Word: steinfuls
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
After Washington Attorney Jacob Stein took on the court-appointed task last April of investigating Presidential Counsellor Edwin Meese's tangled personal finances, Democrats promptly asked him to assess Meese's fitness to serve as Attorney General. Meese's lawyers, on the other hand, urged Stein to declare that "the evidence does not substantiate the loose charges of moral turpitude against Mr. Meese." Stein refused to take either course. In a 385-page report, which was made public last week, Stein concluded that he found no evidence that would support any criminal charges against the President...
...White House briefing, Meese happily embraced the Stein report. He said it confirmed that he and his wife "have never taken advantage of an official position to obtain private gain." His ordeal, Meese said, had taught him "the need for constant vigilance and sensitivity, not only to actual conduct but also to how conduct may be perceived." President Reagan said that if reelected, he would resubmit the Meese nomination when the new Senate meets in January...
...Stein, a prominent defense lawyer, had considered eleven allegations against Meese. Many of them involved his acceptance of personal financial favors from people who later acquired federal jobs. Repeatedly, Stein concluded that there was no evidence showing a direct connection between the generosity to Meese and the appointments. In most cases, those who acquired the Government posts, Stein noted, were supporters of the President who may have gained their positions without any help from Meese...
...Stein, one of Washington's top criminal-defense lawyers, began his investigation with six issues under study. They included Meese's role in the appointment of at least five people to Government jobs after they helped him get over financial difficulties created when he left California late in 1980 as the Reagan Administration was preparing to take office. The inquiry gradually expanded to five more questions, including payments to Meese from two private funds used to help finance transition planning. Stein called 45 witnesses before the grand jury, among them Presidential Aides James Baker and Michael Deaver...
Meese may say that the investigation has cleared a him of wrongdoing. "You'd really have to have it in−for him to translate this stuff into criminal behavior," Stein has told others close to the investigation. Stein's report, however, is expected to portray Meese as an incompetent administrator who has been unable to select high-caliber aides or to keep his personal finances straight. Stein is known to believe that his report will make it even more difficult for Meese to win Senate confirmation. Republican Strom Thurmond, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said...