Critics, Supporters Alike Call Him Tough, Aggressive : Pentagon Fraud Prober Unruffled by Publicity

It’s not that Henry E. Hudson, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, admits to feeling any pressure.

But the man in charge of what some in government believe is the largest fraud investigation in the history of the Pentagon concedes that the relentless newspaper, television and radio accounts of the unfolding scandal have created certain expectations.

“I liken myself to a pitcher in the ninth inning,” Hudson says, facing “the last batter, with three balls and two strikes.”

The pressure has increased recently as news organizations and some of the apparent subjects of the investigation have demanded that Hudson make public some of the still-sealed search warrant affidavits that outline the prosecution’s case. So far, Hudson has not blinked.

This is not the first time that the 40-year-old prosecutor has found himself in the spotlight. As chief prosecutor in suburban Arlington County, Va., the Democrat-turned-conservative-Republican drew fire from defense attorneys who contended that he was often inflexible and that his pursuit of vice and obscenity cases was overly zealous.

Defense attorney James E. Lowe said of Hudson’s prosecutors: “There wasn’t enough vice in Arlington County to keep them happy.”

When Hudson served as chairman of the presidential Commission on Pornography in 1985 and 1986, civil libertarians complained he and his fellow commissioners were trying to impose their conservative moral standards on the country. One lawsuit alleged that a letter mailed on the commission’s behalf resulted in the effective blacklisting of Playboy and Penthouse magazines by several retail chains.

Hudson replied: “I have always attempted to have a policy of firmness and fairness. I think I’m sensitive to the infirmities of individuals, whether they be the victim or the defendant. I’m also appreciative of the impact that crime has in the community.”

Hudson stands by the conclusions of the Commission on Pornography. “I’m still strongly committed to the idea that people should not exploit women and children for the purpose of satisfying their sexual appetites,” he insisted. But he noted pointedly that the controversial letter to the men’s magazine distributors “was not something that was done by me.”

Believes In His Cause

For all the complaints, critics and supporters generally agree that Hudson is a tough, aggressive lawyer who honestly believes in the righteousness of his cause.

“I think he’s a fair-minded, very hard-nosed prosecutor,” said Plato Cacheris, a Washington defense lawyer who has known Hudson for years.

“I think Henry is a guy who will always be a prosecutor and would never be comfortable being a defense lawyer. I consider that a weak point,” Cacheris added. “(But) it’s not a question of venality or unfairness; he honestly believes in it.”

“He is a very good attorney,” said Helen Fahey, who served as Hudson’s chief aide in the Arlington County Commonwealth Attorney’s office and who succeeded him as the county’s top prosecutor. “He is thoroughly professional and a very competent administrator.”

Fahey characterized Hudson’s outstanding qualities as “diligence and perseverance,” both of which, others said, will serve him well as the Pentagon investigation continues.

Born in Washington to civilian employees of the Navy, Hudson was graduated from high school in Arlington. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington’s American University and studied law there at night.

After he was admitted to the bar in 1974, he served as an assistant county prosecutor in Arlington and then as an assistant U.S. attorney in the office he now heads. He was elected as chief Arlington County prosecutor in 1979 and served in that post until his nomination as U.S. attorney was confirmed by the Senate in June, 1986.

In both jobs, Hudson has aggressively pursued both street crime and white-collar crime. “They both have a devastating effect on society,” he said.

It is allegations involving white-collar crime that now consume Hudson and his staff.

The wide-ranging Pentagon fraud investigation, which became public last month after the FBI searched more than 40 homes and offices across the country, began quietly in 1986 when Navy investigators brought a complaint to the FBI’s Alexandria office, where Hudson’s office is situated as well.

The investigation originated with a former Navy employee who, after going into private industry, was approached by a defense industry consultant who offered to sell him classified information.

Some Justice Department officials fear Hudson will not be able to manage the investigation, which is spread from coast to coast. They point to the premature release of some search warrants and FBI affidavits by courts in St. Louis and Dallas as evidence of Hudson’s failure to keep tight management control over the still-expanding probe.

Hudson fought hard to keep the case, and former Assistant Atty. Gen. William F. Weld decided it should remain with Hudson’s office rather than be managed from Justice Department headquarters.

Asked whether he had political ambitions, Hudson said: “I might very well decide to run for office again. I don’t have my eye on any specific office, and I don’t have any specific plans.”

A remark recently quoted in the Washington Post may be telling. Hudson refused to discuss the comment, saying he had not expected it to be published.

“It won’t be long,” Hudson was quoted as saying jokingly, “before I can deny I was on the (pornography) commission. I can say, ‘Yeah, it was some guy from Arlington, but I don’t know him.’ ”