Castle Grande - Susan McDougal

Susan McDougal

Federal regulators said “The indictment against Susan McDougal details a series of grand jury questions about Hillary Clinton and Castle Grande that Mrs. McDougal refused to answer.

During the grand jury McDougal stated her full name "for the record," then refused to answer any additional questions. Her testimony included the response "Get another independent counsel and I'll answer every question.". U.S. District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright sentenced her to prison confinement for civil contempt of court related to McDougal's unwillingness to answer "three questions." One of those questions concerned whether President Bill Clinton lied in his testimony during her Whitewater trial, particularly when he denied any knowledge of an illegal $300,000 loan.

From September 9, 1996 until March 6, 1998, McDougal spent the maximum possible 18 months in prison for civil contempt, including 8 months in solitary confinement. Immediately afterward, on March 7, 1998, she began serving the two-year sentence for her conviction in 1996. Soon after, the Office of Independent Counsel indicted McDougal on criminal contempt-of-court charges, and charged her with obstruction of justice.

After serving four months on the Whitewater fraud conviction, McDougal was released for medical reasons.

After her release, McDougal's embezzlement trial in California began. McDougal was acquitted of all twelve counts of embezzlement later in 1998. A suit in 1999 against Nancy Mehta for malicious prosecution was settled out of court.

McDougal's trial for criminal contempt-of-court and obstructon of justice charges began in March 1999. The jury hung 7-5 in favor of acquittal for contempt of court, and found her not guilty on the charge of obstruction of justice.

McDougal received a full Presidential pardon from outgoing President Bill Clinton in the final hours of his presidency in 2001. (See List of people pardoned by Bill Clinton)

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