July 25, 1995 - Part 1
July 25, 1995 - Part 1
(10:00:40) Mr. CHERTOFF. Did they discuss that fact with you? Mr. WATKINS. As I said, I don't recall if Detective Rolla and I had an actual conversation about it or if I overheard it, but I did hear in the car that there was not a note found at the Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, when you got to the house, I take it there were a number of other people there? Mr. WATKINS. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Members of the family? Of the Foster family? Mr. WATKINS. The sisters of Vince Foster arrived almost simultaneously to our arrival at the house, yes, Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you have a cellular phone with you? Mr. WATKINS. I did, Mr. CHERTOFF. Were you making telephone calls that evening? Mr. WATKINS. I did make some calls, yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did there come a point that evening that you decided to have somebody go into the White House to look for a note? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, sir. Mr. CHERTOFF. How did you come to that decision? Mr. WATKINS. There was no note at the scene. We knew that. Mr. CHERTOFF. When you say "we," you mean you learned it from the Park Police? Mr. WATKINS. 1 learned it from the Park Police, yes, and there was some general discussion at the house. It was a feeling of just why. The big question was why did Vince do this, and they looked for a note at the house. Mr. CHERTOFF. Who looked for a note at the house? Mr. WATKINS. Ms. Foster, Lisa. I learned that there was not a note at the house. So, in general discussion, again, to try to answer the why was there not a note? Why? Why did Vince do this? Did he leave a note? Perhaps he left it at his office. Mr. CHERTOFF. Who participated in this general discussion? Mr. WATKINS. I recall specifically Mr. McLarty, and I talked with Lisa Foster about it also. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you talk to the Park Police about it? Mr. WATKINS. I did not. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you talk to the Park Police about whether they had told members of the family that no note had been discovered at the scene of the death? Mr. WATKINS. I did not talk to them about it, no, sir. Mr. CHERTOFF. With whom did you discuss your decision to have somebody go into Mr. Foster's office to look for a note? Mr. WATKINS. As I recall, I talked with Mack McLarty about it, and I also mentioned it to Lisa Foster, that I would ask someone to look for a note. Mr. CHERTOFF. They both agreed it was a good idea? Mr. WATKINS. That's correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you talk to the Park Police about it? Mr. WATKINS. I did not. Mr. CHERTOFF. Were the Park Police there at the time you made the decision to make the call? 241 Mr. WATKINS. I'm not sure. They may very well have been. There did not seem to be a lot of interest by the Park Police at the time in the office of Vince Foster, and they had not asked the familythey had not made a search for the note. They just asked the family if there was a note. Mr. CHERTOFF. I see. So you were present when the Park Police indicated to the family they were interested in learning whether there was a note at the home? Mr. WATKINS. No, I didn't say that. I said, from my understanding, they did not make a search of the house for the note, but they asked the family to look for it, was there a note, had they found a note. Mr. CHERTOFF. You were aware of the fact that the Park Police had asked the family if there was a note in the house? Mr. WATKINS. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. You were aware of the fact, from your ride over, that the Park Police had also looked for a note at the scene? Mr. WATKINS. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. But you did not discuss with them your thought that someone ought to look in the office for the note; is that correct? Mr. WATKINS. I did not. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, when you decided that someone should look in the office for the note, did you call the White House? Mr. WATKINS. No. I called-I think I originally beeped Patsy Thomasson to inform her of Vince's death. By the time she called me back, we had had this discussion about the note, and I asked her to go look for a note. Mr. CHERTOFF. At the time you spoke to her on the telephone when she called you, did she tell you where she was? Mr. WATKINS. I don't recall the name, but I think she was at a restaurant. Mr. CHERTOFF. You knew she was not at the White House? Mr. WATKINS. That's correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you think there were people at the White House that evening, that night? Mr. WATKINS. There are always people at the White House, yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Had you spoken to Mr. Gearan before this point in time? Mr. WATKINS. Mr. Who? Mr. CHERTOFF. Gearan. Mr. WATKINS. I had spoken to--I believe I had spoken to Mr. Gearan before going to the Foster home, yes.