August 2, 1994 - Part 5
August 2, 1994 - Part 5
(16:30:26) That was what was in my mind as I heard that question. I was anxious to tell this Committee, as the videotape shows, that I informed the White House only about the generic procedures the RTC would employ in such circumstances and about nothing else relative to the Madison case. Indeed, I remember saying' "that was the whole conversation" and what I meant by that was that was the whole conversation with respect to what I believed was the substance of the case. No one asked me to describe everything that happened at the February 2 meeting . Had they, I would nI Id not and I still do not consider recusal to touch upon the see the Committee my answer. I asthat it was not my intent to mislead or to Indeed, I had with me on February 24 in my briefing book a series of question and answers on recusal which I Weis prepared to give in response to questions about recusal. And I had anticipated being asked directly about recusal, just as Ricki Tigert had been by the Committee a few weeks earlier, but I was asked no such questions. 1 have read news accounts of a battle over my recusal. The total discussions which I had on recusal with White House personnel consumed approximately 10 or 15 minutes. I said that I'd been advised to recuse -myself and I intended to take that advice. I didn't say when. No one asked me not to recuse myself. Mr. Steiner's diary points out that, after the February 2 meeting, everyone knew RTC investigation of Madison. Now, of course, I Members may feel that I was being too precise in sure the Committee with old information 415 that I wasn't going to play any role in this case. Yes, I did waver on timing, but I did execute the recusal 3 weeks later. In closing, I would like to reiterate the key facts. Three separate investigations have concluded that no legal or ethical violations occurred. Three separate investigations. No one interfered in any way with the Madison case nor improperly imparted information on it. I believe that my testimony of February 24 was truthful. I hope that these points and the answers I'll now provide to your questions will satisfy this Committee that my conduct was proper. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Altman. Let me just indicate that a vote has started on the Senate Floor. Mr. Altman's attorney has asked us to permit a viewing of the February 24 testimony before this Committee when these questions were asked to you and your responses, and I think it will be useful for us to see the actual videotape of those exchanges. I think we'll hold off on that until the second bells have started, until we've voted, and then we'll commence with the questioning. I want to say one other thing before starting the question period, and I want to say that in a personal vein, and I know Senator D'Amato may have a personal comment to make, too. We've known each other over a long period of years. We've worked together on other issues in the past. This is not a happy occasion for any of us, Going back to the meeting before this Committee when the questions were asked and the answers were provided, we were left with a very, I think, inadequate situation. So much so that the Special Counsel, Mr. Fiske, decided upon the basis of the responses that day to go ahead and commence an investigation himself which he did by subpoenaing a number of people and taking them before the Grand Jury. Now, we're coming along behind his review in that area in terms of trying to clear up the record for ourselves. So it has been kind of a long and winding road from that hearing, when you were before us, and we'll have the chance to look at the exchanges and then we can go into the questions at that time. We'll do so as soon as we come back. The Committee stands in recess for about 15 minutes. (16:34:52) [Recess.] (16:34:54) Commentary of hearings hosts DON BODE and NINA TOTENBERG, they also to talk to SARAH FRITZ of the Los Angeles Times and of STEVE ROBERTS U.S. News and World Report