July 20, 1995 - Part 3
July 20, 1995 - Part 3
(12:10:33) Ms. BRAUN. That's correct. I wanted it left pretty much the way it was when Mr. Foster left. Senator BOND. It did not matter whether you were investigating a possible suicide, a possible murder or a possible conspiracy, You wanted to have that office kept as it was? Ms. BRAUN. Yes, sir. Senator BOND. You said in your testimony earlier that Mr. Watkins was getting off the telephone, Did he mention to you anything about to whom he had been speaking? Ms. BRAUN. No. Senator BOND. When you asked him to seal the office, was there any question in your mind that he did not know what that meant? Ms. BRAUN. No, he didn't ask me any questions regarding it. He just indicated that it would be done. Senator BOND. Did he indicate to you that he had just told his subordinate, in this case Patsy Thomasson, in fact, to go search that office? Ms. BRAUN. No. Senator BOND. He did not indicate in any way that this order was actually going to be violated before he could carry it out? Ms. BRAUN. No. 186 Senator BOND. Do you have any reason to mislead this Commit- tee or to make any statement about this matter that is not true? Ms. BRAUN. No, Sir. Senator BOND. This is part of your professional responsibility, to testify accurately to this information? Ms. BRAUN. Yes, sir. Senator BOND. Thank you, Mr, Chairman, The CHAIRMAN, Senator Murkowski. OPENING COMMENTS OF SENATOR FRANK H. MURKOWSKI Senator MURKOWSKI, Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I note that this is the second anniversary of Vincent Foster's death today, which I think is rather revealing that we should be here on that anniversary. I want to make that observation. My questions are directed toward Major Hines. Do you recall Captain Hume using the word stonewalling, quote unquote? Mr. HINES. At some time-I don't know if it was Captain Hume or not, but I believe it was. He used the word that he was stone- walled, That was his perception. Senator MURKOWSKI. Do you know when that was? Mr. HINES. No, Senator, I don't. Senator MURKOWSKI. Whether it was the morning of July 22, 1993, or do you recall? Mr. HINES. I don't know the exact time. Senator MURKOWSKI. On July 22, 1993, was there a sense developing at the Park Service relative to some problems with the inves- tigation and that someone at the Department of Interior should be contacted? Mr. HINES. Yes, Senator. On July 22, 1993 or the evening of July 21, 1993, there was a feeling, in our perception, that we were not getting the cooperation that we felt we should have. Senator MURKOWSKI. Was there a person identified at the De- partment of Interior that should be contacted by name? Mr. HINES- Yes. The chief and I decided we should contact Tom Collier. Senator MURKOWSKI. Why was Mr. Collier suggested? Mr. HINES. He was Chief of Staff, and we felt he was the person that might give us the assistance or advice we may need. That was the purpose for us contacting him, for assistance or advice. Senator MURKOWSKI, Was that Chief Hume you're referring to? Mr. HINES. No, that's Chief Langston. Senator MURKOWSKI. Was there anything that Hume said to you, like, relative to the documents, like you're not letting us see the documents? Was that something you recall? Mr. HINES. Yes, I recall that. Senator MURKOWSKI. Can you elaborate a little further? Mr. HINES. Captain Hume explained that when they went into the office, that they were not allowed to see any of the documents that the Chief of Staff handled all of the documents and deter- mined whether they would see them or whether they would be pri vate documents we would see later and would be released to the Foster family attorney. 187 Senator MURKOWSKI. Did you meet with Mr. Collier, along with Chief Langston, about July 22, 1993, the same day'? Mr. HINES. On July 22, 1993, in the late afternoon of July 22, 1993, we did meet for about 5 or 10 minutes, Senator MURKOWSKI. Do you recall the substance of that meet- ing? Mr. HINES. We gave him a heads-up that we proceed-that we had some problems, and he said keep him apprised. Senator MURKOWSKI. When you say you're having some problems, would you elaborate? Mr. HINES. Elaborate. Just on the cooperation, and that we hadn't been in the office to examine the office at this time, and we told him a little bit about the scene, that we were fairly sure, preliminarily, that we thought it was a suicide. Senator MURKOWSKI. Did you tell him you had been unable to search the room?