Whitewater Hearings August 1, 1994 - Part 1
Whitewater Hearings August 1, 1994 - Part 1
(11:50:38) Senator SHELBY. Mr. Ryan, when did you first learn of the Feb ruary 2 1994, meeting between the White House and Mr. Altman? 24 Mr. RYAN. I learned about that meeting in the meetings the RTC staff held with Mr. Altman to help prepare him for the oversight hearings before this Committee. Senator SHELBY. What was your reaction to that meeting when you learned about it? Mr. RYAN. I was surprised that meeting , had occurred. Senator SHELBY. During your tenure of dealing with a regulation like this, have you ever known of any other disclosures like that? Mr. RYAN. No, sir. Senator SHELBY. Isn't it very important to the RTC to keep this kind of information very confidential within the RTC? Mr. RYAN. I think it is, yes, sir. It is a responsibility of- Senator SHELBY, And why is it important? Mr. RYAN. It is important because information concerning such matters could compromise the RTC's ability to bring a case, if that is warranted. Senator SHELBY. Is this especially true if people who might be targets of this investigation Mr. RYAN. Yes, sir. Senator SHELBY. -knew what was going on on the inside of RTC? Mr. RYAN. Yes, sir. Senator SHELBY. Was that why you were surprised that this information had been disseminated to the White House? Mr. RYAN. I'm not making a judgment as to- Senator SHELBY, Just tell me what you thought at the time. Mr. RYAN. I thought that it was a surprising revelation. Senator SHELBY. And highly unusual, wasn't it? Mr. RYAN. And highly unusual, yes, sir. Senator SHELBY. This was confidential information, was it not? Mr. RYAN. That's the problem, I think, Senator, the RTC does leak. I think someone said Senator SHELBY. Was it supposed to he confidential information? Mr. RYAN. It was supposed to be confidential, and the RTC has a responsibility to keep that information confidential as well. The RTC breached that responsibility. Senator SHELBY. Who breached it? Mr. RYAN. I don't know. Senator SHELBY. Have you done an internal investigation to see? Mr. RYAN. Not yet. Senator SHELBY. Were you aware, at any time, of a request made by Mr. Altman that the General Counsel of the RTC, Ms. Kulka, brief the President's private attorney on this? Mr. RYAN. Was I aware? Senator SHELBY. Yes. Mr. RYAN, If she did. Senator SHELBY. No. About the request. Mr. RYAN. I was aware of the request, yes, sir. Senator SHELBY. What was your reaction on learning about that request, that the General Counsel of RTC brief the President of the United States' private attorney-I believe it was Mr, Kendall. Mr. RYAN. Yes, that's correct. Senator SHELBY. What was your reaction? 25 Mr. RYAN. I was surprised at the request and discussed it with the General Counsel. Senator SHELBY. Would asking the General Counsel of the RTC to brief a private attorney of a possible subject in a civil suit, or any other suit, be inconsistent with the regulations that you went by in running the RTC? Mr. RYAN. I assumed all along that at some point in time, a meeting between our lawyer and Mr. Kendall would take place if an action was contemplated. I thought it was premature, as Ms. Kulka has indicated. Senator SHELBY. And highly unusual? Mr. RYAN. Highly unusual. Senator SHELBY. Mrs. Kulka, did Roger Altman or Jean Hanson ever ask you to brief David Kendall on the RTC's investigation of Madison/White water? Ms. KULKA. I received a call from Ms. Hanson where she told me that Roger Altman had requested that I call Mr. Kendall. Senator SHELBY. Do you recall the date of this, briefly? ? Can you refer to your notes, or would you furnish it for the record? Ms. KuLKA. I believe that it was around February 3, 1994. Senator SHELBY. OK Go ahead. Ms. KULKA. She asked me to advise him of the relationship between our potential asking for tolling agreements and the running of the statute of limitations on February 28, 1994, on the Madison matters. Senator SHELBY. Did you brief David Kendall, the President's attorney? Ms. KuLKA. No. Senator SHELBY. Why? Ms. KULKA. I told Ms. Hanson that I didn't think this was the appropriate time to do it because we had formed no conclusions about who might eventually be asked to execute tolling agreements or who might be defendants. Senator SHELBY. Absolutely, Ms. KULKA. And that I thought, at the appropriate time, we would certainly enter into those discussions with attorneys for any possible defendants. Senator SHELBY. What did Mrs. Hanson say to that? Ms. KuLKA. She said, fine, I'll tell Roger. Senator SHELBY. That was the end of it? Did you have a convesation with Mr. Altman, Mr. Roger Altman, regarding this? Ms. KuLKA. I don't believe I did. Senator SHELBY, Mr. Roelle, did you talk with Mr. Roger Altman about this same subject?