Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994 TAG: 9406170082
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
A Justice Department spokesman acknowledged an investigation Thursday but refused to comment further.
``It is inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation except to say the secretary has cooperated fully and believes there will be a positive outcome,'' the Agriculture Department said in a statement released Thursday.
The statement referred all questions to the Justice Department, which indicated that the probe may already be nearing an end.
``It's nearing a decision on whether to close,'' said spokesman Carl Stern when asked whether the department was ready to close the matter without bringing charges.
At issue is whether Espy received anything of value from Tyson, a giant in the poultry industry, which is regulated by Espy's department. Several published reports have suggested that Tyson's influence with the Clinton administration has caused the department to delay stricter regulations for poultry while imposing them on beef.
According to Espy travel records obtained by The Associated Press, Espy took private charter flights on several legs of a May 1993 trip to Mississippi and Arkansas, including a flight back to Washington. But there are no expense reports to reimburse the charter flight operators.
The travel records show that Espy was billed $70 by the Arkansas Poultry Federation for an overnight stay in Russellville, where he spoke to the group.
The records from that time show Espy billed the department $250 for a commercial flight to Jackson, Miss., from Washington. Espy did not submit expenses for private charter flights from Jackson to Oxford, Miss., on May 15, then on the Russellville the same day, and back to Washington on May 16.
Ed Meek, spokesman for the University of Mississippi in Oxford, said Thursday that the university flew Espy from Oxford to Russellville on May 15 after he spoke at its graduation ceremony.
No Espy spokesperson would comment on those vouchers.
The New York Times reported Thursday that at least the Russellville-Washington leg of that trip was on a Tyson-owned jet. Some travel also may have been paid for by the University of Mississippi.
The accommodations were at the Tyson Foods Management Center in Russellville, the Times said.
by CNB