July 25, 1995 - Part 4
July 25, 1995 - Part 4
(14:40:31) Senator SARBANES. So what you recovered was the trash bag, and you identified that and then left it in the office there; correct? Ms. MATHEWS. Yes, sir, the trash bag was maintained. Senator SARBANES. You started also to recover the burn bag and then were told there's no burn bag in his office, therefore leading to the conclusion there were no documents in the burn bag from Foster's office, and at that point the burn bag which was for the entire West Wing was processed? Ms. MATHEWS. Yes, sir, Senator SARBANES. Not by you, it just simply went ahead in the normal course of business; is that correct? MS. MATHEWS. Yes, sir, the uniformed division doing its normal processing. Senator SARBANES. That they normally would do? Ms. MATHEWS. Yes, sir. Senator SARBANES. Senator Simon. Senator SIMON. Thank you, Senator Sarbanes. Mr. Gearan, you were known--I shouldn't say were known-you are known as Somebody who deals straight with the press and everyone and I think that's probably why you've been nominated to head the Peace Corps, For a while you worked for one of the finest 296 Members, most honest Members of Congress, Congressman Berkley Bedell. When you were tip here you occasionally saw turf battles here on Capitol Hill. You know those things exist. One of the things that we may be talking about between the Justice Department and the White House and the Park Police and the Secret Service is something of a turf battle. Is that an inappropriate characterization of what-I'm not saying that this is responsible for everything, some mistakes were obviously made--but different people were trying to say this is our jurisdiction, you ought to stay out. Is that in part what happened? Mr. GEARAN. Senator, in the immediate aftermath of Vince Foster's death, there were questions about the relevant jurisdiction for the various law enforcement authorities that were involved because of the venue of his death, the position he held, and the nature of the investigation. There were many different law enforcement authorities involved and that's why we sought the guidance from the Department of Justice as to how it would be referred to and how the investigation was going to be conducted, yes, Sir. Senator SIMON. But just to further that, and I don't mean this disrespectfully, everyone wants to do his or her job and there was a question about who takes charge here, White House Counsel, Justice Department and so forth. Here's an area where the lines are not clear. Is that a safe characterization? Mr. GEARAN. Senator, I think certainly in the immediate days after Vince Foster's death, there was a fair amount of confusion as to the appropriate-how it would be referred to as who the-who is in charge of the investigation. One of the purposes of a call to the Justice Department was to describe that, and it was indicated that the point of contact for this investigation would be the Justice Department. Senator SIMON. Now, some people are trying to make something out of the delay on the notification of the note. First, my own reading of the note is that there was nothing there for any. specific cause of delay, in terms of any political reason, but you testified in your deposition that one of the reasons for the delay was that Mrs. Foster was not in Washington and was going to be returning to Washington; is that correct? Mr. GEARAN. That's correct, Senator. By the time that I was informed of the note, it had already been turned over to the Justice Department and to the Park Police, But my understanding is there was both the issue of the President's travel schedule that day as well as Mrs. Foster being in transit from Arkansas, I believe, to Washington that allowed for the lapse of time before it was turned over to the Attorney General and the Park Police, Senator SIMON. Ms. Mathews, on the trash, did you throw any of it away once it was recovered? MS. MATHEWS. The only thing I threw away was the creamer that was half full in the bottom of the bag and was leaking so I did get rid of that. Everything else remained in the bag. Senator SIMON. But you threw nothing away that had any words or anything on it written by Vince Foster? MS. MATHEWS. No, Sir. 297 Senator SIMON. Did anyone suggest that you ought to throw anything away?