WASHINGTON – Sen. Charles Schumer, who said President Clinton committed perjury in the Paula Jones case, yesterday blasted the disbarment attempt against him as the product of a “kangaroo court.”
“The sentiment I would have is: ‘Enough is enough.’ They’ve already gotten their pound of flesh,” said Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The president’s lawyers and aides were mostly mum about how Clinton plans to fight disbarment, although sources said the president still insists he never technically lied when he denied having sex with Monica Lewinsky and testified he couldn’t recall being alone with her.
A six-member Arkansas lawyer-review panel recommended Monday that Clinton lose his law license for “serious misconduct” in the Paula Jones sex-harassment lawsuit.
The case next will be assigned to a county judge in Little Rock for a trial, with little chance of settlement before then.
Clinton could be forced to testify if the lawyer representing the disbarment panel calls him to the stand, said University of Arkansas law professor John DiPippa, an expert on legal ethics.
“There are advantages and disadvantages to him testifying. He opens himself up to cross-examination,” said DiPippa, who noted that almost all of the circuit court judges in Little Rock are Democrats.
DiPippa said he expects Clinton to try to postpone the case until next year to avoid testifying while he’s still in office.
At the White House, Schumer attacked the move to revoke Clinton’s law license, saying it’s the work of his enemies.
The senator dismissed a question about federal Judge Susan Webber Wright, who triggered the disbarment process when she found Clinton in contempt and fined him $90,000 for lying about sex with Lewinsky under oath – a finding Clinton never disputed.
Wright also sent her contempt finding to the Arkansas disbarment panel for disciplinary action.
But Wright never went any further in trying to persuade the panel to disbar Clinton, her clerk Barry Ward said yesterday.
During the 1998 House impeachment hearings, Schumer was one of the first Democrats to say he thought Clinton committed perjury, but he thought the offense was not serious enough to warrant impeachment.
White House spokesman Joe Lockhart refused to endorse Schumer’s view of the disbarment process, and Clinton’s private lawyer, David Kendall, didn’t return calls.
Kendall said Monday that he would “vigorously” fight disbarment in court, but Clinton said he didn’t plan to be on hand for any trial.
SIDEBAR: HERE’S WHAT LIES AHEAD
* The Arkansas lawyer-ethics panel sends its petition to disbar President Clinton to the Pulaski County Circuit Court in four to six weeks.
* The court randomly selects a judge to hear the disbarment case.
* Clinton has 30 days to respond the disbarment petition – and could ask the judge to delay the case until he’s out of office.
*The trial is much like a civil lawsuit, in which the panel sues to have Clinton disbarred- and can force him to testify.
*The judge can rule to disbar Clinton, issue a reprimand, suspend the president’s law license of throw out the case.
* Either side can appeal the judge’s ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court.