July 18, 1995 - Part 3
July 18, 1995 - Part 3
(12:45:30) Senator SABARNES Mr. Hubbell, I want to put just a few questions to you and then I'm going to turn the balance of my time over to our counsel, Richard Ben-Veniste. At the end, Mr. Chertoff was getting to the scene at the family home, the Foster family home, on the night of July 20. 1 know it is difficult for you to go back over this and I understand that, but I think it's important for our inquiry and almost necessary that we do so. I know you understand that. You say you went over to Vince Foster's home from across the street where his sister lived, having gone there first to tell his sister about it. Mr. HUBBELL. Let me try to make it clear. Vince's sister Sheila lives across the street from my home. Senator SARBANES. I'm sorry, from your home. Mr. HUBBELL. I went over and told Sheila and Sharon what I thought had happened or what I had been told, and then we all got in our cars and drove to the Foster residence in Georgetown. Senator SARBANES. Now, tell me the scene at the Foster residence when you arrived. Mr. HUBBELL. When I arrived, the Park Policeman was there, as well as David Watkins, and they were about to enter the home. I believe that either David or I asked if we could tell Lisa. He said it was the function of the Park Police to tell her. So we stayed right outside the door as he knocked on the door and went in. Senator SARBANEs. He went in himself? Mr. HUBBELL. Yes. Senator SARBANES. You waited outside? Mr. HUBBELL. We were-it happened very quickly, as you can imagine. The daughter, Laura, came to the door. Senator SARBANES. How old is the daughter? Mr. HUBBELL. Laura, I believe, at that time was 21 years old. Lisa came down the steps. He told Lisa. She screamed, as you can imagine, and sat down on the steps. At that point we all entered the home, that being David, my wife, myself, Marsha Scott, Sheila and Sharon. Pretty quickly other people started coming to the home, Lisa went upstairs. Eileen, I believe, took her upstairs. Then, within a few minutes, Eileen asked that I go up and be with Lisa. Senator SARBANEs. Now, I take it it was a very traumatic scene. Mr. HUBBELL. Senator, I've had some tough times in the last 2 years, but that was the worst day of my life. Trauma is not the way to describe it. We were in shock. We couldn't believe it. There Was no way that Vince Foster-this could happen to Vince Foster. So we were all blaming ourselves, we were guilty that we didn't-what could we have done to prevent this? So it was-as I'm emotional now, you can imagine how we all were then. Senator SARBANEs. There's an allegation that's been made that You pushed a Park Police officer who was, I take it, he or she, it 56 may be a she, trying to talk to Mrs. Foster and that you Pushed her out of the way. Could you enlighten us on that allegation? Mr. HUBBELL. The first time I heard of that was last year when this Committee had its hearings and I saw the Park Policewoman say that I was rude to her, I do not remember the incident at all. I think, if you can tell by my size, if I shoved someone in that crowded room, somebody would have noticed, but I ' do know that others who said at some point, it was not Mrs. Foster, it was Mrs Anthony that the Park Policewoman was trying to talk to, one of the Senator SARBANES. Vince Foster's sister? Mr. HUBBELL. Vince Foster's sister. Someone came up to me and said the woman is-that woman is-I don't know what was said. I can just only report that they asked me to go and rescue Sheila, and I went over and took Sheila away. If I was rude, I apologize, I really do, but I don't believe I shoved anybody that evening.