NYPost

HILL AND BILL'S LEGAL-DEFENSE FUND DRYING UP

By VINCENT MORRIS

July 31, 2001 -- WASHINGTON - Donations to the Clintons' legal defense fund have screeched to a halt now that Bill Clinton has left office and he and Hillary are raking in big bucks, according to a report obtained by The Post.

Just 101 people gave Bill and Hillary $6,744 during the last three months - a far cry from the $260,000 that thousands of contributors gave in the three months prior to that.

It's also way off the $750,000 that the Clintons raised during a six-month period last year or the more than $8.7 million that thousands of Americans have given the Clintons since the Sexgate scandal buried the ex-president under a mountain of legal bills.

It is believed the Clintons still have legal bills of about $4 million.

The Clintons intend to keep the legal defense fund up and running, although their own wealth is skyrocketing.

Hillary Clinton signed an $8 million book deal and is paid $145,000 a year as a senator.

Bill Clinton has given dozens of speeches paying over $100,000 each and is said to be working on his own book deal, which could easily hit $8 million.

For the latest report , the Clintons list a $184,000 payment to David Kendall's law firm and another $61,000 payment to the firm of Robert Bennett. Kendall handled Bill Clinton's impeachment, while Bennett defended him in the Paula Jones suit.

The Post reported last year that Hillary Clinton decided to take over the couple's legal expense trust fund once her husband left the White House on Jan. 20.

The lawyers who serve as trustees to the legal defense fund ceased all direct-mail appeals near the end of last year and closed the fund's office.

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001