Reprinted from The Washington Times , 5am -- April 17, 1998
Legal institute may extend financial aid to Jones, husband
By Frank J. Murray
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
DALLAS
The Rutherford Institute is considering expanding its help to Paula Jones beyond the $300,000 already paid for legal expenses to help tide her family over the financial crisis caused by Northwest Airlines' firing of her husband, Stephen.
"I'm not ruling that out. We've helped clients before with financial aid," Rutherford Institute President John Whitehead told The Washington Times.
Mr. Whitehead said there also has been discussion of offering separate legal assistance to help Mr. Jones regain his $37,000 a year ticket-agent job.
He openly encouraged Mr. Jones in his claims that he was the victim of political retaliation by Democratic fund-raiser Al Checchi, a major Northwest stockholder and a member of its board of directors.
Mr. Checchi is also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of California.
"My advice is always to be aggressive," Mr. Whitehead said, mentioning that for now, Mr. Jones' union is representing him in the job dispute.
"I'll probably get my job back, but I don't know anybody else who was fired for this, even if I was wrong," Mr. Jones said. He claimed his dismissal by supervisor Lynn Grove was political revenge for Mrs. Jones' sexual misconduct lawsuit against President Clinton.
Mr. Jones called it "no coincidence" that he was fired on April 6 -- five days after his wife's case was dismissed -- for something that happened on March 22.
"It was just five days after she rejected a settlement agreement that she got an audit by the Internal Revenue Service. I see a pattern," said Mrs. Jones' adviser Susan Carpenter-McMillan.
Mr. Jones blames Mr. Checchi, whom he called "Northwest's largest stockholder."
Mr. Checchi has served on the airline's board of directors since stepping down as the company's co-chairman in April 1997. He owns 10 percent of the publicly held company, an investment valued at more than $600 million.
Mr. Jones said his supervisors posted in their offices articles about his wife's case against President Clinton and made what he called "snide remarks," but he didn't elaborate. He said he objected, but had no disciplinary problems that would justify firing for a first offense, even if he was guilty of something.
"I don't think I violated the rule about mandatory overtime. I didn't even know about it, and the notice to hold my shift overtime was posted on the time clock five minutes after I punched out for the day," Mr. Jones said.
He said he expects his union will be helpful.
Despite the lack of a job, or any immediate prospects of work, Mr. and Mrs. Jones said they were pleased to put legal indecision behind them. The family of four lives in a one-bedroom, $800-a-month apartment in Long Beach, Calif., and has a 1986 Mercedes, paid off just two months ago.
Although they face tough times with no money, Mr. Jones said they are doing nothing to financially exploit the case -- no books or other deals.
Mr. Jones, who is totally humorless on issues involving his wife's legal struggle with the president, willingly discussed his recent firing at a dinner with three reporters Wednesday night.
Northwest said the firing for a first offense was justified by his misconduct in refusing to work mandatory overtime.
- Gaedig Bonabesse contributed to this article in Washington.
Copyright 1998 News World Communications, Inc.
Reprinted with permission of
The Washington Times.
To subscribe to the Washington Times National Weekly Edition, click this icon or call 800-363-9118.
