August 2, 1994 - Part 8
August 2, 1994 - Part 8
(19:55:44) It seemed to me that since we were providing that information to the Congress and, I might say I believe, to the media, I know it had been in The Washing-ton Times, that it would be reasonable to explain the same procedural alternatives to the White House. Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. But again, on that meeting on the 2nd the briefing wasn't ust about the media, it was also about the workings of the-- -of the specifies regarding the-excuse me, may I please-it was with regard to the specifies of the civil litigation and, in fact, you now discuss Mr, ALTMAN. Senator, no, it wasn't. Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. You did not discuss the statute of limitations? Mr. ALTMAN. It had nothing to do with the specific-I may understand your term incorrectly, it had nothing to do with the specifies of the civil litigation, if ou mean anything case-specific. There was nothing case- specific discussed. Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. The statute of limitations was not discussed? Mr. ALTMAN. Everything we discussed on that was the same as pertains to any other case with an expiring statute of limitations, Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. All right, then, I will-why did you have those discussions, then, with regard to the statute of limitations and tolling agreements in this meeting at the White House? Mr. ALTMAN. Senator, I was getting increasingly fierce inquiries from the Congress including from Senator D'Amato. I had a letter from 41 Republican Senators and those letters were demanding 487 and it was perfectly OK to do that. Those letters were demanding that we take steps to extend the statute of limitations deadline. They're on the record, they're night there. I had to respond to them and I did respond to them, and frankly, I'm proud of how I did. I remember assuring Senator DAmato that it was an impartial process, an arm's length process, and if the basis existed for seeking a tolling agreement we would do it. So I was in that position in terms of all these congressional inquiries and all the staff-to-staff inquiries, congressional staff to RTC, so tbis-I just thought if we're giving all this, if we're in a position of explaining these procedures to the Congress and to some extent to the media, it would be reasonable to explain them also to the White House. Now that was what Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. Assuming, Mr. Alt-man, that at you took ethical steps to guard against potential Ica] conflicts, were you concerned by the time of the February 2 meeting that your two hats might create an appearance of conflict of interest or violation of the illegal exclusion of Treasury Department involvement in case-spe- cific matters coming before the Oversight Board of the RTC? Mr. ALTMAN. I always try to be sensitive to ethical matters. I think I have a good record in that respect, and as you know, none of the Treasury personnel, including me, violated any ethical guidelines in this whole matter. Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. Well, that's a conclusion and I think that's part of what this hearing is all about, Mr. Altman. But in that regard, I'm trying to get to your state of mind with regard to the dual role that you held, and my question is whether your decisionmaking with regard to recusal, with regard to these meetings, with regard to anything having to do with Madison take into account the confluence, it you will, the two hats, the two roles that you played, you bad two jobs and they both had different kinds of overlapping-did it take into account the dual nature of your employment? Mr. ALTMAN. I did my best to do so. Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. Was your dual role considered or discussed in connection with the recusal decision? Mr. ALTMAN. I don't quite follow you, Senator. Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. When you had the discussions with regard to your decision whether or not to recuse yourself in these matters, was the dual role that you played, the two jobs that you had, was that discussed or considered? Mr. ALTMAN. Well, again, I was aware of that every single day of the week, so I suppose the answer in effect is yes, but I wanted to be careful I didn't have a separate analysis or discussion or legal Opinion. Senator MOSELEY-BRAUN. So you did consider it, but you did not have a discussion about the duality of your employment and bow that would affect your recusal decision or Mr. ALTMAN. I don't remember any specific discussion on that Point Just before February 2, 1 do not. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Do you believe, Mr. Altman, that what you believe in that regard might have been different if you had if you knew then what you know now with regard to the overlapping? 488