July 29, 1994 - Part 5
July 29, 1994 - Part 5
(16:45:31) Ms. BRAUN. Yes. 103 Senator MURRAY. So from your perspective, do you feel that anyone was trying to obstruct you in trying to get information that night? Ms. BRAUN. No, I wouldn't say they were, Senator MuRRAY. And then the President of the United States showed up. Ms. BRAUN. That's correct. Senator MURRAY. That must have been a very surprising moment Ms. BRAUN, It was unexpected. [Laughter.] Senator MURRAY. Did anyone ask you to leave? Or did you just come to the conclusion that Ms. BRAUN. No one asked us to leave. We just were not able to really get any information. The two people that we would have liked to speak to, the President was consoling, which is understandable-those being Lisa Foster and her daughter Laura. At that point, we just kind of assumed we would come back at a later date and get the information that we were trying to seek. Senator MURRAY. And finally to all three of you, is it your opinion that Vince Foster committed suicide? Ms. BRAUN. Yes. Mr. ROLLA. Yes. Dr. BEYER. No question. Senator MURRAY. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Faircloth, Senator FAIRCLOTH. Yes, I do have one or two more. Mr. Rolla, someone from the Park Police called you and said they would break into your desk to get these papers. Someone from the White House called the Park Police to get these papers. Who called you? Mr. ROLLA. Who called me? Senator FAIRCLOTH. Yes. Who was it called you and told you they were going to break into the desk? Mr. ROLLA. It was Lt. Cass. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Who? Mr. ROLLA. Lt. Robert Cass, my Lieutenant. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Oh, your Lieutenant from the Park Service? ROLLA. No. Park Police. Senator FAIRCLOTH. The Park Police. OK right, Mr. Rolla, I am a little confused about one thing. This not an important question, but I will try to clear my mind. I am confused about the layout at Fort Marcy Park. I understand that are two cannons in the Park. One is nearer the parking lot, other is farther away near Chain -Bridge Road. When you found Mr. Foster's body, which cannon was it located near? ROLLA. It was near the second one which is closer to Chain Bridge Road, but it is not-it's hard to tell the difference. It is not right next to it. It is elevated, and the trees and the foliage are so thick at that time you could not even see the roadway. But it was at the second cannon. FAIRCLOTH. Mr. Chairman, here is something that we have not heard mentioned. With all of the lawyers that were at the Fosters' house that night, and all of the lawyers in the White House, I don't see why it ever proceeded to the point it did. The U.S. Park Police had no business being the lead investigate in Vince Foster's tragic death anyway. In fact, it would have against the law for them to do so. Under the law, the FBI responsibility to investigate this case from beginning to end. to say why the FBI has the duty to investigate this case un law. An FBI investigation is what everybody would expect wehn Foster ter died. He was a hi gh Government official. His body was found on Federal land and the Park Police do not have a lot of training in investigating homicides. It is not their normal operation. "fall, Foster was a high Government official, and there is First 10 a law called the Presidential and Presidential Staff Assassination, Statute. It covers the President, the Vice President, and the top 25, appointed people in the White House. Foster was one of the top 25 What the law says is that a killing or an assault on a high Government official shall be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. So the FBI was required by law to investigate because Foster was a high Government official. Then there is the law establishing the FBI. The FBI has the general authority to investigate crimes against the United States, and that would include possible homicides committed on Federal land. A national park like Fort Marcy is Federal ]an . It is a so true that at on Federal land they do not necessarily have to be a high Government official. Another part of the same law allows the FBI to investigate possible Federal crimes involving a Government officer or official.