Espy Trial Underway,
To Take Two Months

WASHINGTON — Jury selection began last Thursday in the trial of former Clinton administration Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, charged with taking $35,000 in illegal gifts from companies regulated by his agency, including a major Clinton backer, Tyson Foods Inc.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina was expected to take several days to interview the 120 members of the jury pool. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin this Thursday with the trial lasting less than two months, said Ted Greenberg, deputy to Independent Counsel Donald Smaltz.

Espy, who has pleaded innocent to all 35 counts against him, resigned in 1994 because of the investigation.

The former Mississippi congressman is accused of accepting illegal gifts that included travel, sports tickets and luggage. He is also accused of repeatedly lying to investigators about acceptance of gifts.

Smaltz's investigation, which started in September 1994, has led to a number of guilty pleas, both among Espy's former staff and within the agricultural industry.

Just this week, a federal judge affirmed the conviction of Tyson Foods lobbyist Jack Williams, convicted of lying to investigators about gifts to Espy. The conviction of another Tyson executive, Archie Schaffer, was overturned by the same judge.

Tyson Foods, based at Springdale, Ark., has already been fined $6 million after pleading guilty to giving Espy more than $12,000 in gifts.

Other convictions include Espy's former chief of staff, Ronald H. Blackley, who was sentenced to more than two years in prison in March for failing to disclose $22,000 he received from Mississippi associates dealing with the Agriculture Department and later trying to cover it up. He is free on bail pending appeal.

Also, former Espy friend and lobbyist Richard Douglas was fined $3100 in July after admitting he gave Espy more than $17,000 worth of illegal gratuities, including money to help pay off the campaign debt of Espy's brother Henry, who made an unsuccessful bid for Mike Espy's former congressional seat.