William H. Kennedy III
William H. Kennedy III is an American lawyer from Arkansas who served as associate White House Counsel from 1993 to 1995.[1]
Law career
He served as a senior partner in the Rose Law Firm of Little Rock, Arkansas, with Hillary Clinton where he focused on commercial, corporate, real estate, and banking law.[2] In 1992 according to Kennedy financial disclosure he made 587,000 from his work at the Rose Law Firm.[3]
Clinton Administration
From 1993 until 1995, he served as an associate White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton before returning to Little Rock.[4] Two other Rose Law Firm partners, Vince Foster and Webb Hubbell, also joined the Clinton administration, but Kennedy was the only one to return to Little Rock without a scandal.[5] His main duty as was reviewing background checks on potential employees.[6]
In May 1993 Kennedy and travel office employee Catherine Cornelius pressured FBI agents to investigate Billy Dale and financial improprieties in the travel office. FBI agents who spoke with Kennedy said that he told them that if they did not open an investigation into Dale he would call in the IRS.[7][8] The agents opened an investigation despite them originally saying that evidence was insufficient for an investigation. Later Kennedy did pressure IRS commissioner Margaret Richardson into auditing Billy Dale according to white house memos.[8]
In 1994 during the aftermath of the Nannygate scandal Kennedy was found to have to failed to pay social security taxes for his maid. However Kennedy did eventually pay back the taxes he owed.[9][10][11]
In February 2001 Kennedy used his past connections to the Clinton administration to get Clinton to pardon his client Charles Wilfred Morgan III who spent 3 years in jail for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.[12]
President Clinton appointed Kennedy to the board of directors of the Student Loan Marketing Association, commonly known as Sallie Mae. Kennedy has been a member of the Dean's Executive Advisory Board and the Arkansas Executive forum of the University of Arkansas Walton College of Business Administration. He has been voted Attorney of the Year by VOCALS, a pro bono legal services organization in Arkansas.[13] He also has been president of the Downtown Kiwanis Club of Little Rock.[4]
Family
His father, William H. Kennedy Jr. (1917–1991), a former World War II Marine Corps officer and aide to President Franklin Roosevelt, was the first Arkansan to become president of the American Bankers Association in 1981.[14]
References
- ^ Dickenson, Mollie (1998-07-27). "Victim of circumstance". Salon. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ Wednesday, John Henry; Jan. 25; Read, 2006 11:54 Am 1 Min. "Bill Kennedy Takes General Counsel Post With Cooper Communities". Arkansas Business. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Clinton Aide Is Penalized in Tax Dispute : White House: Associate Counsel William H. Kennedy III is relieved of some duties. He had failed to pay Social Security levies for a nanny". Los Angeles Times. 1994-03-24. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
- ^ a b "Bill Kennedy Takes General Counsel Post With Cooper Communities". 2006-01-25. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
- ^ "Victim of circumstance". 1998-07-27. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
- ^ Devroy, Ann (1994-03-23). "CLINTON AIDE PAYS BACK TAXES". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
- ^ "Washingtonpost.com: For White House Travel Office, a Two-Year Trip of Trouble". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ a b "Luck of the Draw at IRS?". FreedomWorks. 2000-06-08. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "White House Aide Paid $1,352 in Back Taxes for Part-Time Nanny". Los Angeles Times. 1994-03-23. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ Devroy, Ann (1994-03-23). "CLINTON AIDE PAYS BACK TAXES". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "'Nanny tax' snags White House lawyer". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ "More Shady Clinton Pardons". National Review. 2001-02-16. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
- ^ "President Clinton Appoints William H. Kennedy III to the Board of Directors Of the Student Loan Marketing Association, A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of USA Education". Retrieved 2014-05-09.
- ^ "William H. Kennedy Jr.: chairman and CEO, National Bank of Commerce Pine Bluff, Arkansas". Retrieved 2014-05-09.