July 25, 1995 - Part 3
July 25, 1995 - Part 3
(11:55:38) Mr. GEARAN. Senator, we wanted to make very clear that in the reporting by the White House that the information that the White House provided to members of the press, that it was done appropriately as per the guidance that we were soliciting from the Department of Justice. Senator BOXER. Did anybody in the White House ask you to keep any information from the Attorney General's Office, not to ask certain questions, not to probe for answers? Mr. GEARAN, No, Senator. Senator BOXER. So no one called you in and said, what are you doing, Gearan, talking to the Department of Justice here? Mr. GEARAN. No, Senator. Senator BOXER. Thank you. I'd like to turn to you, Ms. Mathews. You are really a key person here because you were there on that night. Now, you under- took certain actions. Did you undertake those actions because someone ordered you to search the office, search the trash? Ms. MATHEWS. No Senator BOXER. Why did you undertake the actions that you did? Ms. MATHEWS. No, no one asked me to. I thought it was a good thing to preserve the trash. Senator BOYER. Why did you think it was a good thing to preserve the trash? MS. MATHEWS. At first I thought that there might be a note and went and searched and thought we should look because that would probably be helpful, and then thought it was helpful to preserve it so I left it in Roy Neel's office, Senator BOXER. Did anyone say to you what are you doing, stop this immediately, go home, this isn't your business, this should be handled by higher-ups? 280 MS. MATHEWS. No, no one stopped me and when I checked, it was agreed that I should go forward with the actions I took. Senator BOXER. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. MS. MATHEWS. No, no one stopped me and when I asked, I was told to go forward with the actions I was taking, Senator BOXER. So senior White House officials said that's a good idea, maybe you'll find a note to shed some light on this; is that correct? MS. MATHEWS. Yes. Senator BOXER. in a way that was a compliment to you, was it not, for taking that action? MS. MATHEWS. They were confiming my Senator BOXER. Basically a good idea and good thinking? MS. MATHEWS, Yes. Senator BOXER. Mr. Watkins, much has been made over you being told to seal the office, that the Park Police that night told you, to seal the office although the testimony we received from Sergeant Braun was it was on her way out the door, that she made no notes of it later in her records. But I just want to ask you once again: Do you recall being told to lock or seal or secure Vince Foster's office? Mr. WATKINS. Senator, I did not hear such a request. Her partner did not hear such a request. It was not in her report. Senator BOXER. That's correct. Now, when you called your assist-, ant, what exactly did you tell her to do? Mr. WATKINS. I informed her first of Vince's death, she was not aware of that. I said Patsy, Vince has shot himself and we've been' discussing at the house, there was not a note at the scene. There's not a note at the house, and possibly there's a note, he left a note in his office, would you go look. Senator BOXER, What time did you tell her that approximately? Mr. WATKINS, It was around 11 p.m. Senator BOXER. You told her that at approximately 11 p.m. Did you inform anyone else that you had asked her to find that note? Mr. WATKINS. I told Mr. McLarty, and I told Lisa Foster that I asked her. Senator BOXER In making that request was your goal to help find out why Vince Foster committed suicide? Mr. WATKINS. Yes. Senator BOXER. Did you tell her to look for any other papers which might be embarrassing to the White House? Mr. WATKINS. No, Senator. Senator BOXER. Did she raise that matter with you? Mr. WATKINS. No, Senator. Senator BOXER. So the sole focus was to find a note, was it not? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, Senator. Senator BOXER. She was your assistant, was she not? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, Senator. Senator BOXER. You trusted her, didn't you? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, Senator. Senator BOXER. So, on the night of the death, you're at the home, you've been informed there is no note, and you think to yourself it may be in the office, you call your assistant and you tell her to find a note; is that correct? 281 Mr. WATKINS. Yes, Senator. Senator BOXER. You did it because you wanted to be helpful, did you not? Mr. WATKINS. I wanted to be helpful, yes. Senator BOXER. You didn't, or did you, think about any other papers that might be in that office? Mr. WATKINS. No, Senator. Senator BOXER. You didn't mention those to anyone else? Mr. WATKINS. No, Senator. Senator BOXER. Did anyone higher up than you tell you to make sure that office was searched and that embarrassing papers or potentially embarrassing papers be removed from that office? Mr. WATKINS. No, Senator. Senator BOXER. Thank you very much. I'll yield my time back to counsel.