Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt (AP File Photo)

Key Post stories on the investigation of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and whether his department's decision to deny a controversial Indian casino license was motivated by White House pressure to satisfy competing tribes that had made large contributions to the Democratic National Committee:

Babbitt Cleared in Casino Probe
October 14, 1999
Independent counsel Carol Elder Bruce ended the 18-month investigation by saying that she will not seek indictments against Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt or anyone else.

Babbitt Refuses to Be Sidelined by Probe
July 20, 1999
While he was badly shaken at the start by the probe into his actions concerning an Indian casino, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has bounced back by throwing himself into his work.

In Court, Babbitt Vows to Overhaul Indian Trust Fund System
July 10, 1999
Portraying himself as an ardent supporter of Native Americans, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt told a federal judge that he is committed to overhauling a problem-ridden trust fund system maintained on their behalf.

Babbitt Finishes Grand Jury Testimony
July 8, 1999
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt completed a second full day of testimony before a grand jury investigating allegations that he lied to Congress about the rejection of a proposed Indian gambling casino in Wisconsin.

Babbitt Probe to Focus on Memory of Discussion
March 29, 1998
In determining whether Bruce Babbitt lied to Congress, Carol Elder Bruce will have to sift through the differing accounts of Babbitt's meeting with Paul Eckstein – a lobbyist hired to lobby Babbitt for government approval of an Indian gambling casino.

Independent Counsel Named for Babbitt Probe
March 20, 1998
Washington lawyer Carol Elder Bruce will lead the independent investigation into whether Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt violated the law in connection with his testimony to Congress about an Indian casino license.

Reno Requests Independent Counsel to Investigate Babbitt
February 12, 1998
Attorney General Janet Reno has asked special court to appoint an independent counsel to investigate whether Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt misled Congress in connection with an Indian casino controversy.

Casino Investigation Would Reach Beyond Babbitt, Officials Say
February 11, 1998
With Attorney General Janet Reno poised to recommend an independent counsel investigation of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's role in an Indian casino controversy, Justice Department officials acknowledged yesterday that such an inquiry would likely reach into the White House and the Democratic National Committee.

Babbitt Renews Wisconsin Casino Denials
January 30, 1998
Denouncing attacks on his integrity as "uncalled for and unwarranted," Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt told a House committee that he is being victimized by "a half-baked theory of improper political influence."

Dog Track, Local Vote Keys to Controversy on Babbitt and Indian Casino
December 21, 1997
The controversy that has cast a cloud over Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and could lead to an investigation by an independent counsel began in Hudson, Wisconsin almost 10 years ago. Since then, it has divided this upscale community on the Minnesota border, left a trail of ruptured personal relationships and hard feelings and caused periodic upheavals in local politics.

Babbitt 'Out of the Loop' on Casino's Licensing
December 17, 1997
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt said he was "out of the loop" on a decision by his subordinates to turn down a controversial Indian casino license, so there is no basis for an outside prosecutor to investigate him further.

Counsel Probe of Babbitt Is Likely, Officials Say
November 17, 1997
The investigation of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's handling of an Indian casino license appears likely to result in the appointment of an independent counsel because of difficulties in establishing the truthfulness of his sworn statements to Congress, senior Justice Department officials said.

Old Friends At Odds Over Indian Casino
October 31, 1997
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, the highest ranking government official to testify in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee's investigation of campaign financing abuses in the 1996 election, told the panel that the decision to deny the application of three Indian tribes to open a gambling casino in Hudson, Wis., was not influenced by White House or Democratic National Committee officials. This contradicted the testimony of Babbitt's former colleague, Paul F. Eckstein, who said the Cabinet secretary had told him of being pressured by a top White House official.