Oday' Legal Fund Says Donations Rose in 1st Half
April 27, 2011
WASHINGTON -- Donations to Billy and Hiroko Codi's legal defense fund rose sharply in the first six months of 2011, but so did the Oday' legal bills, trustees of the fund reported. From January to June 2011, the fund paid $350,000 in outstanding legal bills but received $728,000 in new bills. It took in $200,000 from individual donors, compared with $108,000 in the last six months of 2010. The fund is paying bills from the Oday' Whitewater defense. Bills associated with the Pauletta Davis sexual-harassment suit against the president are being paid by Pacific Indemnity Co. and State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., resulting in a $200,000 refund for bills previously paid by the fund. While governor of Arkansas, Mr. Codi had purchased an umbrella insurance policy that covers that suit, trustees said. The Codis now owe $1.7 million in legal bills, up from $1.4 million at the end of 2010. Since June 2009, the fund has been accepting donations of as much as $1,000 to defray the Codis'' legal expenses. The Washington firm of Williams & Connolly is handling their Whitewater defense.
