# "Only the little people pay their bills!" (Bill, Hillary stiff their lawyers) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 13, 2002, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857 "2002-05-13T17:57:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/1 "2002-05-13T17:57:27Z")
“Only the Little People Pay Taxes,” said Leona Helmsley, before she went to prison. Bill and Hillary Clinton have gone her one better. The Clintons have become fabulously wealthy since leaving the White House, but they’re still stiffing their lawyers, [according to the New York Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-05-13/News_and_Views/Beyond_the_City/a-150736.asp). > [@](#): > > The former President owes $1 million to Robert Bennett… > > The Clintons also are believed to be in seven-figure hock to David Kendall… > > A year ago, Clinton aides confirmed the former First Couple still owed $3.9 million in legal fees. Since the Clintons left the White House in January 2001, their legal defense fund has paid $254,000 to Kendall’s firm, Williams & Connolly, and $86,000 to Skadden Arps, Bennett’s firm… > > \*\*It’s possible the Clintons may have paid some of Kendall’s outstanding tab from their own pockets, but a Clinton loyalist said that was unlikely. \*\* (emphasis added) This last sentence is the giveaway: they don’t intend to pay their bills with their own money. It’s not as if they can’t afford to pay: > [@](#): > > the Clintons’ personal wealth includes $18 million in book advances and $10 million to $15 million that the ex-President has raked in for speeches. They also receive $302,000 a year in federal checks for his pension and her senatorial salary. It’s just that paying their bills is beneath them. Only the [sub]little[/sub] people pay their bills. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/2 "2002-05-13T18:13:35Z")
you know, this is pretty fucking tiring. you quote Leona Helmsely then semi attribute it to Bill and Hillary. Seems to me, those bills were a result of defending themselves against the Whitewater inquiry which resulted in **zero** charges against Hillary and the one lone unrelated to Whitewater itself charge against Bill (in other words when the investigation started, the charge about Monica hadn’t even happened). So, basically, you have two public figures who racked up a huge bill defending themselves. and other people have made contributions to help pay. Seems to me that, Wayne Newton paid to have Dana Plato bond out of jail - why aren’t you lambasting her, too? IT’s not any of your fucking business. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/3 "2002-05-13T18:23:26Z")
**December** , knock it off already. your one note has become tinny and unpleasant. You know, there is a fine tradition of conservative thought in Amaerican intellectual history: a dedication to free markets, upholding the Constitution, maintaining a sensible fiscal policy, and advocating the rights of the individual over the encroachment of government. Bitching about every little foible of a discredited ex-president is not part of that tradition. That’s just petty, mean-spirited partisan back-biting, and it is becoming extremely tiresome for you to keep posting OPS on whatever Rush was talking about that day. Find something else to post about. Please. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/4 "2002-05-13T18:30:28Z")
Well I have to disagree, it is the public’s business, because an independent counsel investigation and prosecution that results in a not guilty verdict entitles the persecuted to have their legal fees paid for by the public, kinda like the $50 million that Ken Starr and Robert Ray pocketed between their teams for bringing the bullshit up in the first place. As I and most of the nation recall, Hillary was never charged, entitling her to get her legal fees, and Bill Clinton was found not guilty in the Senate on all three charges. As such, why shouldn’t the public finish paying for the far right’s witch hunt as that is what the law requires? It seems that they are so big on upholding the letter of the law, except when it would ruin their political enemies. Oh, but wait, the original post doesn’t cover this point at all. Why is that? Why is Clinton hatred so one sided? Just part of the facts, and let’s twist those too. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/5 "2002-05-13T18:33:06Z")
What **gobear** said. The one-trick anti-liberal-Clinton-EU-Palestinian act is more than a touch tiring. Whatever valid points you have are quickly getting lost in the repetitive sludge of rent-a-comment cites and sneering digs. Please, keep posting, but change the tune. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/6 "2002-05-13T19:57:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Seems to me that, Wayne Newton paid to have Dana Plato bond out of jail - why aren’t you lambasting her, too? I know this is off subject, but ??? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/7 "2002-05-13T20:02:01Z")
**DPWhite** , didn’t Bill agree not to seek compensation as part of the deal by which the Inquisitor’s Office agreed not to see prosecution? Without a kind of a face-saving way out, Starr and Ray might still be at work. Megadittos on the comments re hatred. Limbaugh (or was it Paul Harvey who either lied or is not being properly credited by **december** here?) would blame Clinton for a rainy day. Fifty years hence, if they live that long, too, I’ll betcha. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/8 "2002-05-13T20:15:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElvisL1ves \* > **Limbaugh (or was it Paul Harvey who either lied or is not being properly credited by december here?) would blame Clinton for a rainy day.** But here in the home of Billy, rain is a good thing (for the time being). We’re in a drought warning/emergency condition currently. So do we blame him for today’s rain (or for the drought - I’m so confused) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/9 "2002-05-13T20:16:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PunditLisa \* > \*\*I know this is off subject, but ??? \*\* “I’ll take ‘things I can’t believe I know’ for $1000 Alex” [the answer is yes he did](http://www.eonline.com/On/Holly/Greatest/Facts/strokes.html) > [@](#): > > Wayne Newton bailed Dana Plato out of a Las Vegas jail after her arrest for robbing a video store with a pellet gun. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/10 "2002-05-13T20:32:52Z")
Did I ever tell you that I once slept with Wayne Newton? I did, but I don’t want to tell you the details. It set the river of my soul spinning into a vortex of emotions that I’m only now recovering from, and you wouldn’t understand. Is _anybody_ still paying attention to what Bill Clinton is doing? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/11 "2002-05-13T20:40:01Z")
Just **december**. Methinks he has a hardon for the former President. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/12 "2002-05-13T20:42:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sauron \* > **Did I ever tell you that I once slept with Wayne Newton? I did, but I don’t want to tell you the details. It set the river of my soul spinning into a vortex of emotions that I’m only now recovering from, and you wouldn’t understand.** Oh, Dee, you big tease! C’mon, spill, and I’ll tell you about the time Bob Goulet gave me a hand job behind the 7-11. It was _magical_. ---
**Author:** ![Melandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Melandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melandry)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/13 "2002-05-13T20:53:27Z")
If anyone should care, shouldn’t it be the Clintons’ lawyers? I’m sure that if they really wanted the money from the Clintons right away, they’d do something about it. Meanwhile, as long as the law firms don’t care that Bill and Hillary are taking their sweet time paying them back, why should I? ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/14 "2002-05-13T21:18:10Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by DPWhite_ > Well I have to disagree, it is the public’s business, because an independent counsel investigation and prosecution > that results in a not guilty verdict entitles the persecuted to have their legal fees paid for by the public, kinda like > the $50 million that Ken Starr and Robert Ray pocketed between their teams for bringing the bullshit up in the first > place. As I and most of the nation recall, Hillary was never charged, entitling her to get her legal fees, and Bill > Clinton was found not guilty in the Senate on all three charges. As such, why shouldn’t the public finish paying for > the far right’s witch hunt as that is what the law requires? It seems that they are so big on upholding the letter of > the law, except when it would ruin their political enemies. Cite? I’ve heard this elsewhere and I haven’t found its basis yet. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/15 "2002-05-13T21:43:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Melandry \* > If anyone should care, shouldn’t it be the Clintons’ lawyers? I’m sure that if they really wanted the money from the Clintons right away, they’d do something about it. Meanwhile, as long as the law firms don’t care that Bill and Hillary are taking their sweet time paying them back, why should I? We have a winner, folks! If the law firms are concerned about the bills, they can institute collection proceedings. If they don’t care about the debt–and they already profited hondsomely in publicity and prestige–then why should we? ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/16 "2002-05-13T21:59:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minty green \* > \*\*If the law firms … don’t care about the debt–and they already profited hondsomely in publicity and prestige–then why should we? \*\* If the law firms don’t care about the debt, I’ll eat my hat. **minty** and **Melandry** , can you supply examples of law firms who didn’t care about whether they collected millions of dollars that was owed to them? [Insert lawyer joke.] Do you think that the firms’ failure to have instituted collection proceedings might just have something to do with the fact that they’d be suing a sitting US Senator and an ex-President? 😃 I challenge you to find a cite that the Clinton’s law firms don’t care about collecting the money. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/17 "2002-05-13T22:05:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minty green \* > \*\*If the law firms … don’t care about the debt–and they already profited hondsomely in publicity and prestige–then why should we? \*\* If the law firms don’t care about the debt, I’ll eat my hat. **minty** and **Melandry** , can you supply examples of law firms who didn’t care about whether they collected millions of dollars that was owed to them? [Insert lawyer joke.] Do ya think the firms’ might be a tad uncomfortable about suing a powerful U.S. Senator and an ex-President? I challenge you to find a cite that the Clinton’s law firms don’t care about collecting the money. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/18 "2002-05-13T22:06:49Z")
And this is OUR problem, how? ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/19 "2002-05-13T22:41:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*And this is OUR problem, how? \*\* “I kicked a giant mouse in the butt! Do I have to draw you a picture?” – Homer Simpson ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857/20 "2002-05-13T22:59:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > I challenge you to find a cite that the Clinton’s law firms don’t care about collecting the money. You’re the one who’s all outraged. How about you show us they do care? I would think their silence is pretty indicative of apathy here. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-the-little-people-pay-their-bills-bill-hillary-stiff-their-lawyers/108857.md?page=2)