A PROSECUTOR FOR CISNEROS

A special three-judge court today appointed David Barrett, a former counsel to the House ethics committee, to investigate whether HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros committed a crime by misleading the FBI about payments to his former mistress during pre-confirmation background checks. "Information provided by Secretary Cisneros concerning his payments to (Linda) Medlar was false," Reno told a special court when she asked for the appointment March 14. People familiar with the case have said a number of lawyers who were approached for the position took themselves out of consideration because they had done legal work involving Cisneros' department.