August 4, 1994 - Part 11
August 4, 1994 - Part 11
(21:55:25) This was a tiny sliver, 30 minutes, 30 seconds to 2 minutes of a 14-hour day in which I had probably 100 conversations. And frankly, sir, I remember an awful lot about that conversation, given the context of that day, and I've told you everything that I have told every other Committee. I've remembered a lot about that day. I've remembered it to the best of my ability, and I have done the best I can, and I think I've been very direct in answering your questions, and I would finally just say and I feel because I know that people are watching, I want to repeat it again. This has been looked at by the Special Counsel Robert Fiske. He found no criminal violations-please let me finish, Senator-this was found by the Office of Government Ethics Senator DOMENICI. Don't tell me how to behave. Please don't tell me "let me finish." I didn't even say a word. OK? Mr. STEPHANOPOULOS. Yes, sir. I would like to complete the statement. Senator DOMENICI. Unless I speak up, you don't have to admonish me or ask me for anything. Mr. STEPHANOPOULOS, Yes, sir. It was looked at by the Office of Government Ethics. Every single one of these questions was asked dozens of times. They were all answered. The Office of Government Ethics found no ethical violations. It was looked at by Lloyd Cutler, the Counsel. Every single one of these questions was asked dozens of times. He found no ethical violations. I have been asked this by numerous news outlets in public several times. This has been gone over and over and over and over and over again. I remember an awful lot of it. I did not direct anybody to interfere in any investigation. I did not interfere in any investigation. No one in the White House interfered in any investigation, and that's what these Committee hearings are going to find. Senator DOMENICI. Let me first say I never did accuse you of that so Mr. STEPHANOPOULOS. No, I didn't suggest that you did. I just wanted to repeat it. Senator DOMENICI. In fact, I'm not sure that's why you're here, because someone accuses you of interfering in a criminal investigation Frankly, I wanted to know some very basic questions. After reading your deposition it's clear there's not very much use in asking you some of those questions because you don't recall and that's what I was alluding to. Mr- Podesta, your answer said to me that there was a wall because of the subpoenas and the like. But I don't think I asked you 462 why you hadn't talked to Treasury about it. I think I asked youwhether you thought you had fulfilled your responsibility to correct' the record or did you think it was only Treasury's responsibility.,' Mr. PODESTA. I thought it was ours. I placed the call to Mr. Alt,. man. I thought that that was why I placed the call to Mr. Altman.-, It was my understanding at the time, faulty I think, that with regard to the matter that we thought needed-absolutely neededcorrection, which was the two fall meetings, that that had been done. I think that you have to read the letter and connect the dots back to the question to Senator Bond to take that information out of there, but I thought that information had been provided. Senator DOMENICI, Thank you. Senator SARBANES. Is there anyone on this side who wishes to ask a question? Senator D'Amato, we'll come back to you then, I guess. Senator DAMATO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make an observation. There's been some controversy, to say the least, as it relates to how we should interpret Mr. Steiner's diary. Some of us believe that it is the best evidence as it relates to what really, truly took place, Others point to Mr. Steiner's more recent recollections, and his testimony as indicating there may be a difference and that of others. Now, Josh Steiner obviously made a judgment. He made judgments that he recorded. Indeed, some of them may have been subjective judgments. He made a judgment that he recorded about the President's state of mind in his diary. He said--I believe the word was "furious." And the question of Roger Altman relating this to him. Now, some have disputed that. Some have even gone so far as to say, and I think this evening we've heard testimony from Mr. Stephanopoulos, as I recall several hours ago, that on that particular Friday in the afternoon, he went into see the President, and the President wasn't upset, not to mention furious, wasn't upset, Is that a fair characterization of what you