The Burden of Billy

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the Sicilian-Libyan Friendship Association. Libya at the tune was selling nearly $4 billion worth of oil annually to the U.S. and was interested in investing some of its profits in American businesses, including real estate. A middleman group handling such investments could reap considerable profits. Billy did set up a Libya-Arab-Georgia Friendship Society on his return to the U.S., but it was never formally incorporated. The original plan, under which Billy was to control 40% of the shares and four other Georgians the rest, was never carried out.

Billy Carter insists that this society was formed only to be a nonprofit organization aimed at improving Libya's relations with the U.S. public. His "public relations" work included setting up a reception on Jan. 9, 1979, for a group of visiting Libyan representatives in Atlanta. The affair was attended by some 350 prominent Georgians, including state legislators. Nevertheless, the FBI is still trying to determine whether the society was anything more than a p.r. group.

Billy's well-publicized work on behalf of the Libyans led the Justice Department to send him on Jan. 12, 1979, the first of two letters asking him to register as a foreign agent. Under a 1938 law, anyone trying to influence U.S. policy toward another country must register and fully disclose the nature of his activities and any compensation received from that country. Billy ignored that letter, as well as a follow-up request.

What was more, Billy responded to criticism of his pro-Libyan activities with two provocative comments: "There's a helluva lot more Arabians than there is Jews" and, referring to his Jewish critics, "They can kiss my ass." On Feb. 27, 1979, the President publicly dissociated himself from his brother's remarks and added: "I don't have any control over what my brother says or what he does, and he has no control over what I say or do." The President said that his brother was seriously ill, that he loved him, and that he knew he was not antiSemitic.

But Jimmy Carter failed to try to persuade his brother to quit the Libyans or to register as a foreign agent. Either act would have stopped the furor from sweeping over the White House 17 months later.

In March 1979, the FBI opened its investigation into whether Billy was violating any laws by his failure to register as a foreign agent. When asked by the agents, Billy said he was not getting any compensation from Libya. Apart from his free trip and receiving gifts worth some $3,000, there is still no evidence that he had been given anything of value for services rendered until that time. However, there were then, and still are, strong suspicions on the part of the investigators that he was seeking some kind of financial arrangement.

Justice Department officials supervising the investigation defend their failure to take action then on the ground that they could build a criminal case only if they could prove that Billy had been paid or was working under a signed agreement.

Carter, moreover, was not hiding his Libyan connection. He was telling his inquisitors: "I ain't a foreign agent. I'm entitled to have friends. If you don't like my friends, tough luck." Carter's openness might well have convinced a jury that he had not been deceitful. The Justice Department also points out