July 25, 1995 - Part 2
July 25, 1995 - Part 2
(11:15:12) Ms. MATHEWS. Yes, that is what was stated at that time, yes, sir. Senator GRAMS. Mr. Gearan, can you recall any conversations you had with anyone the night of July 20, 1993, again, about sealing Mr. Foster's office? Did you talk to anybody about that that night? Mr. GEARAN. Yes, Senator. I recall a conversation I had with David Gergen. Senator GRAMS. David Gergen was at that time the new Counselor to President Clinton; is that correct? Mr. GEARAN. That's correct, Senator. Senator GRAMS. What do you remember about the conversation. Mr. GEARAN. I recall a conversation I had with him on the phone in which he asked me whether Mr. Foster's office was locked. Senator GRAMS. Did you solicit that conversation, that part of the conversation, or did Mr. Gergen again voice a concern about the office being locked on his own? You didn't lead the witness, so to speak? 265 Mr. GEARAN. I did not ask him. He just asked me and I don't recall him expressing a concern. Senator GRAMS. He didn't tell you why he wanted to know? Mr. GEARAN. No, Senator. Senator GRAMS. What was your answer when he asked if it had been locked? Mr. GEARAN. I recall that I checked with Bill Burton. I can't recall whether I did that in person or put Mr. Gergen on hold on the telephone. I recall pretty readily getting back to David and telling him that the door was locked. Senator GRAMS. That was because Bill Burton told you the door had been locked? Mr. GEARAN. That's correct, Senator. Senator GRAMS. Do you have any idea what timeframe this was in? Mr. GEARAN. I do not, Senator. As you know, the President was doing Larry King Live and we worked on a statement after that, but I cannot put in the exact time. Senator GRAMS. So you don't know if the call came in after the President finished with Larry King? Mr. GEARAN. Oh, it was certainly after that, and I would put it after the time when the President had already left to go to the Fosters' residence. Senator GRAMS. That was about 11 p.m. that he left to go to the residence? Mr. GEARAN. Somewhere in that vicinity. Senator GRAMS. It's your understanding, then, that Mr. Gergen was under the impression as well that night after his conversation with you that Vince Foster's office had been locked on the night of July 20, 1993? Mr. GEARAN. Yes, Senator. Senator GRAMS. Thank you, Mr. Gearan. Ms. Mathews. you said earlier you had received a message that night on the phone and you decided that it should be hand-delivered to the residence. Did you hand-deliver a message that night to the residence? Was that my understanding? Ms. MATHEWS. Yes, sir, I went over and delivered the message that a phone call had come through, Senator GRAMS. To whom did you deliver that message? Ms. MATHEWS. I don't remember specifically who was standing in the hallway of the residence, but there was a group of senior staff and I delivered the message that a phone call had come. Senator GRAMS. What was the message that you thought was so important you had to hand-deliver it? Ms. MATHEWS. I don't remember specifically who the call was from, but do remember that it was either the Park Police or the hospital or someone that I considered an official body and that I wouldn't want to risk a transfer of the call, Senator GRAMS. So they had requested you deliver that for someone to return a call to the Park Police or was there a message involved that the Park Police wanted relayed to the residence? Ms. MATHEWS. I'm not certain it was the Park Police. Senator GRAMS. Or a hospital. 266 MS. MATHEWS. It was someone, and I took it over so someone could return the call, yes, sir. Senator GRAMS. It was a number that was delivered there? Ms. MATHEWS. I'm Sorry, I took over a phone number, yes, sir. Senator GRAMS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Sarbanes. Senator SARBANES. Senator Bryan. OPENING COMMENTS OF SENATOR RICHARD H. BRYAN Senator BRYAN. Thank you very much, Senator. Ms. Mathews, I want to return and focus again on the tragic night, your suggestion to go through the bag and, in fact, that was done. My question is, after you went through the bag, did you reduce to writing what you had found in the bag or in any way make some type of a written memorial of the contents of the bag? MS. MATHEWS. Yes, sir, I made an inventory. Senator BRYAN. I believe that we have that inventory in the form Of an exhibit that's characterized as Z140? Ms. MATHEWS. Yes, sir. Senator BRYAN. Ms. Mathews, I'm showing what has been identified here in the record as Exhibit Z140. It appears to be a handwritten note. Let me ask you if you recognize this document? Ms. MATHEWS. Yes, sir, I wrote that document. Senator BRYAN. That is your handwriting? MS. MATHEWS. Yes, Sir. Senator BRYAN. When did you write the note? Ms. MATHEWS. The evening of Vincent Foster's death. Senator BRYAN. YOU would have written that concurrently with your examination of the contents of the trash bag? Ms. MATHEWS, Yes, sir. Senator BRYAN. Could you take us through the contents and explain to us how you summarized each of the items that you recorded there? MS. MATHEWS. Sure. The first item is the President's schedule. It was a copy of the President's daily schedule. The second item, it says "note about NW"- and I think that's referring to Northwestern, as in Northwestern University Law School-"article and the Columbia article." Those, as I recall, are law articles.