White-Wash

Another political scandal, this one from the 90's, is about to be made into a movie.

Michael Fleming of Variety:

"Crash " duo Robert Moresco and Mark R. Harris are joining forces to give the saga of Whitewater figure Susan McDougal the feature treatment.

McDougal spent 21 months in prison on civil contempt of court charges for refusing to implicate President Bill Clinton in the real estate scandal.

Moresco will write the script and direct. Harris and Moresco, who produced "Crash," will produce the McDougal film together.

They've secured rights to McDougal's story, as well as her book "The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk ." The film may be ready next year and would bring Whitewater back to public consciousness at a time when Hillary Clinton vies to secure the Democratic Party nomination for president.

Former president Clinton nevertheless supports the film, said Moresco and Harris.

"We sat in a room with him, and he told us how much the story needs to be told," Moresco said. "He even gave us his take on the movie -- that when you face impossible odds as Susan did, the only way you can achieve victory is to not lose sight of who you are. That is what Susan never gave up."

The duo will look to align a financier quickly and may have an actress in line to play McDougal by the time they make that deal.

The Clintons were partners in the Whitewater real estate venture with McDougal and her husband. She was convicted on fraud and conspiracy charges along with her husband and then-Arkansas governor James Guy Tucker. Clinton eventually pardoned McDougal.

"Bobby and I are fascinated with the underdog, the small person who goes up against a system that manipulates anything, from the press to the court system, and can ruin the lives of innocent people," Harris said.

Both Moresco and Harris acknowledge McDougal isn't squeaky clean because of her original conviction."No matter what side of the aisle you come down on, you have to admire a woman who is willing to spend that much time in prison to stand up for what she believed was the truth," Moresco said...

Find out more about the project here

Since the film will no doubt be making news at a critical time in the campaign-it will be interesting to see if It will have any effect on Clinton's quest to be Prez