The following list provides the names of the independent counsels (called "specialprosecutors" until 1983) who had been appointed by the special Division of the Court for AppointingIndependent Counsels, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, upon applicationfrom the Attorney General of the United States under the provisions originally enacted in the Ethicsin Government Act of 1978. (1) The list sets out in summary fashion the areas or subjects ofinvestigation by the independent counsel and briefly highlights the results of those investigations. The cost information for investigations is also included, derived either from published reports of theaudits by the Government Accountability Office (GAO, formerly the General Accounting Office),when that agency began auditing under the statute, or as set out in a Senate Committee onGovernmental Affairs report from information received from the Department of Justice aboutinvestigations prior to 1985. (2) The most current information on costs was derived by adding andcumulating the total expenditures (including unaudited amounts from other federal agencies and theamounts reimbursed to individuals for attorneys' fees when those figures are available) from thesix-month GAO audit reports on the independent counsel expenditures. (3) The list of independent counsels and special prosecutors includes those appointed by theSpecial Division of the Court, whose appointments were made a matter of public record. Noted alsoas "sealed" are those independent counsels whose identity and/or prosecutorial jurisdiction have beenkept confidential. Under the former federal law governing independent counsels, information on theappointment of independent counsels and on the targets of an investigation was generally to be keptconfidential unless the Division of the Court deemed it to be in the public interest to release, orunless and until an indictment or criminal information had been returned. (4) Total Costs of Investigations. There have been 20 independent counsel or specialprosecutor investigations initiated under the statutory mechanisms originally enacted as part of theEthics in Government Act of 1978. These investigations, according to reports from the Departmentof Justice concerning early special prosecutor and independent counsel investigations, and laterpublished audits from the Government Accountability Office, have cost, as of September 30, 2005,a total of approximately $228,712,589. Independent Counsel Law Expiration and Appointment of "Special Counsels." Thestatutory provisions for the appointment of independent counsels expired under a five year "sunset"provision at the end of June, 1999, when the law was not reauthorized by Congress, and thus no newindependent counsels may be appointed by the Special Division of the Court. Under the generalauthority of the Attorney General of the United States, however, the Attorney General may hire andappoint temporary personnel within the Department of Justice or reassign personnel within theDepartment to conduct investigations and prosecutions on behalf of the United States. Regulationsgoverning the selection and procedures of "special counsels" appointed by the Attorney General werepromulgated in 1999. (5) In addition to the statutory "independent counsel" investigations, there have been other "specialcounsel" investigations for which separate cost figures have been released. It was reported by GAOthat Robert Fiske's portion of the investigation of "Whitewater," prior to the 1994 reauthorizationof the Independent Counsel law, cost $6,073,000; (6) and that former Senator John Danforth's special counselinvestigation of the Waco incident has expended $15,536,793. (7) In addition, under the general statutory authority of the Attorney General to hire staff andoversee the conduct of federal criminal investigations and prosecutions, the Justice Department onDecember 30, 2003, designated Patrick Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern Districtof Illinois, as the "Special Counsel" to investigate the alleged unauthorized disclosure of a CIAemployee's identity. The Government Accountability Office ruled that the expenses for theinvestigation by Special Counsel Fitzgerald, although he was not appointed under the standing"Special Counsel" regulations promulgated by the Department of Justice, could be paid from thepermanent, indefinite appropriation for Independent Counsels in the Department of Justice, (8) and has indicated that the totalexpenses of that office, as of September 31, 2005, have been $902,118. (9) Results of Independent Counsel Investigations. Of the 20 independent counselinvestigations that were initiated under the former statutory mechanism, in a majority of the cases-- specifically in 12 of the investigations -- no indictments were brought against anyone investigated. Of the 8 investigations which did return at least one indictment, in 3 of those instances there was noindictment brought against the principal Government official originally named as the subject ortarget of that independent counsel's investigation. (10) In the remaining 5 investigations where the Federal officialnamed as the principal subject of the investigations was indicted, in 3 of such instances that principalGovernment official indicted was either acquitted, (11) or his conviction was overturned on appeal or remanded forre-trial and the matter dropped by the prosecution. (12) Thus, of the 20 independent counsel investigations initiated,although several independent counsel investigations resulted in multiple convictions of personsrelating either to the original subject matter or a peripheral matter, including the convictions offederal officials and former federal officials involved, only two federal officials who were actuallythe named subjects of the 20 investigations were finally convicted of or pleaded guilty to the chargesbrought. In the Independent Counsel Seymour investigation of presidential aide Michael Deaver,Mr. Deaver was convicted of the "collateral" offense of perjury, and received a suspended sentenceand a fine; while in the Independent Counsel Barrett investigation of Secretary Cisneros, Mr.Cisneros pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge, was fined, and was eventually pardoned by thePresident. The special prosecutors and independent counsels appointed by a special judicial panel at therequest of the Attorney General, under the provisions of federal law originally enacted in the Ethicsin Government Act of 1978, have included: 1. Arthur H. Christy (appointed November 29, 1979). Investigated allegations concerningPresident Carter's Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan, regarding alleged cocaine use. In his final report,the special prosecutor found "insufficient evidence to warrant the bringing of criminal charges." (13) Final report filed May 28,1980. Cost of investigation: $182,000. (14) 2. Gerald J. Gallinghouse (appointed September 9, 1980). Investigated allegationsconcerning President Carter's national campaign manager Tim Kraft, regarding alleged cocaine use. In the final report, the special prosecutor found the allegations "so unsubstantiated that it did notwarrant further investigation." (15) Report filed January 15, 1982. Cost of investigation:$3,300. (16) 3. Leon Silverman (appointed December 29, 1981). Investigated allegations concerningPresident Reagan's Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan, regarding bribery of labor unionofficials and certain connections to organized crime. The special prosecutor found "insufficientevidence to warrant any prosecution" and no "credible evidence" concerning the allegations in finaland supplemental investigative reports, filed June 25, 1982, and September 1982. (17) The cost of thisinvestigation was $318,000. (18) Further investigation commenced on June 11, 1985, uponreferral to investigate alleged false testimony before grand jury. No indictments sought. Filed finalinvestigative report on November 30, 1988. The cost of the second investigation was $7,200. (19) 4. Jacob A. Stein (sworn in April 2, 1984). Investigated allegations concerning PresidentReagan's nominee for Attorney General, Edwin Meese, regarding his finances, financial disclosureand other allegations including trading in public offices. Independent counsel Stein found "no basiswith respect to any of the eleven allegations" for bringing criminal charges. (20) Final report issuedSeptember 20, 1984. The cost of the investigation was $312,000. (21) 5. Alexia Morrison (appointed May 29, 1986). Alexia Morrison was appointed after theresignation of independent counsel James C. McKay (appointed April 23, 1986), to investigateallegations concerning former Assistant Attorney General Theodore B. Olson allegedly giving falsetestimony to Congress regarding the EPA "superfund" inquiry. Found that "there is insufficientcredible evidence" of false statements or obstruction of justice, that any prosecution based oncongressional testimony "would confront certain legal obstacles which would, at the minimum, cloudthe prospects for success," and that "there is no evidence" of a conspiracy to obstruct a congressionalcommittee's inquiry. (22) Final report released March 14, 1989. The cost of the investigation was $2,141,000. (23) 6. Whitney North Seymour Jr. (appointed May 29, 1986). Investigated charges concerningformer President Reagan aide Michael K. Deaver, regarding alleged violations of post-employmentconflict of interest laws in representing certain foreign clients before the White House after leavinggovernment employment. Michael Deaver was convicted, December 16, 1987, on three counts ofperjury. He was sentenced on September 23, 1988, to three years probation and fined$100,000. (24) Theindependent counsel's final report filed August 16, 1989. The cost of the investigation was$1,552,000. (25) 7. Lawrence E. Walsh (appointed December 19, 1986). Was named to investigate potentialcriminal misconduct of Lt. Colonel Oliver North, and other government officials, in the so-called"Iran Contra" matter concerning sale of arms to Iran and the alleged diversion of profits from the saleto support the Contras in Nicaragua in violation of federal law.