August 1, 1994 - Part 8
August 1, 1994 - Part 8
(21:26:02) Hearing resumes: The CHAiRmAN. Let me invite everybody to get seated so we can resume. Ms. HANSON. Senator Riegle, if I might , Senator Dodd raised some points before the break, and I did not have an opportunity to respond to them, adequately. I would like an opportunity to do so. The CHAIRMAN. Go ahead. Ms. HANSON. Senator Dodd raised three areas of issue. One is authority. The second is the testimony, and the third is the contacts. In terms of the authority, I had plenty of authority to do what I was doing There was no need for a particular detail. There is an Attorney General's opinion that says no formal detail is required and, in fact, informal details happen all the time. To the extent what I was doing was a detail, although I didn't consider it to be a detail, there was ample authority for me to do that without having to have a writing in place to evidence it. With respect to the second issue, the testimony, as I have testified, I did not have a transcript and, as a careful lawyer, if you can't look at it, can't read it, and can't hold on to it, then, you can't respond to it, and I was not able to respond to it. I didn't have it. As I've testified, on March 4, 1994, my participation in this came to an end. That was the end of my participation in this. I can't respond to why it took 3 weeks or why other letters came in. I did not participate in it. I was under instruction from my counsel, having received a Grand Jury subpoena, to cease all involvement and a conversations with anyone about this matter, and I did that. The CHAIRMAN. I might say, I think it's important that did It's a significant fact, and was appropriate for you to do. That should be acknowledged. Ms. HANSON. The third issue that Senator Dodd raised was the contacts. I was involved in three contacts. I was involved in a meeting with Mr. Nussbaum, the purpose of which was to report on press leaks. I was involved in a meeting on October 14, 1993, that I was invited to, addressing specific press inquiries going to Treas- which created the implication that Treasury was---or the Ad-ministration was interfering in the proper processing of criminal referrals. It was in the interest of the Government to make certain that a story with incorrect information, that cast that sort of light on the Administration, was not written. The third meeting was the February 2, 1994, meeting in which the statute of limitations was discussed. This was -purely procedural, an application of law to facts. Mr. Altman's recusal was also 167 discussed at this meeting. Those are the contacts I have had. I have had other miscellaneous conversations with people. I have talked with attorneys in the office of-in the Counsel to the President. In my view, not a single one of them is significant. Mr. Cutler has said there were too many contacts. They were not controlled. That may very well be. My contacts-I had three principal contacts, and I've gone over them-each one, in my view,had a proper governmental purpose, and was legitimate and appropriate. The CHAIRMAN. I'm going to Senator GRAMM. Mr. Chairman, would you yield for 1 second. The CHAIRMAN. I will in a second. I'm going to clarify Senator BOXER. We have to -keep with the time.