July 18, 1995 - Part 1
July 18, 1995 - Part 1
(10:05:48) To conduct an investigation and public hearing into and study of whether improper conduct occurred regarding the way in which White House officials handled documents in the office of White House Deputy Counsel Vincent Foster following his death. That resolution goes on to specify some other matters which will be looked into, but the Committee is not at this point examining those other matters. Those are to be done later this year in the fall, and today's focus is on the proper handling of the documents in Foster's office. That's the charge we're dealing with here today and in the days to come, Actually, in the many days to come since we have hearings now scheduled for the next 3 and perhaps the next 4 weeks, which I take it would complete this part of our examination of the matters that we've been charged with with respect to the documents. As I understand it, it's our intention to complete this part of the inquiry during this period of time prior to the August recess. The resolution we're operating under authorizes the Committee to expend $950,000, almost $1 million, between now and the end of next February, and it calls on the Committee to "make every reasonable effort to complete, not later than February 1, 1996, the investigation, study, and hearings that are authorized" in this hearing. So that's the framework in which we are operating. In other words, we've been given by the Senate almost $1 million for this inquiry. We've been given a time frame within which we are working. The money is until the end of next February, and we've been charged: The Special Committee shall make every reasonable effort to complete, not later than February 1, 1996, the investigation, study, and hearings authorized by section 1. Section 1 includes the matters that are within the scope of our inquiry, the first of which, as I indicated, relates to the handling of the papers in Vincent Foster's office. Mr. Starr, now the Independent Counsel, has indicated to us that his inquiry would not be impeded by our proceeding to examine the way in which the documents were handled. He first sent us a letter on April 22 with respect to looking at documents and a further letter on January 6 with respect to interviewing and deposing witnesses, whereas Mr. Fiske, last summer, said I don't want you to proceed to look at that matter because we're still conducting an inquiry. Mr. Starr, in effect, indicated to us that his work was such that their inquiry would not be affected or impeded by the Committee moving forward, as we are doing today, in order to examine the Foster papers. 10 Now, having said this, by way of setting the framework in which we find ourselves, there are a number of matters listed in the resolution for examination by the Committee. Those matters were carefully worked out in extended consultations with the Chairman, Actually, these are the so-called scope questions and one can let their imagination run wild, as some have done. There are all kinds of rumors swirling around, There were candidates to be listed for inquiry that I think were clearly beyond the horizon and were not included. We tried to determine the matters that were relevant and appropriate for this inquiry and that's been spelled out in this resolution, and that, in a sense, guides us in our inquiry over the coming weeks and months.