July 25, 1995 - Part 1
July 25, 1995 - Part 1
(10:20:41) Senator FAIRCLOTH. But you worked for the Clinton/Gore campaign group? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, sir. Senator FAIRCLOTH. You stayed on the payroll. Mr. Watkins, Cheryl Braun of the Park Police has testified she clearly remembers directing you to seal Mr. Foster's office shortly before her departure from the Foster home the evening of July 20, 1993. Do you recall her asking you to seal Mr. Foster's office? Mr. WATKINS. Senator, just like Detective Rolla, her partner, I do not recall her making such a request. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Did you ever discuss with the President the search of The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Watkins, let me-and this is the first time I said it. Detective Rolla did not say that. He said he did not hear her make that request, so I think we don't want to characterize it. Mr. WATKINS. All right, Mr. Chairman. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Did you ever discuss with the President the search of Mr. Foster's office or the Park Police's instructions to seal? Have you ever discussed this with the President? Mr. WATKINS. I did not. Senator FAIRCLOTH. You never have? Mr. WATKINS. No, sir. Senator FAIRCLOTH, When Officers Braun and Rolla were at the Foster home that evening, did you at any time tell them that you had instructed someone who worked for you, Patsy Thomasson, to search Vince Foster's office at the White House? In other words, did you tell the Park Police that you had already gotten on with the search? Mr. WATKINS. I did not. Senator FAIRCLOTH. So, when they told you to seal it, you had already- the seal was already gone. You called Patsy Thomasson to go search it? Mr. WATKINS. As I indicated earlier, Senator, I do not recall Investigator Braun asking me to seal it. Senator FAIRCLOTH. But if they had asked, it was too late. You already told Patsy Thomasson-reached her at a restaurant and told her to go search -it? Mr, WATKINS, I cannot recall. Assuming the time-by the time I talked with Ms. Thomasson, if Officer Braun and Off-leer Rolla were still at the residence-I don't recall. 248 Senator FAIRCLOTH. At the time you told this lady to go search this office under these very stringent conditions that existed, were you aware that she had not received clearance from the FBI? Mr. WATKINS. I do not know if-I do not recall knowing at that time that she did not have her security clearance, no, Sir. Senator FAIRCLOTH. You didn't know she had Mr. WATKINS. I don't have any confidence that I knew at that time. There were several-because of the process of getting security clearances and the fact that there were many at the White House in mid-summer 1993 that had not completed their security process, but I'm not-I do not know-I do not recall whether I knew at the time that Ms. Thomasson was one of those. Senator FAIRCLOTH. There might have been a number of people who didn't have their clearance, but Ms. Thomasson was not one of a thousand. She was one of two. She was high up in the hierarchy. It looks like it would have gotten to her first and not taken 7 months to clear her unless there was a reason. Mr. WATKINS. I don't think that's correct, Sir. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Sarbanes. Senator SARBANES. Mr. Ben-Veniste. Mr. BEN-VENISTE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Senator Sarbanes. Good morning, panel. Mr. WATKINS. Good morning. Mr. BEN-VENISTE. I'd like to start first with Mr. Watkins. Could you describe briefly the scene at the Foster home starting from when you arrived that evening of July 20, 1993? Mr. WATKINS. Mr. Ben-Veniste, it was a scene of sadness, extreme grief. People were everyone was wondering why, why would Vince have done this, a lot of emotion, the family was distraught. Everyone that knew Vince was distraught. Mr. BEN-VENISTE. Can you describe the sequence, to the best of your ability, of who came to the home that evening? Mr. WATKINS. When I arrived with the officers from the Park Police, Ms. Braun and Mr. Rolla, my wife came in her car right behind us and, just as we arrived, Sharon Bowman, a sister of Mr. Foster, Sheila Anthony, another sister, and Webb Hubbell arrived.