July 19, 1995 - Part 3
July 19, 1995 - Part 3
(12:55:20) The CHAIRMAN. Senator Sarbanes. Senator SARBANES. Senator Dodd. Senator DODD. Just briefly, I think, for purposes of clarity here. In fact, Bernie Nussbaum did go to the Foster home, is that not true, that evening? Mr. HUBBELL. I don't know, Senator. I just-I mean, I don't know. I don't know if he did or he didn't. Senator DODD. In terms of going in the office, were there others, do you know about other staff or persons in the White House when he did go to the White House? Mr. HUBBELL. I'm sorry? Senator DODD. None of the White House staff were present in the White House when Mr. Nussbaum went up, back up to his office? Mr. HUBBELL. I don't know that. I really don't know what Vince-I mean, Bernie did that night. Senator DODD. I would just, Mr. Chairman, point out there is evidence- we'll hear it down the road-that Mr. Nussbaum went and he called, that he was to call White House personnel so they might hear it from him, rather than hear it over the broadcast news, and hear it from people who are pretty close to each other, which 1 find to be a relatively normal thing to do. I mean, I certainly, that to me would be the way a person would react, rather than having people who work pretty closely to have to turn on their radios or televisions that night and hear it for the first time. Mr. HUBBELL. Senator, we had the same concerns with people back in Arkansas, including Vince's mother, of having to makeyou asked about telephone calls. We had to call people back in Arkansas. We didn't want them to hear it on TV. So I'm sure Bernie had the same concerns there. That's why, I'm sure, George called me. I would have hated to turn on the TV and seen Vince's picture there. I can imagine what that would do to the people in the White House Counsel's Office. Senator DODD. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator SARBANES. Senator Kerry. Senator KERRY. Just a few questions, if I may. Let me also say it's interesting that we spent an awful lot of time finding out what has surprised you or what you have found strange, but the bottom line remains that, in terms of the handling of the documents, you had precious little involvement. In terms of finding facts here, Many questions have been asked about extraneous issues which You were not firsthand with but which leave things hanging out there, not the least of which is this most recent round about Patsy Thomasson. 134 I mean, in the context of the evening, just to review the facts for 60 seconds, David Watkins was the first to arrive at the Foster home, and Patsy Thomasson worked for David Watkins. David Watkins, the evidence shows, asked if there was a note in the Foster office, and I believe he beeped Patsy Thomasson; is that correct, Mr. Hubbell? Mr. HUBBELL. I don't know. Senator KERRY. You don't even know that. The record shows that he beeped Patsy Thomasson, asked her to go to Foster's off-ice to see if there was a note. There is nothing in the record that shows that she went there to look at files. In fact, three people were there: Bernie Nussbaum, Maggie Williams, and Patsy Thomasson, all of whom the testimony shows were looking for a note. They were there for about 10 minutes. But the way these questions are somehow posed as to what seems strange or what seems surprising, there's an inference there that somehow this is something out of the ordinary. I would like to just review very, very quickly-because we have another panel coming and this will be relevant. When you arrived at the Foster home, and the testimony in answer to Senator Grams was it was somewhere in the vicinity of 10 P.M., the Park Police were arriving or had arrived at that time? Mr. HUBBELL. I believe they were about to go in the door when I jumped out of the car and was right there. Senator KERRY. So you saw them for the first time right at the door to the house itself? Mr. HUBBELL. Yes. Senator KERRY. They had not yet gone into the house. Mr. HUBBELL. That's correct. Senator KERRY. Who initiated a conversation with them? Mr. HUBBELL. I believe I did. Senator KERRY. Do you remember what that was? Mr. HUBBELL. I believe I asked if I could notify Senator KERRY. Did you ask them who they were first? Did you know why they were there? Mr. HUBBELL, I saw David, and I had been told by George Stephanopoulos that David and the Park Police were on their way to notify Lisa, so I just assumed they were Park Police. Senator KERRY. I see. Was David there at the time? Mr. HUBBELL. David Watkins? Yes. Senator KERRY. He had not notified her? Mr. HUBBELL. No, David had actually-I think he rode with the Park Police to the Foster Senator KERRY. So David was outside the house, too? Mr. HUBBELL. Right.