ARKANSAS : No Verdict Reached in Trial of 2 Bankers

A federal court jury in Little Rock, Ark., was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of two bankers accused of illegally using their financial institution to bolster President Clinton’s political career. Perry County Bank owners Herby Branscum Jr. and Robert M. Hill are charged with misapplying bank funds and conspiring to use the bank’s money to pay for contributions to then-Gov. Clinton and other politicians. They also are accused of concealing from the Internal Revenue Service large cash withdrawals by the 1990 Clinton gubernatorial campaign. The jurors sent U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright a note seeking further instructions on conspiracy law. She declined the request, telling jurors she would not add to the legal instructions they had received.