July 20, 1995 - Part 3
July 20, 1995 - Part 3
(12:00:08) The CHAIRMAN. Yes , you will be. There is nothing that I am aware of that would preclude that. As a matter of fact, it may now be necessary since we will not receive the test-I mentioned it today at the opening along with Senator Sarbanes-to enter into the record the letter of request and the Special Counsel's reasons for the denial of our request. This was the second formal communication in addition Senator BOXER. I was here for that. I just wanted to make sure that that doesn't preclude us from asking questions to get verifica- tion. The CHAIRMAN. No, this Committee will not be precluded from asking questions and it might even require us to go further Senator BOXER. Oh, OK. The CHAIRMAN. We try to save that time. Senator SARBANES. Mr. Chairman, if the gentle lady will be glad to yield just for a moment. Senator BOXER. I'd be glad to, yes. Senator SARBANES. I would also like to make the observation that Senator Faircloth asked the question of Detective Rolla based, on the 302 report written by the FBI after their interview with Detective Rolla, that's what the question was about earlier. We asked the Independent Counsel for the 302 reports on Margaret Williams and Agent O'Neill and were denied those reports. Of course, again, I want to emphasize as I did at the outset that I think it would have been very helpful to us to have those 302 reports along with the results of the polygraph test which the Senator from California has just mentioned. Senator BOXER. Thank you very much. Then I'm going to pursue that line of questioning at the appropriate time. I'd like to ask you, Ms. Braun, as a matter of fact each of you to answer this. You were at the home, as you 've testified, the night 183 of the suicide. Was it your sense as you saw many people in the house, and you were there until 11:10, that there were meetings going on, that there was some kind of undertone or buzz going on about what to do about papers and documents, or would you say that this was a home where people were gathered because they had heard about this man who they cared about and wanted to pay their respects to the widow and perhaps console each other? Ms. BRAUN. I would have to say it was probably the latter. Senator BOYER. Mr. Rolla? Mr. ROLLA. I would say, obviously, they were close friends and they were there to console and heard news, and I don't have any idea who they talked to or what those conversations were about while they were on the phone. Certain people were on the phone the entire time they were there. Senator BOXER. I didn't ask you if they were on the phone. I asked you if you saw, as you looked around the room, groups meeting and people discussing business matters, meeting in private rooms out of your sight, perhaps, or where they were doing anything other than discussing their grief or talking about the suicide. Mr. ROLLA. People were meeting out of my earshot, talking on the phone and discussing things. I don't know what they were discussing. Senator BOXER. OK. So you can't answer the question of whether you thought it was-as Ms. Braun can. To you, you're not sure if it was more condolence calls or business meetings or meetings about papers? Mr. ROLLA. I think it's obvious there was condolence calls because-that was obvious, but it was also obvious-a businesslike atmosphere. Senator BOXER. Mr. Hines? Mr. HINES. I was not there that night, Senator. Senator BOXER. OK. It's now been 2 years-actually, I think it is tomorrow. Mr. ROLLA. Today. Senator BOXER. It is today-since Vince Foster's death. I would ask each of you to answer, i's there anything that has come to your attention, either professionally, personally, through reading the press in any way, that leads you to change your mind that this was anything but a suicide? Ms. Braun? Ms. BRAUN. No, Senator. Senator BOXER. Mr. Rolla? Mr. ROLLA. No. Senator BOXER. Mr. Hines? Mr. HINES. Nothing. Senator BOXER. I want to get back to the sealing of the office or the securing of the office or the locking of the office or the closing of the office and try to clarify in my mind what happened. I'm going to ask each of you to tell me if I'm incorrect. Ms. Braun, on your way out of the door, literally, you said to Mr. Watkins something to the effect of Vince Foster's office at the White House should be secure? Ms. BRAUN. Yes. Senator BOXER. You don't recall exactly what he said, but you think you remember him agreeing with you; is that correct? 184