Govt ‘still has eye on Billy’

Press, 6 September 1980, Page 8

Govt ‘still has eye on Billy’

NZPA Washington The American Justice Department has said that it is still investigating Billy Carter and will consider filing civil or criminal actions against him if it finds he made false or misleading statements in registering under protest as a Libyan agent. Philip Heymann, Assistant Attorney-General in charge of criminal matters, told a special Senate sub-committee that the department had received information that President Carter’s brother was involved in a previously undisclosed business deal which would have resulted in money .flowing indirectly from Libya to Billy Carter. He said the information concerned a separate business transaction from Billy Carter’s previously disclosed unsuccessful effort to broker Libyan crude oil to the Charter Oil Corporation in Jacksonville, Florida. The Republican presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan, yesterday accused the

Attorney-General (Mr Benjamin Civiletti) of lying about the Billy Carter investigation and said President . Carter should fire him immediately. The call was issued by William Casey, the Republican’s campaign manager; who' said he was speaking on Mr Reagan’s behalf while the candidate was campaigning out of town. He was referring to matters that were made public.' ; two months ago. Mr Casey recalled that Mr Civiletti had said in July that he had never spoken to the President about the Justice Department’s investigation of Billy Carter’s contacts with the Libyan Government.

Mr Casey then noted that the AttomeyrGeneral had' reversed himself the next day and admitted that he. bad mentioned the case to the President on one occasion, while maintaining that he had not' discussed the substance of the investigation.