Webster Hubbell - Criminal Charges and Associated Litigation

Criminal Charges and Associated Litigation

On June 28, 1995, Judge George Howard sentenced Hubbell to 21 months' imprisonment. Hubbell had pled guilty. As part of his guilty plea, Hubbell entered an immunity agreement with independent counsel Kenneth Starr in exchange for his cooperation in the Whitewater investigation. He entered Federal Correctional Institution, Cumberland in August 1995, and was released from a half-way house in February 1997. Hubbell exercised daily and dropped nearly 100 pounds while he was in prison.

On April 30, 1998, Hubbell and his wife were indicted on 10 counts of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud. District Judge James Robertson threw out the charges on July 1, 1998, ruling that Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr had overstepped his authority in bringing forth the Hubbell indictment. Robertson also ruled that Starr had violated Hubbell's Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination by building a case that relied on materials collected under an immunity agreement with Hubbell. The prosecutor appealed to the Court of Appeals and the District Court was reversed. Hubbell then appealed to the United States Supreme Court. In an 8-1 decision (with Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist the lone dissenter), the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hubbell. See United States v. Hubbell, 530 U.S. 27 (2000).

On November 14, 1998, Hubbell was indicted by Kenneth Starr for a third time, this time for fraud and lying to the House Banking Committee and federal banking regulators.

On June 30, 1999, Hubbell entered into a new plea agreement with Starr, resolving the second and third indictments. Hubbell pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced to one year's probation.