July 29, 1994 - Part 4
July 29, 1994 - Part 4
(16:10:28) Mr. ROLLA. Well, if I might say something? The CHAIRMAN. Yes, Mr. Rolla, you wanted to make a comment. Mr. ROLLA. Again, I was not there, Detective Marklin and the Captain of the Park Police were there when the office was searched. There were misconceptions in the paper. Park Police searched this and missed this note, Again, I just wanted to say that we didn't "search." We were told to sit down. I'm not sure now many people were there, 8 to 11 maybe White House personnel who searched the office, for reasons of national security I guess, and decided what we would be able for us to look at. And that material was turned over to the family attorney. After he had it for a day or so, then we were allowed to look at it. The CHAIRMAN. I think we have made it clear, Senator Bennett has made his point, and you have indicated this is your understanding. You were not at the White House. Mr. ROLLA. That is correct. The CHAIRMAN. So I guess we have to leave It at that for now. Senator Bryan. Senator BRYAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I think it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt to any fair-minded person that the cause of Mr. Foster's death was suicide. All of the evidence that we have seen, all of the testimony we have received reaches that conclusion. I have no further questions along that line. Senator Bennett and others have raised questions about access to papers and access to Mr. Foster's office. As the Chairman 'has reminded us, and as Special Counsel 'has admonished us, this is not the appropriate time to go into those questions. There may, in fact, be a legitimate basis for inquiry, but I do not want anybody to have the misapprehension that there is no interest on this side of the table to inquire further about that. We are simply told that this is not the time to inquire, and that none of ,is want to jeopardize the investigation that Mr. Fiske is conductIng. For that reason, that ought to be not the subject or focus of the hearing. I thin Senator Kerry asked the most important question, and I want to make sure that I cover one other aspect about it. Is it Your testimony that no one attempted to either influence the contents or the conclusions of any of the reports, statements, or tes- imony that you have offered either by deposition or in person with respect to this investigation? Mr. ROLLA. No one, Senator BRYAN. And yours? Ms. BRAUN. No one. Senator BRYAN. I have no further questions The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Senator Faircloth. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Braun, the Park Police did not seal Foster's office, but you did instruct David Watkins to secure Foster's office until the Park Police could secure it? Ms. BRAUN. That's correct. Before I left the death notification, I asked that Mr. Watkins take care of having that office secured. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Of course, Davod Watkins is the former White House Director of Administration who resigned with some disgrace race after taking helicopters on a golf outing. But instead of sealing Foster's office, you asked Watkins to do it. Now it is my understanding you called Watkins the night of Foster's death and asked -him to do this, and he said he would? Ms. BRAUN. As I said, before I left the notification scene I asked for him to ensure that that was done. Senator FAIRCLOTH. But he didn't. That evening, Bernard Nussbaum, Maggie Williams, and Patsy Thomason made an unauthorized entry into Foster's office and took the Whitewater files. They kept the Whitewater documents out of the hands of law enforcement authorities. The CHAIRMAN. I think Senator Dodd. Mr. Chairman, that is not a question for this session. That is getting into a whole other area that we have already agreed is not going to be a subject here. The CHAIRMAN. Let me just raise a concerned here, Senator Faircloth. I think anything at this point that moves us over into the area of the documents that were in the office, how they were 'handled, who did what, where they went, I think that clearly in my view is what Mr. Fiske has said he is pursuing, and he is not fin ished with that, and he has asked us in writing to leave that aside until a later time. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Well, if this does not get right into the Park investigation, we are not asking what was in the files. I am just saying, did they take them? You know, it is my understanding that he was saying you cannot get into what was in the files. My question is merely the handling of the material itself. I am not pursuing what was in them, I just want to know how it was handled.