August 1, 1994 - Part 7
August 1, 1994 - Part 7
(19:51:28) Hearing resumes The CHAIRMAN. Let me invite all those in the room to find seats, so that we can resume. Let me now yield to Senator Sarbanes. from Maryland. Senator Sarbanes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Hanson first of all I want to follow up on this transcript,, issue, Did you try to get a copy of the transcript? 141 Ms. HANSON. I did, repeatedly. Senator SARBANES. From whom? Ms. HANSON. I asked my special assistant. Senator SARBANES. Did they come to the Committee to try to get a copy of the transcript? Ms. HANSON. Sir, I don't know. I don't know what was done. I do know that I asked, repeatedly, for a transcript, and I didn't have one nor, to my knowledge, did anyone in Treasury have one. Senator SARBANES. I assume the people in the Treasury were expecting you--do you know who Fran Davis is at Treasury? Ms. HANSON. No, I don't, sir. Senator SARBANES. I've been handed a note that a transcript went to Treasury the next day. Ms. HANSON. I did not have a copy. In fact, when Mr. Podesta's call came in, Mr. Foreman and I had to search the videotape in order to locate the Bond--Senator Bond's questions, which was all that we did and the only part of the tape that I looked at. Senator SARBANES. Did Podesta's call reflect that be had a copy of the transcript? Ms. HANSON. I didn't talk with Mr. Podesta. I didn't know that he had a copy of the transcript, sir. If I did, I would have asked him for a copy. Senator SARBANES. When did you become the General Counsel of the Treasury? Ms. HANSON. I was sworn in June 1, 1993. Senator SARBANES. I gather earlier in the day, you had testified that you didn't know either Mr. Altman or Secretary Bentsen. Is that correct? Ms. HANSON. That's correct. Senator SARBANES. How was it you came to be-how did it develop that you became the General Counsel of the Treasury? Ms. HANsON. I was recommended by Robert Muntime, who had been the General Counsel of the Treasury during President Carter's Administration. Senator SARBANES. Then what happened, you were interviewed by Ms. HANSON. I was interviewed by Mr. Altman and, subsequently, by Secretary Bentsen. Senator SARBANES. Were you, at any point in your own mind, acting as General Counsel to the RTC? Ms. HANSON. No, never. Senator SARBANES. What was your thinking when you were counseling Altman in Altman's role as the CEO of the RTC? Were you, in fact, counseling him in that role? Ms. HANSON. I was involved, from time to time, in matters that he asked me to be involved in, yes, sir. Senator SARBANES. In what capacity were you doing that? Ms. HANSON. I understood that I was always acting in my capacity as the General Counsel of the Treasury, that was Senator SARBANES, In what capacity was Altman acting when fie was involved in those matters? Ms. HANSON. He was acting, I believe, in his capacity as the Interim CEO of the RTC. 142 Senator SARBANES. How, then, could you have been counseling Altman as General Counsel to the Treasury' when he was acting in his capacity as the Interim Head of the RTC? Ms. HANSON. He had the authority, statutory authority, to call on the services of Executive Department personnel and other Executive Branch personnel. He called upon my services, and I gave them. There was a need, and I supplied it.