blocks bid to make Clinton lawsuit defendant
A Los Angeles appeals court denied a bid to reinstate Senator Hillary Clinton as a defendant in a lawsuit that claims she, her husband, ex-US president Bill Clinton, and others induced a former supporter to finance a 2000 fund-raising gala.
The 2nd District Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s decision to remove the New York senator and Democratic presidential candidate from a lawsuit filed by Peter Paul. It also said Clinton could recoup legal costs.
Clinton’s lawyer, David Kendall, praised the ruling as one that found “no evidence of misconduct by Senator Clinton in regard to the 2000 fund raiser”.
Paul said he would consider appealing to the California Supreme Court.
He claims he spent more than £900,000 to underwrite the lavish Hollywood fund-raising gala in August 2000 that attracted Brad Pitt, Diana Ross and Cher.
Paul said he financed the event and other fund raisers for Hillary Clinton because Bill Clinton agreed to join the board of his company, Stan Lee Media, after he left the White House.
Paul has said the event cost nearly £1 million, but campaign reports at the time estimate it was about £250,000. Clinton did not end up working with Paul.
The Hollywood fund raiser was the subject of a criminal trial of Clinton’s former national finance director, David Rosen, who was acquitted in May 2005 of lying to the Federal Election Commission about the event.
Superior Court Judge Aurelio Munoz dismissed Hillary Clinton from Paul’s lawsuit in April 2006, citing a California law aimed at reducing frivolous lawsuits and protecting people’s constitutional rights.
Paul’s lawyers argued last month in front of the appellate court that Hillary Clinton broke federal campaign finance laws by helping plan the Hollywood fund raiser.
