August 4, 1994 - Part 12
August 4, 1994 - Part 12
(23:30:07) Mr. NUSSBAUM, I don't believe well, a couple of things. One I don't control-well, let me take that back. I don't control who the President of the United States meets with that's true, but I can offer recommendations and advice to the President and sometimes he will accept my recommendations and advice. I don't believe I was aware, Senator Mack-well, I'm not sure. I didn't hear in September or October about Governor Tucker being an object of the referrals. I read about that in the newspapers at some point in time, but I don't remember any discussions I had in that regard. In any event, I just don't remember that specifically. Senator MACK. Well, let me just comment for a second. I mean, remember now you had the first conversation-let me finish. Mr. NUSSBAUM. I'm sorry. Senator MACK. You had the first conversations I believe when Ms. Hanson came to the White House. Mr. NUSSBAUM. Correct. Senator MACK. OK. You had a conversation with her, you had asked Sloan to remain outside, you then asked him to come back in. Hanson reiterates the information she's passed on to you. You direct Sloan to be the contact. Sloan has a conversation with her the next day, goes over the details including the Clintons being possible witnesses. He refers that information back to you. Now I find it really difficult to believe that you didn't have that you say you didn't have that information at that time. Mr. NUSSBAUM. My recollection now is that I didn't-I don't remember having it, but I may have. What happened was, when I talked to Hanson on September 29th, Governor Tucker was not mentioned in that conversation. All she said was what I described in my statement. There was no mention in that conversation. I put her in touch with Sloan. Sloan was waiting outside because of the Waco meeting. I had him come back. He became the point of contact and they had conversations thereafter between September 29th and October 14th. I'll give you my recollection. I ported to me because that was me. don't recall, Sloan must have retypical, I'm sure he did report to Senator MACK. And he was the point man. Mr. NUSSBAUM. He was the point man absolutely and it's the way I operate my office, in a normal procedure Sloan would come back and tell me things. I just don't remember Sloan ever telling me about Governor Tucker. Ile may have, he may not have but what he learned in that regard Senator MACK. Mr. Nussbaum, I want to make another point here. Mr. NUSSBAUM. Sure. 486 Senator MACK. When we look at the notes of Mr. Sloan's conversation with Ms. Hanson on the 30th of September, it makes a clear reference to the Governor. Mr. NUSSBAUM. I understand that now, sir. Senator MACK. And I find it unbelievable that Mr. Sloan wouldn't have reported that to you. Mr. NUSSBAUM. Well, I can't dispute that. He may have. And it's logical that he would have. I just don't have any memory of it. But even if I did know it at the time, and I have-you know, it's logical that I did know it at the time if Sloan knew it because Sloan would have a tendency to report to me virtually everything he knew with respect to these things. The fact that the President met with Governor Tucker, one, I don't recall knowing of the meeting at the time. That's number one. And number two, I must say that even if I did know-I'm now sort of engaging in colloquy and speculation- even if I did know, I'm not sure I would have, at least at that point, prevented the President from meeting with him because it's one thing if I learn that somebody, is about to be indicted in some fashion. This is a criminal referral. I have enormous-to put it mildly, I have enormous confidence that the President if he knew about it-I didn't tell him at that point, I understand Mr. Lindsey later told him about the referral. I have enormous confidence that the President would not in any way improperly disclose any information. Senator MACK. Say that last part again. Mr. NUSSBAUM. I have enormous confidence that the President, when he met with Governor Tucker, would not improperly disclose any information. The President wouldn't do that. I know the President very well, He would never do such a thing. Senator MACK. Mr. Nussbaum, I hadn't gotten to that point. Mr. NUSSBAUM. I understand that. Senator MACK. But again what I find really difficult to understand is that one of the primary reasons, we have been told all during this hearing, about why it. was important for the White House to be aware of this information, was to protect the President. Mr. NUSSBAUM. That's correct. Senator MACK. And it is-it's unbelievable to me that a meeting could take place with the Governor of Kentucky Mr. NUSSBAUM. Governor of Arkansas, his home State. Senator MACK. Excuse me, the Governor of Arkansas. It's unbelievable to me that you all would not have stopped that, Mr. NUSSBAUM. No, no, Senator Mack, with all due respect, I really do disagree. Just because somebody is named in a criminal referral, even as a potential target Senator MACK. But think of how it looks. OK go ahead.