Panel OKs Bill to Let Jordan Seek to Recover Costs

A House committee approved a bill Tuesday to allow former White House aide Hamilton Jordan to seek reimbursement for legal costs he paid during a 1979 investigation that cleared him of allegations of cocaine use.

The measure passed the House Judiciary Committee on a 20-4 vote and was sent to the House for consideration.

Allegations that Jordan, chief of staff to President Jimmy Carter, had used cocaine at a New York disco were investigated under the Ethics in Government Act. A special prosecutor was appointed to conduct the inquiry, which ended in May, 1980, with a grand jury concluding that the evidence did not support an indictment.

Rep. Dan Glickman (D-Kan.) noted that the ethics law was amended last year to permit reimbursement to government officials investigated but subsequently cleared of wrongdoing. The change, however, was not made retroactive.

As a result, Jordan--who Glickman said is “quite ill” with cancer--has no legal standing to recover the money he spent for attorney fees and related costs as a result of the investigation.

If the bill becomes law, Jordan would not be automatically entitled to repayment, but he would be able to apply to a federal court for reimbursement.

Dick Moe, a longtime friend of Jordan’s who has lobbied for passage of the measure, said Jordan’s total legal fees were about $67,000. Another legal source said Jordan still owes about $45,000.

Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III, who was the subject of a special prosecutor’s investigation before his confirmation, was awarded more than $472,000 in June for his legal expenses.