McDougal To Get Another Judge

A federal judge has stepped aside from presiding over Susan McDougal's criminal contempt case

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Wright is the judge who last month dismissed the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton.

President Clinton's former Whitewater business partner, McDougal was indicted Monday on new charges related to her refusal to tell a grand jury what she knows about President and Mrs. Clinton's business dealings.

The indictment, handed down by a Little Rock grand jury here is completing its last week of work, charged Mrs. McDougal with two counts of criminal contempt of court and one count of obstruction of justice.

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The charges come nearly two years after she first refused to testify before a federal grand jury after being convicted by a jury on fraud charges related to the failed savings and loan at the center of the original Whitewater investigation.

McDougal has already served 18 months for civil contempt for refusing to answer questions before the grand jury, the maximum time a federal judge can order.

She was freed in March and is currently serving a prison sentence for the fraud charges stemming from her 1996 trial.

She was brought back before the grand jury again last month and again refused to answer prosecutors' questions.

William Henley, Mrs. McDougal's brother, said before the indictment that she expected to take any new charges to trial so that she can present evidence concerning recent allegations that a key prosecution witness may have received financial assistance from conservative critics of President Clinton.

"I think it is going to give us an opportunity to show what a tainted investigation this wasÂ…If it will give us the opportunity bring evidence forward and to bring witnesses forward, Susan is more than willing to go through this," Henley said.