Clintons’ Whitewater Legal Bills Hit $2.3 Million

President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton have incurred $2.3 million in legal bills in connection with the Whitewater investigation, officials of their legal defense fund said Wednesday.

The Presidential Legal Expense Trust reported taking in $1.1 million since it was created two years ago, and so far paying out $691,134 in legal fees. The Clintons still owe their lawyers at the Washington law firm of Williams & Connolly $1.7 million.

Their legal costs have been especially heavy in the past six months, a period when there has been a great deal of activity in Congress and in court relating to the Whitewater and White House travel office issues. During that time, contributions to the legal defense fund have dwindled.

A six-month summary of the Clintons’ legal expenses was made public Wednesday by fund administrator Michael Cardozo.

He noted that legal bills for the president’s defense in the sexual harassment suit brought against him by Paula Corbin Jones are being paid separately, out of the Clintons’ personal liability insurance.

The fund accepts contributions of $1,000 or less and does not accept money from lobbyists, corporations or political action committees.

Since January, when contributions and expenses were last reported, the fund took in $199,279 from 1,165 donors. A total of 8,567 individual contributions have been received.

To date, the fund has paid $691,134 to three law firms, primarily for Whitewater-related expenses. The fund has paid the law firm of Williams & Connolly a total of $620,000, more than half of that in the past six months.