August 1, 1994 - Part 5
August 1, 1994 - Part 5
(17:57:20) Hearing resumes The CHAIRMAN. The Committee will come back to order. Let me again invite those in the room to find seats so that we can begin, Let me now recognize Senator Shelby. Senator SHELBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Hanson, before you came to Washington last year as General Counsel what kind of law practice were you involved in? HANSON. Corporate. Senator SHELBY. Was that office practice, or was that white-collar criminal defense or prosecution or both? Ms Hanson. It was corporate finance and securities. Senator SHELBY. Did you do trial work? MS. HANSON. No, I did not. Senator SHELBY. OK you didn't. You do realize, I know, as an accomplished lawyer, that information is very important to any- 114 thing, to lawyers, to business decisions, or anything. Basic information is an important commodity, is it not? Ms. HANsON. Yes. Senator'SHELBY. OK. Information that's timely is more important. Ms. HANSON. That's right. Senator SHELBY. OK. would you think the White House- would be interested in ' or did you think the White House would In interested in, this information that you were-that bad been given to you, that you talked to Mr. Altman about? Why did you think, when Mr. Altman told you to brief Mr. Nussbaum or call him, or whatever happened, he wanted that done? Did it occur to you why he wanted that done? Ms. HANSON. I knew exactly why he wanted it done. Senator SHELBY. Why, what was that? Ms. HANSON. Because, with press leaks imminent, there were going to be press inquiries that the White House, by definition, would receive. The White House needed to be prepared to respond intelligently to the press inquiries as they came in. Senator SHELBY. Could there have been other motivations, other than press leaks, for which the White House would want this infor- mation, or for which Altman would think they would need this information? Ms. HANSON. The only reason that I communicated with the White House was to put them in the position to be able to respond to press inquieries. Senator SHELBY. Did Mr. Altman use the word "Press leaks" to you? Ms. HANSON. It was my understanding in the Senator SHELBY. No, did he use that word, that phrase? Ms. HANSON. As I've stated, I don't recall the specifies of the conversation but that was the purpose of my task. Senator SHELBY, Did you make some notes about this for your records? Ms. HANSON. No. Senator SHELBY. Did you make some notes about this conversation? Ms. HANSON. With Mr. Altman? Senator SHELBY. Yes. Ms. HANSON. Not to my recollection. Senator SHELBY There is nothing you recollect from your notes about that conversation? Ms. HANSON. No, sir. (18:00:13) Senator SHELBY. I want to ask you this. Did you ever, ever think it was improper, as General Counsel, to brief the White House on something from the RTC that was basically confidential, something of this importance, dealing with a Justice Department-a referral to the Justice Department involving criminal behavior, possible criminal behavior? Ms. HANSON. Sir, I knew Senator SHELBY. I'm not talking about now, but before. (18:00:53)(Tape #10060 ends)