Cisneros probe goes on, 6 years after plea

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Six years after former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros admitted lying to the FBI, an independent counsel continues to probe his affairs.

The Government Accountability Office issued an audit Friday that found David Barrett's office spent $930,742 from October 2004 to March 2005 on the investigation, which is now a decade old and has cost $21 million.

Cisneros, who was later pardoned by President Clinton, pleaded guilty in 1999 to lying about payments he made to a former girlfriend and paid a $10,000 fine. Barrett's office released its report 13 months ago.

But the office continues to function. A breakdown of expenses in the six-month period includes: $464,009 for pay and benefits; $24,014 for travel; $236,316 for rent, phone bills and utilities; $103,233 for contractors, mainly legal retainers; and $74,178 for administrative services.

The Post said the investigation has lasted longer than any other special counsel probe and has cost more than any other -- except the investigation into the Iran-Contra affair.

The Senate voted this year to remove funding for Barrett's office, but Republicans in the House refused to go along.