July 25, 1995 - Part 1
July 25, 1995 - Part 1
(10:15:33) Senator FAIRCLOTH. All right. Now, at the time of the discovery of Mr. Foster's death, had his burn bag been emptied? Ms. MATHEWS. At the time in the evening-the Secret Service reported that when I went to seek the burn bag, that they had done their round of emptying. The CHAIRMAN. Can I ask you, just for a moment, about what time was this when you made the inquiries about the garbage and the burn bag? Ms. MATHEWS. Mr. Chairman, I apologize. I can remember sequences but not time within the evening. Sorry. The CHAIRMAN. OK. Senator FAIRCLOTH, You were trying to preserve what you thought was Foster's burn bag? Ms. MATHEWS. Until I learned that he did not have a burn bag in his office. 246 Senator FAIRCLOTH. Why couldn't the burn bag have been secured and kept in a safe place for someone with proper clearance to review at a later time instead of destroying it? In other words did you question Mr. Nussbaum's decision to have the bag destroyed? Ms. MATHEWS. When he advised me that there was no burn bag in Vincent Foster's office, and there were concerns that it was a commingled bag containing all the information from the West Wing, I implemented what he asked me to do. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Mr. Nussbaum asked you to destroy it? Ms. MATHEWS. He said to process it as you normally do. Senator FAIRCLOTH. In other words, burn it? Ms. MATHEWS. Yes, Sir. I don't know exactly how the Secret Service does it, but The CHAIRMAN. Senator, could we ask one question? Mr. CHERTOFF. I just had a question because of something you just said. Is it correct that the way you learned or the way you came to believe that there was no burn bag in Mr. Foster's personal office was because of what Mr. Nussbaum told you? Ms. MATHEWS. That's correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. So you relied upon what Mr. Nussbaum told you in terms of your understanding of whether, in fact, there ever was a burn bag in Mr. Foster's office? MS. MATHEWS. Yes, sir. Mr. CHERTOFF. Thank you. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Mr. Watkins, you testified earlier that Federal Judge Richard Arnold called you to recommend Patsy Thomasson for a job. Did you discuss the hiring of Patsy Thomasson with either the President or Mrs, Clinton or did you get any recommendations or anything from them in regard to her hiring? This is important. Mr. WATKINS. As I recall, I mentioned it to Bruce Lindsey. Senator FAIRCLOTH. You mentioned it to whom? Mr. WATKINS. To Bruce Lindsey, that I was considering hiring Patsy Thomasson to be my Deputy. Bruce said let me think about it, and then he got back with me and said he thought it was fine to offer her the position. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Does that mean that lie discussed it with the President and Mrs. Clinton? Mr. WATKINS. He may have. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Mr. Watkins, you were a lifelong friend of the President, as you testified. You served as political advisor to Mr. Clinton since 1981; is that right? Mr. WATKINS. No, sir. I served since-yes, 1981. Before the 1982 election, I was involved in all his gubernatorial campaigns as a media person, media advisor. Senator FAIRCLOTH. You were Deputy Campaign Manager in his campaign for President? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, sir. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Did you serve as the Assistant to the President for Management and Administration in the White House lip until May 1994? Mr. WATKINS. Until June 1994 Senator FAIRCLOTH. June 1994? 247 Mr. WATKINS. --Senator, Senator FAIRCLOTH. The purpose of this question is not to be of embarrassment, but to establish a later fact, You did resign your position after the overly publicized helicopter incident? Mr. WATKINS. Overly publicized is the key word there, Senator. Yes, sir, I did. Senator FAIRCLOTH. I figured that it was. All right. Even though you left the White House because of this incident, didn't you go to the Clinton/Gore campaign payroll, go to work with the Clinton/ Gore campaign? Mr. WATKINS. Subsequent to that, yes, sir, some 2 months after that, I believe, Let me clarify that, though, Senator. Not on the campaign payroll-I mean, not working directly for the campaign. I was a consultant to them on the FEC audits.