August 2, 1994 - Part 11
August 2, 1994 - Part 11
(00:25:52) Senator BOXER. Mr. Altman, do you feel it would have been bet'ter if you bad not had that briefing at the White House? Mr. ALTMAN. In hindsight, it should have been done in writing Senator BOXER. In hindsight, it should have been done in writ- ing, just as you did to Members of this Committee, other Senators, and Congresspeople. That's your view at this point? Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, although if any Senator had called me, I would have given him the information right over the phone if I had it. it was generic. Senator BOXER. Mr. Ryan came to Senator DAmato's office and briefed him personally so obviously the RTC was willing to do that. And now that you know all about these other meetings where the criminal referrals were discussed in terms of a press leak you think it would have been better, even though you didn't know about them, that they hadn't taken place at all? Mr. ALTMAN. Yes. We've said that. I agree with it. Senator BOXER. And you think it would have been better if you went with your gut and had recused yourself because in your heart you didn't feel perfectly good about it-and that was a noble thing-you should have gone with it and you agree with that now. Mr. ALTMAN. I should have done that initially. I know it has created a great big uproar and I regret that. I wish I hadn't. But I did recuse myself. Senator BOXER. I understand that. Had you gone with it first, ou agree it would have been better off. So I would just sum UP ere and say, unlike Ms. Hanson, who never admitted she did anything wrong eve you have stated to us very -I believe in an open way maybe my colleagues don't think it's a big deal-you have stated you made some mistakes or you didn't put it in quite that terms. You would have done it a little differently. Mr. ALTMAN. I made some mistakes. I absolutely did. if I could do it all over again, I'd do several things differently. I'd have the February 2 communication in writing. I'd recuse myself right off the bat. Senator BOXER. I appreciate that, Mr. Altman. I think it's a sign of maturity. And I do feel Mr. ALTMAN. I've gotten a lot older over the last 3 or 4 months Senator BOXER, Right, and I think you're going to be a stronger person for it all. Thank you very much. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Faircloth. 533 senator D'AMATO. Mr. Chairman, Senator Faircloth is going to yield 2 minutes to Senator Gramm. Would you yield 2 minutes to Senator Gramm first'? Senator GRAMM. Would the Senator yield just 1 minute? I want to clarify a point of information. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Go ahead. Senator GRAMM. I don't want the record to suggest, Mr. Altman, that you said or implied something that was untrue. When this litany of your achievements was listed, one of the examples given was the hiring of Jay Stephens. Is it not true that you did not hire Jay Stephens that you did not know he was hired, and that you did not even know who he was? Is that not true? Mr. ALTMAN. That's true. Ms. Kulka hired him partly or at least Senator BOXER. I asked if he had any objection and he tried to get him fired. Senator GRAMM. But the point is, Mr. Altman you didn't even know he was hired, so you couldn't have had an objection. Is that not true? Mr. ALTMAN. I think it's a good thing I didn't know he was hired. Those decisions didn't come to me. Senator GRAMM. Would you please answer my question? Is it true that you did not know be was hired, so you couldn't have bad an objection one way or another? Mr. ALTMAN. That's correct. Senator GRAMM. In fact, when it was raised you didn't even know his name; right? Senator BOXER. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say the Senator from Texas is not correctly stating what my question was. I asked if he Senator GRAMM. Mr. Chairman, I have the time and if I may claim it. I'd like to ask the reporter to go back and to read Senator Boxer's statement and see if Mr. Altman responded to it. Senator DODD. Mr. Chairman, come on. Senator SARBANES. That's going to take a lot of time to get the reporter to do that and that's not-that's a nice kind of a debating technique, but I think if Senator Gramm has made his point, Senator Boxer made hers, and I think we ought to go ahead Senator GRAMM. I would withdraw it, Mr. Chairman. Let me just pose a yes or no answer. Did you know that Jay Stephens had been hired? Did you know who he was? Did you have any ability, therefore, to stop it, encourage it, or have anything to do about; it until you were told about it by the White House after he was there? Yes or no. Mr. ALTMAN. No. Senator GRAMM. That's all. The CHAIRMAN. I might has just say, the recording person down here done a terrific, job and she was her last night lit, too. She's been here steadily tonight and she's been mentioned and she ought to be recognized for her hard work and we appreciate it.