August 2, 1994 - Part 8
August 2, 1994 - Part 8
(19:00:14) Senator BRYAN. Was that the same day or the following day? Mr. ALTMAN. A day or two later. Senator BRYAN. A day or two later. And this would have been after the meeting on the 3rd? Mr. ALTMAN. That was the meeting on the 3rd or the 4th. Senator BRYAN. Again, someone can correct me. I see my time. The CHAIRMAN. I'm going to try to keep it right at 10 minutes. We'll let the witness respond if he's in the middle of an answer. Go ahead, Mr. ALTMAN. Senator Bryan, I don't want to leave any ambiguity. I wavered. I should have recused myself from the beginning. And if I could do it all over again, I would. Senator BRYAN. Well, I appreciate that. The manner in which you recused yourself, Mr. Altman, invites great criticism and does not do you great credit. Let me just say that having done so after you get the press inquiry that there is going to be a nasty editorial or something the next day. The CHAIRMAN. Time now comes over to the Republican side. Senator D'AMATO. Mr. Chairman, because-and I want the record to be clear, there are more people on that side, because you have extended courtesies to us in an attempt to be able to ask our questions and have been solicitous, I would like to yield our time to our next person up. Senator GRAMM. Why don't we just Senator DAMATO. We're going to pass over. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Boxer. Senator BOXER. Well, thank you. Senator DAMATO. From one Brooklynite to another. 471 Senator DODD. What's up here? Senator BOXER. I'm getting very worried. Senator DODD. This kind of comity makes me nervous. Senator BOXER. Just because we're going to add back the time we 've bad over the Brooklyn jokes to my time. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Mr. Altman, this is very hard on you and I understand that and I just want you to know that I believe there is absolutely no indication that you did anything to impede the investigation of Madison Guaranty or Whitewater or anything related. As a matter of fact, I want to compliment you on the substance of that particular issue, because I think unlike some of my colleagues, the fact that you yourself thought of recusing yourself, that you yourself pursued it, even though you were told the personal friendship didn't disqualify you, I think it shows that you were very sensitive to the appearance of the situation. I know that you care about this Administration and the people in it. I think that's fine. And yet I think you bent over backward. I do agree with Senator Bryan that you were placed in a very difficult situation. It's not one of your doing and you tried to do it the best that you could, but I think it's important to note that at no time did you ever say to anyone involved in the case at the RTC that they should slow down this investigation, cover up this investigation in any way. As a matter of fact. RTC General Counsel Kulka who seemed to have the respect of almost everyone on both sides of the aisle, said on the contrary you stressed this case would be handled with professionalism and integrity in the same way any other case would be handled. Now, did anyone at the White House ever ask you to compromise your handling of this case, whether criminal or civil, did they ever talk you about the substance of this case and ask you to not pursue it? Mr. ALTMAN. No, Senator, they didn't. Senator BOXER. Did Mr. Nussbaum ask you not to keep Ellen Kulka a tough attorney, as General Counsel, did he ever directly ask you to remove her from the Madison case? Mr. ALTMAN. No, Senator, he didn't. Senator BOXER. But he did say something to you about her being 4 tough attorney and you responded in what way to his comment about Ellen Kulka? Mr. ALTMAN. Well, I had then and I have today the greatest confidence in Ellen Kulka. That's one of the reasons we hired her. Senator BOXER. All right. And you stated to Mr. Nussbaum the fact that you bad complete faith in her? Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, and I stated that and then repeated that she would be making these decisions. Senator BOXER. All right. And you already testified that you did nothing to stop Jay Stephens from being hired to assist in the RTC's Madison case even though you were told in a telephone conversation from some of the White House people that they were un.happy. you said what's done is done and you closed the book on it; is that correct? Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, ma'am. 472 Senator BOXER. So I have no reason to believe you compromised this case in any way. I think you understood the perception here. What troubles me is, what I'm trying to get to here is really more the way this Committee was treated by you and your responses to Committee questions. For that, I'm going to talk to you a little bit about Ms, Hanson. Now I know this is very difficult because in many ways she con- tradicts you and puts you in a difficult position. You contradict her and put her in a difficult position.