Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 - Testimony of Patsy Thomasson.
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Senator Al D Amato (R New York). Senator Faircloth. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Thomasson, you testified in your deposition that you have known President Clinton since 1968, is that right? Patsy Thomasson. That's correct, sir. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). So you have been friends for close to 30 years? Patsy Thomasson. Almost. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). A long time. Ms. Thomasson Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). Ms. Thomasson may want to make that exactly correct and not lengthen it to 30 years. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Given that there were already many people at the White House, several of whom were in the West Wing near Mr. Foster's office, did David Watkins ever explain to you why he specifically wanted you, why he hunted you down in a restaurant, for someone. Why didn't he get several of those people that were already there, call the White House and have somebody take a look? Why did he specifically hunt you down in Georgetown to come get a cab, come to the White House and you be the one to go in to do the search? Patsy Thomasson. He never discussed what his logic and reasoning was, but I was his Chief Deputy, Senator Faircloth. It would have been normal for David to make a request of that nature to me. It's very hard for me to understand, but one leads their life by working off a pager, but Mr. Watkins might have assumed I still was at the White House. I don't have any idea, but paging each other is a very normal thing. Sometimes I get as many as 14 or 15 pages a day.
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). But when Watkins instructed you to search Vince Foster's office, you didn't have a security clearance, did you? Patsy Thomasson. I had a pass to get into the White House. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). I didn't say that. Did you have security clearance? Patsy Thomasson. No, sir, I didn't. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). You didn't have security clearance, but you went right on and searched his office? Patsy Thomasson. Security clearance has to deal with top secret and secret documents. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). What did you think might be in Vincent Foster s office but top secret documents? Patsy Thomasson. Top secret documents have a specific way that they're taken care of, Senator, and they would not have been in or on or around Mr. Foster's desk if they were cared for in a proper manner. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). But it wasn't a breach of White House security for you to be in Vince Foster's office that night since you didn't have security clearance? Patsy Thomasson. Not to my knowledge, sir. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Was it to anybody else's knowledge a breach of White House security? Patsy Thomasson. No, no one has approached me with regard to that, sir. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Why did the White House deny the Park Police, the FBI and the Department of Justice access to documents in Mr. Foster's office, on the grounds that it would be a breach of security, when you had rifled through these very documents on the evening of the 20th and didn't have clearance? If this isn't a total contradiction, I don't know what it is. The FBI, the Park Police and the Department of Justice didn't have security, there would be a breach of security for them to go into Foster's office, yet you, who had not been able to get security, were in there the night before going through documents? Patsy Thomasson. That's a question you'll have to pose to someone else, Senator. I have no earthly idea.
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Let me get back to your security clearance a Minute. You had been in the White House 6 months, 7 months on July 20, 1993? Patsy Thomasson. No, sir, I came on March 1st. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). All right. March, April, May. You had been there, March, April, May, June, you had been there 4 months. Why didn't you have a security clearance? Patsy Thomasson. The paperwork had not been all completed at that point by me. It was my fault. I was delinquent in turning my paperwork in. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Why were you delinquent in turning it in? Patsy Thomasson. Because, Senator, I had one of my first assignments when I came to work at the White House was to testify before Congress on the White House's budget and my first months at the White House, I spent my time doing that and didn't fill out my paperwork. It was my fault, and I assume responsibility for that, Senator.
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). When you gave your resume of where you had worked a while ago, you didn't mention a man named Dan Lasater, but you testified in your deposition that from 1983 to 1992 you worked for Dan Lasater. Is that right? Patsy Thomasson. Yes, sir. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Why didn't you mention it a while ago when you were going through the people you had worked for? Patsy Thomasson. There are a lot of other people I worked for that I didn't mention either, Senator. I'll be glad Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). It might have been a good thing to mention all of them, but Dan Lasater was a friend and political supporter of Bill Clinton, right? When he was Governor of Arkansas? Patsy Thomasson. He had made contributions in previous campaigns to the Governor, yes. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Held fundraisers? Patsy Thomasson. On one occasion, yes. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Dan Lasater gave a job to Roger Clinton? Patsy Thomasson. I think that's correct, sir. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Roger Clinton was Bill Clinton's half brother? I'm going by FBI testimony and depositions. Patsy Thomasson. I think that's correct, Senator.
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Dan Lasater paid off Roger Clinton's drug debts. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). Is this within the scope, Mr. Chairman? Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Senator Sarbanes, I come through the door and say good morning, it's beyond the scope according to you. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). I'm almost there, Senator Faircloth. I have to admit that, but not quite, and I've tried to forbear, but I think when you Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). You are not forbearing long enough. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). When you load these questions outside the scope, we need to say something about it. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). They aren't outside the scope. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). You want to range all over the horizon and I understand that you want to do that, but that's not the charge we're operating under here. Senator Al D Amato (R New York). I'm going to let the Senator continue for a while and if it persists and doesn't tie into something, then I'll ask him to abate. Go ahead, Senator. Senator Chris Dodd (D Connecticut). Mr. Chairman, what are we getting at here? Are we getting into a little guilt by association? I think we ought to be careful about that. Senator Al D Amato (R New York). Let's try to confine it, to go to the heart of the question, Senator. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Mr. Chairman, just to clarify. Dan Lasater's company is included. It's named in the Senate resolution on page 25. That's what I'm talking about. It is clearly Senator Al D Amato (R New York). So you're Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). No, you're not talking about the bond underwriting contracts of Lasater and Company. You've moved far off of that. Although that's not the focus of this particular set of hearings and would come later and we've had some of that. We have not kept it totally here on the handling of the Foster papers, which is what the subject matter of this was to be. Later we are to address the other things. But even when we get to the later part, the questions you're asking now are clearly outside the scope. Senator Al D Amato (R New York). I'm going to let the Senator continue. If they're connected, we'll find out. We're not going to let this go indefinitely, but he is a Senator. He does have a right to put forth questions, if they go beyond the scope, I'm going to ask him to cease and desist. He has been very cooperative, as have all the Members. Go ahead, Senator.
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Dan Lasater was eventually convicted of cocaine trafficking and sentenced to prison; is that right? Patsy Thomasson. Mr. Lasater was convicted of social distribution of cocaine and he was sentenced to prison, yes, sir. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). He was pardoned of his crime of drug trafficking by then Governor Bill Clinton. Senator Al D Amato (R New York). I think that Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). You worked for him. You know Senator Al D Amato (R New York). There was a pardon, but that relief from civil disabilities. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). All right. Do you know if your association for over some 10 years with Dan Lasater, the convicted dealer, may have had anything to do with holding up your security clearance? Patsy Thomasson. To my knowledge, Senator, it had nothing to do with holding up my security clearance.
Whitewater Hearings July 25, 1995 Testimony of Patsy Thomasson
Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). All right. Moving on, Ms. Thomasson, as you know, foreign travel is of great interest to the FBI. When they were doing a background investigation for security clearance in February 1984 you traveled to the Central American nation of Belize with Dan Lasater on his private jet, according to a statement Dan Lasater gave to the FBI. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). What scope is this within, Mr. Chairman? Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Just a minute and I'll get there. Senator Al D Amato (R New York). Go ahead. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Would you mind telling us what the trip was about, what it was for? Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). Let's find out what the scope is. How is this within the scope of this inquiry? Senator Faircloth is Senator Al D Amato (R New York). Let's give the Senator an opportunity to explain what he intends to bring out. Senator. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D Maryland). Of course by the time he's finished doing that, he's trampled all over the scope restrictions. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). Would you tell us what the trip was for? Patsy Thomasson. The trip was to look at a piece of land that was for sale in that country, several thousand acres, in fact, 24,000 acres of farmland that was for sale that was being used for raising cattle. There was the opportunity to buy that piece of land for a very small amount on a per acre basis to use for cattle raising to ship the cattle to various and sundry islands in the Caribbean. Senator Duncan Faircloth (R North Carolina). As you well know, the FBI is terribly suspicious of people that were drug dealing, as Mr. Lasater was drug dealing, and so you being with him on a trip to Belize Senator Chris Dodd (D Connecticut). Mr. Chairman Senator Al D Amato (R New York). I think we've gone a little too far now. I thought this was about some business transaction that was somehow related to the files in Vincent Foster's office.