July 20, 1995 - Part 1
July 20, 1995 - Part 1
(10:05:36) Mr. CHERTOFF. What did Mr. Watkins say to you? Ms. BRAUN. He said yes. He acknowledged my request. I don't remember what his exact words were, but he acknowledged my request. Mr. CHERTOFF. You're quite certain that you made the request and he acknowledged it? 151 Ms. BRAUN. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. In your conversation with Mr. Watkins, either at that point or at any earlier point, did he tell you that he had asked somebody to go into Mr, Foster's office and look for a suicide note? Ms. BRAUN. No, Mr. CHERTOFF. Is that something you would have wanted to know? Ms. BRAUN. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did Mr. Watkins ever say to you that he was the wrong person to make the request of? Ms. BRAUN. No. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did Mr. Watkins say you ought to bring it up with the Secret Service? Ms. BRAUN. No. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did Mr. Watkins indicate to you in any way that he was unable to carry out the request you made to secure the office? Ms. BRAUN. No. Mr. CHERTOFF. Were you aware from any other source that night, July 20, 1993, that somebody had entered or was going to enter Mr. Foster's office on that night to look for a note? Ms. BRAUN. No. Mr. CHERTOFF. Is it fair to say you would have wanted someone from the Park Police there when that happened? Ms. BRAUN. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, Detective Rolla, let me turn to you for a moment and, without repeating everything that went before, I want to focus your attention on this last part of the testimony involving the conversation with Mr. Watkins. Were you present with Sergeant Braun during this conversation? Mr. ROLLA. Yes, I was. I didn't. hear the conversation. As we were leaving, she told me she asked Mr, Watkins to secure the office. Mr. CHERTOFF. So you saw her talking briefly to Mr. Watkins? Mr. ROLLA. Yeah, we had both talked to him during the night and, before we left, we exchanged business cards and she had talked to him. I just didn't hear this part of the conversation. Mr. CHERTOFF. But, immediately thereafter, she told you she had made that request? Mr. ROLLA. Yes, that's correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did Mr. Watkins at any point during the night indicate to you that it was his intention to send someone into the White House that night to look for a suicide note? Mr. ROLLA. No. Mr. CHERTOFF. Major Hines, let me turn to you. I understand You were not there at the residence; is that correct? Mr. HINES. That's correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. Within several days, did you have occasion to '*talk to Sergeant Braun about the events of that night in the residence? Mr. HINES. Some days after that, 1 did ask her did she request the office to be sealed, and she said she did. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did she tell you who she had requested that of? Mr. HINES. She told me Mr. Watkins. 152 Mr. CHERTOFF. Let me ask you, Major Hines where were you that night, on July 20, 1993? Mr. HINES. I was at my home in Columbia, Maryland. Mr. HINES. I received a call from the field commander, Lieuten- ant Gavin. He informed me that a white male had been discovered at Fort Marcy Park, it was an apparent suicide, and he was id fled as a White House employee. He then gave me the number of a Mr. Burton in the White House, and we left it at the consensus that I should call Mr. Burton and talk to him about the matter, and that I did. Mr. CHERTOFF. Your understanding was Mr. Burton was a responsible person at the White House that you should contact? Mr. HINES. That was my understanding. Mr. CHERTOFF. Why was it that Lieutenant Gavin called you, if you know? Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you receive a call? Mr. HINES. Yes, I did. Mr. CHERTOFF. From whom? Mr. HINES. Because of my role as a public information 'officer and he told me that this person was a high-level White House em- ployee. He knew that it would be something of interest to the news media and was seeking my advice and letting me know, giving me a heads-up on it, that I should be aware. Mr. CHERTOFF. Am I correct that it was approximately at 9:45 p.m. when you got that call? Mr. HINES. That's correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you then call Mr. Burton at the White House? Mr. HINES. Yes, I did. Mr. CHERTOFF. Can you tell us generally what your conversation with him was? Mr. HINES. The earlier conversation was when I expressed MY sympathy; I knew they were in shock. Mr. Burton informed me of the relationship between the President and Mr. Foster, how they were very close, almost like brothers, and his job in the White House. We discussed at that time the process, basically, in a, thumbnail sketch, of what the investigation would be, and I told' him it was apparent from what had been reported to me that it was a suicide. Then we discussed the fact, and I did mention that we needed their full cooperation. We needed to go into the office and look for any kind of reasons or intention that Mr. Foster may have to commit suicide. Mr. CHERTOFF. You said to Mr. Burton that "You" needed to go.,. into the office, meaning the Park Police, not you personally? Mr. HINES. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. In order to look for evidence of what Mr. Foster's intentions had been; correct? Mr. HINES. That's true. Mr. CHERTOFF. You asked him to secure or lock the office in some way? Mr. HINES. Yes, I did. Mr. CHERTOFF. What did Mr. Burton say to you? Mr. HINES. I don't recall his response to me, but I assumed that a it was an affirmative response. 153 Mr. CHERTOFF. Did he object in any way to your request? Mr. HINES. No, he did not. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did he tell you that lie was not the right person to whom the request should be directed? Mr. HINES. No, he did not. Mr. CHERTOFF. When you hung up the phone, was it your belief from your conversation with Mr. Burton that you had communicated with a responsible person at the White House who could take the steps necessary to secure the office?