Advanced Search
August 2, 1994 - Part 6
(01:20:15) Mr. ALTMAN. This says The Washington Post and the Associated Press may be pursuing a story on that subject. It doesn't say that I 've communicated a detail of criminal referrals to the White House. This is a compendium of stories the press may be working On, that's all this is. That's all the Early Bird has ever been. Senator DODD. Your testimony today is that you don't have any recollection of this memorandum? 436 Mr. ALTMAN. I don't have a precise recollection of it, but I have a very clear recollection of the Early Bird and what it is. As I say this is a list of stories the press may be working on. That's all that it is. The word "Madison" doesn't appear in here. Senator DODD. Well, "criminal referrals" does. Mr. ALTMAN. I just think that if someone sends a list of stories the press may be working on, that's a heck of a lot different than saying, gee, this confirms that I advised the White House on the subject of the criminal referrals. I don't see any connection almost at all with them, between the two. Senator DODD. Well, I understand your interpretation of this, but-and I appreciate that, but I think it's also important to establish for the record that whether or not Ms. Hanson thought this was something other than just a Rose Law Firm story or referring to criminal referrals, your testimony is you don't have any-you don't recall receiving this memo. Mr. ALTMAN. That's number one, but I also have, as I say, a close familiarity with the Early Bird, and I just don't think that this memorandum confirms what several 'have suggested that it does confirm, not at all. Senator DODD. Let me move on because time does flee along here. First of all, yesterday Ms. Kulka was asked on numerous occasions, about whether or not you told her that she would be, in effect, in charge of these matters. I recall her saying that, in fact, occurred. I'm satisfied that was the case. We're going to have Mr. Ickes before this Committee and I gather that Mr. Ickes has stated that you told him and others in the meeting on February 2 that the statute of limitations was going to present a problem for the RTC and, in fact, communicated that information to the First Family, as I understand it. So I want to go over the meeting that you had on February 1 with Ms. Kulka. I gather that it was a meeting with Ms. Kulka, yourself, and Jean Hanson to discuss the statute of limitations on February 1; is that correct? Mr. ALTMAN. I believe so, Senator, yes. Senator DODD. Did Ellen Kulka tell you that the RTC would have enough information to file claims by the 28th of February even though its investigation may not be entirely completed? Mr. ALTMAN. I don't recall that. What I recall is Ms. Kulka saying that by the 28th the RTC would make its decision, and I believe that's what the Senator DODD. My colleagues, please, I can't hear. Mr. ALTMAN. I believe what I do recall them saying is that by the 28th the RTC would make its decision, and I believe before this Committee yesterday she did confirm that. The notion that we conveyed the information on February 2 that you referred to is categorically false. Senator DODD. Do you recall what she did tell you, rather than go through a series of questions here about that. At this point we already had a significant debate going on in the Senate about whether or not to extend the statute of limitations. Our colleague from New York was certainly reminding all of us each day as the calendar went by that we were getting closer. 437 Was there some implication that because the Senate or the Congress might extend the statute of limitations that it wouldn't pose a problem, or even if we didn't extend the statute, that the problem,Mr. ALTMAN. I recall Ms. Kulka saying that she would make her decision by February 28. 1 don't recall any discussion about the prospects. Senator DODD. There was no problem about having an adequate amount of information and the whole question of section 11, the fear of a decision that would impact the RTC's not bringing a case that was backed up by adequate evidence. Mr. ALTMAN. She said she would make her decision by the 28th, and as you know, the RTC has options to preserve its basis. It can file a claim in court to preserve it's basis or it can seek a tolling agreement, but I was never told somehow that there wouldn't be enough time to complete the investigation and that would somehow lead to a lapse of the statute of limitations deadline. I was never told anything at all like that. Senator DODD. You had some talking points Senator SASSER. Mr. Chairman, could Mr. Altman pull that microphone a little closer. I'm having trouble hearing. The CHAIRMAN. That would be helpful, and also time has run if you'd like to finish that out Senator Dodd.
Dining Room Scenes
01:12:15 MS couple in indoor restaurant, formal setting. Smiling waiter brings flaming shish kebab to table and serves woman, who proceeds to eat while ignoring the little fire that still burns merrily on her plate 01:12:51 CU man's and woman's hands at table, waiter serving dinner plates to them, and they begin to eat. 01:13:09 MS diner counter, chef cooking in BG with customer (appears to be a milkman) talking to him. This is working class food 01:13:22 MS young men in crew cuts eating at table. More scenes of men eating from different angles in this restaurant
Formal & Elegant Dining Scenes
01:15:47 CU waiter with plate of food, smiling at camera as if offering us a selection from the plate (several takes) 01:16:18 MS couple from earlier shish kebab scene; cuts with them eating while the onion on the woman's plate flames on 01:16:31 CU table with woman's place visible, waiter serves plate of food 01:16:38 MS couple in elegant restaurant. In foreground someone pushes by a cake with "Plaza Hotel" written on icing (could be also Baked Alaska, non-flaming)
Watching Wallets
CU man's billfold or wallet, open to show two crisp ten dollar bills. Man sticks it into the pocket of his suit and pats it
Bank Exteriors
LS exterior of First National Bank, imposing structure with columns. Good 1950s traffic passing in front, numerous customers waiting outside on sidewalk, then entering
Bank Exteriors
LS exterior of more modern and non-descript building housing the City National Bank, a 7-story office block. CU windows forming abstract pattern, plus another view of exteerior with cars
Bank Exteriors
LS another bank exterior, this on a busy city street. The bank is Liberty National Bank and Trust Company. Good traffic and pedestrians, tilt up to imposing office structure
People enter a building
MS customers entering bank through glass doors. Large waiting crowd, these people are smiling. Nice slice of life feel to this mixed working-class and professional crowd
Bank Teller
Bank Teller
August 2, 1994 - Part 6
(01:25:30) Senator DODD, I'll ask the Chairman that Mr. Altman be given a copy of this-the final version of the talking points. The final bullet on the final version of the talking points for that meeting does talk about the decision that you'd made to recuse yourself from the decisionmaking process. I want you to come back and respond to my question, and I think a question Senator Gramm asked, that when a question was asked on February 24, was that the sole purpose-I don't have the record right in front of me, but the language was "sole purpose" of that February 2 meeting. Now I understand your argument earlier of the difference between recusal and Madison, but the question from one of my colleagues on the other side did not reference the Madison or recusal, but asked the sole purpose of the February 2 meeting, and this talking point seems to indicate the recusal is on there. I wonder how you'd respond to that? Mr. ALTMAN. May I respond now? The CHAIRMAN. I think you should and then we'll rotate. Mr. ALTMAN. First of all, when I called Mr. McLarty to set up the meeting, I told him the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the generic procedures that the RTC would be following in connection with that statute of limitations situation, same ones that it would follow on any statute of limitations situation. I didn't mention recusal. My recollection is, and I've testified to this effect, I've testified under oath, and I'm testifying under oath here today, that this final point was added by Ms. Hanson of her own volition out of a perfectly well intentioned sense, which was to prod me to do it. But I didn't instruct that this be added to the talking points. She did it. The purpose of the meeting was not-was the generic procedures discussion. Senator DODD. Well , there will be more questions about it, but my time has expired. 438 The CHAIRMAN. I do not think it is fair to leave the inference, however, that the recusal was not discussed tit the meeting. It was discussed at the meeting. Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, sir, it was. The CHAIRMAN. We'll come back to that. Senator Bond. Senator BOND. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When I made my opening comments here on Friday, I chose my words very carefully because I wanted to make it clear that truthfulness is the coin of the realm around here and when you come up to testify before this Committee or any Committee of Congress, you have to be truthful. We heard some interesting statements yes. terday about why Ms. Hanson felt unable to relay the truth to this Committee after your testimony on February 24, Mr. Altman. First* it related to RTC contacts; second, she couldn't get a transcript of the bearings; and third, her lawyers told her not to do so. We don't have time and I'm not going to revisit those points now, it's just they are very troubling. I want to remind my colleagues that this hearings is not just about whether Administration officials misled this Committee on February 24 along the lines of the questions my colleagues already discussed, It's about a whole, unusual, highly disturbing set of events that we now describe with the word "Whitewater." Just today, for example, we learned from the newspaper that the night of the tragic suicide, the Whitewater files were taken from Mr. Foster's office by the First Lady's Chief of Staff and taken to the White House residence and not turned over to the Clintons' lawyers, as we we've been told, but that they were in the Clintons' residence for 5 days. And it took us 6 months to learn that the Whitewater files were taken from the Foster office, then it took us another 6 months to learn they did n't straight to the lawyer. Notwithstanding the protestations to the contrary, it seems to me that an awful lot of people have gone to extraordinary lengths to try to tell us that Whitewater wasn't such a big deal. Extraordinary measures have been taken by high level folks to keep track of Whitewater developments and be involved in Whitewater-related activities. I begin to wonder, and I think my colleagues should, as to why the White House and their top officials have tried so hard. Mr. Altman, I'd like to go back to your first staff meeting at the RTC. On March 15, 1993, you took over as CEO of the Resolution Trust Corporation; is that correct?
"Corporate Businessmen"
Var. shots of men in conference/board rooms meeting. Water pitcher and glasses on table. Shots vary between several different boardrooms. One is light and mostly gray/blue tones. Another is very dark and all the men are in dark suits.
Crowd watches Building Burn at Night
Crowd of people gather and look up and point upwards. Many appear to be in their nightgowns and robes and there is a warm flickering light on them. Looks like they are watching a building burn. Police disperse the crowd in first shot. Following shots show crowd looking up and pointing in excitement.
Clouds
Varios shots of white, puffy cumulous clouds on bright sunny day with blue sky. Clouds over Grand Canyon and in mountainous settings.
Briton To Mediate Crisis
Shaky dull in contrast and imagery - DOS While Germany s national mobilization throws Europe into a panic, Lord Rnciman, arbitrator and mediator, arrives to tackle the ticklish job of smoothing out the Sudeten Minority problem, the source of trouble.
Soap Box Derby
Shaky dull in contrast and imagery - DOS Colorful scenes mark the 5th Annual All-American Classic as youngsters from all sections of the country get off to whiz-bang starts in amazing 'jalopies'. Robert Berger, 14, of Omaha, Nebraska, wins by a squeak.
The World of Sports: Seabiscuit Wins Match Race
Image flickers slightly; a few shots of the race look somewhat overexposed, or else perhaps there was a slight fog that day. The World of Sports: Seabiscuit Wins Match Race "20,000 turf fans watch as Sea Biscuit (Seabiscuit), C. S. Howard's big money winner, noses out Ligaroti, owned by Bing Crosby, in a Shaky dull in contrast and imagery - DOS Sensational $25,000 Dual Classic, climaxed by a foul protest on the part of the losing jockey." Shot of a few horses in stable area; men adjust saddle and other equipment on the horse in foreground. TLS some of the horses parading along track before the race; jockey (George Woolf) rides Seabiscuit among them, slowly. MS two men in the stands; one wearing hat looks through binoculars then puts them down - this spectator seems to be Bing Crosby. WS two horses start race, Seabiscuit on the inside with jockey giving him a few hits to get moving; as they pass the midpoint of the track Seabiscuit is ahead by about a neck. WS crowd of spectators. LS the two horses racing on the far side of the track. Shot of spectators at ground level pressing against chain link fence, one young man sitting astride the fence, all watching intently. The two race down the final stretch, Seabiscuit still on the inside, and it's Seabiscuit by a nose! TLS, the two jockeys (Noel Richardson, a.k.a. Spec Richardson, rode Ligaroti) climb up and pass through a raised gazebo-type structure, perhaps a stand for judges or referees.
Bronc Riders Thrill Crowds
Shaky dull in contrast and imagery - DOS A colorful parade of Cowboys, Cowgirls and Real Indians provides a thrilling introduction to the 2nd Annual Rodeo, in which daring 'Ride 'em Rough' stars stage an exciting show with split-second action.
August 2, 1994 - Part 6
(01:30:14) Mr. ALTMAN. I believe that was the date, Senator, yes, Senator BOND. And our records seem to reflect that it was Tuesday , March 23, you had your first staff meeting at the RTC, the following Tuesday. You bad to testify in Congress on Tuesday, March 15, and so you bad your first staff meeting on Tuesday, March 23. Mr. ALTMAN. Perhaps I did. I can't recall the specific date. Senator BOND. Yesterday, Mr. Roelle testified that at the end of that staff meeting, on March 23, he gave you the first indication that the criminal referrals pertaining to Madison mentioned Bill and Hillary Clinton. Now, this is inconsistent with your written testimony, you said you did not recall it, but from the deposition of Mr. Roelle, he was asked: Question: Did you at any time inform Mr. Altman of the 1992 criminal referral? Answer: I did. Question: When did you do that? Answer. The first day he had a staff meeting. He asked us was there anything that he should know about, anything that was going on that would likely be high visibility, or any kind of a major issue. According to Mr. Roelle's deposition: I waited until the majority of the people had left and I can't remember who was there beside Mr. Newman and Mr. Altman, There may have been somebody else from the Treasury, but I just can't recall and I told him at that time that there had been a criminal referral mentioning the Clintons that had been referred to the Justice Department. No, having those additional specifies, does that give you any additional recollection of that March 1993 meeting and what went on? Mr. ALTMAN. No, sir, it doesn't. I think I've testified under oath now 5 or 6 times in connection with this whole matter and each time I have said the first time I recollect learning of this was last fall when Mr. Roelle or Ms. Hanson or both told me. I don't have any recollection of that March 1993 meeting. Of course, that occurred about a year before the testimony here on February 24, but I don't recall it. Let me also say no one has suggested, I don't believe, that I did anything with the information if I had it, but my answer was Senator BOND. Mr. Altman, I'm limited on time and if I were going 7 to ask that question, I would have asked it. I'm asking for another purpose. The evening of March 23 at 9:04 p.m., there was an article that came from your office. It was faxed to Bernie Nussbaum from Roger Altman. Is this your handwriting, did you fax that yourself at 9:04 p.m.? Mr. ALTMAN. May I see the document? Senator DAMATO. What day is that, I'm sorry? Senator BOND. March 23 at 9:04 p.m. Senator DAMATO. P.M.? Senator BOND, P.M. 9:04 p.m. Mr. ALTMAN. That's not my handwriting. Senator BOND. That was faxed from your office, that's your fax number? Mr. ALTMAN. That's my fax number. Senator BOND. We bad another copy of that fax that was given to us, turned over and it had the time redacted, but we got the extra co copy that showed the time was 9:04 p.m. Then there was a second tax. It was refaxed to Bernie Nussbaum at 8:58 a.m. the next In morning Thus the articles were faxed twice, one at 9:04 p.m. Tuesday night and one at 8:58 a.m. Wednesday morning to Bernie Nussbaum with the clipping from The New York Times from March 9 1992, "Clinton Defends Real Estate Deal." Says he lost at least $25,000 and did nothing improper. Now, twice that was faxed within 12 hours, on the evening of March 23 and the following morning. It seems to me more than curious that there had not been something to trigger this flurry of faxes to Bernie Nussbaum about Whitewater. It showed that there Was a very real sensitivity and concern about Whitewater from Something that bad happened that day. Mr. ALTMAN. May I respond to that, Senator? Senator BOND. I didn't ask a question, but I'd be happy to have YOU make a brief comment. 440 Mr. ALTMAN. I don't see anything wrong with faxing a press article at any time to anyone Senator BOND. I didn't ask you that. Is it still your testimony that you don't recall having someone search for these articles about Whitewater, you don't remember anything about it, this wasn't your idea, somehow the fax machine just spit out the Whitewater article and sent it to
Chicago Skyscrapers 3 & 5
AT&T Corporate Center: Shady street corner, looking at corner of office bldg., tilt up, extreme worm-s eye, great shot, tilt down, cuts to zoomed in shot of fron of building, as pedestrians and traffic passs, tilts up again, pans back over and down to street level, shot repeats several times, staring with the extereme worm-s eye view of the tops of the bldgs.(00:31), Cu flags onfront of bldg.,, cuts to same shot as previous, from across the intersection (03:29) CU "chicago-style" window, tilt up to other windows and details, sveral takes, ECU decorative detail (04:22), Shop-window of building framed by two small trees, pedestrians crois in fron of it (07:21), Granite dedication stone of At&T center, tilts up to sidewalk along buliding, repeats (07:53), Cu marble floor details in lobby, various shots of lobby, very few people coming and going , elevator banks with business men and women shots of lobby taken from mezzanine, birds eye views of lobby (08:45) very strange and wonderful shot of eerily lit hallway. Warmly lit walls and ceiling recall scenes from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Window at end of hall with part of American flag waving in it. (21:38) Construction workers and machinery on site of what is now the Chicago MCA, nice shots of heavy construction and large machinery in use (22:27) more exteriors of AT&T tower, tilting up towards sky. NIce shots of clouds passing over top of building (shot from street level)
Chicago Skyscrapers 7, 11, & 14
MS tall buildings, overcast light. Steel and glass bldg in center, flanked by concrete and glass bldgs. (00:28), Zooms in to top of steel and glass bldg. then zooms out to wide shot (00:37). Different aperture opening, still smae shot (better exposure) clouds passing quickly overhead (02:06), zooms in again to top of steel and glass building. (02:45), Wide shot, same three buildings, slightly different angle on cloudy dark day (03:52) CU top of Steel and glass bldg. flat gray clouds overhead, (04:21), Interior office building, inside office. Looks like architects office. Models of downtown chicago skyscrapers on desk and radiator along window in backgroud (04:34)
West Pointers Fire Big Guns
Shaky, dull in contrast and imagery Interesting scenes as Uncle Sam's 'Future Generals', 150 strong, get a taste of real war and try their skill at firing the latest types of defense weapons, including anti-aircraft, railway 'Big Berthas', and 155 M.M. Cannons.
World Wide News - US Embassy Leaves War Zone
Shaky, dull in contrast and imagery - DOS While Japanese bombers continue their daily raids on the civilian population, Ambassador Nelson T. Johnson and his staff leave the stricken area aboard an American gunboat for Chunking, China's new up-river capital.
Pres, Roosevelt Hails Security Act On 3rd Anniversary
Shaky, dull in contrast and imagery Pres. Roosevelt, speaking on the 3rd anniversary of the Social Security Act, praises the measure as helpful to 67,000,000 US Citizens-yet one that would still be but a dream had 'reactionaries' been in control of the government. President Roosevelt addresses the Social Security Act: Social Security Act is three years old. Five years ago the term Social Security was new to most American ears. Today it has significance for more than 40-million men and woman workers. Whose applications for old age insurance accounts has been received. And for 27 1/2 million men and women wage earners who earned credits on the state unemployment insurance laws. These accomplishments of three years are impressive. And yet we should not be unduly proud of them. Our government in fulfilling obvious obligations for the citizens of the country, has been doing so, only because the citizens require action from the representatives. If the people during these past few years had chosen a reactionary administration or a do-nothing congress, Social Security would still be in the conversational stage. A beautiful dream which might come true in the dim distant future.
Young Men Enter Franciscan Order At Colorful Rites
Shaky, dull in contrast and imagery Thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the U.S. Attend the colorful induction ceremonies at Graymoor Monastery, during which 13 candidates don the cowl and habit of the Franciscan Novices and have their heads shaved.