August 3, 1994 - Part 5
August 3, 1994 - Part 5
(15:47:10) Hearing host NINA TOTENBERG segues back to Senate Hearings: Do you swear the testimony you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God. The WITNESSES. I do. The CHAIRMAN. I understand that Mr. Klein is the senior person at the table that you have a statement that you want to make 86 and then some of the others-I gather some of the others may have as well. Mr. Eggleston, do you have one? Mr. EGGLESTON. I do. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Sloan? Mr. SLOAN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Ms. Nolan? Ms. NOLAN. I do. The CHAIRMAN. You all have statements, so we'll start with you, Mr. Klein, and we'll come down the table. TESTIMONY OF JOEL 1. KLEIN, DEPUTY COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT Mr. KLEIN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, my name is Joel Klein and since December 1, 1993, 1 have served as Deputy Counsel to the President- first under Bernard Nussbaum and then under Lloyd Cutler. My only direct involvement in any of the socalled White House-Treasury contacts relates to the matter that Mr. Ludwig just testified about. In late December of last year, my family and I were attending a Renaissance Weekend in Hilton Head, South Carolina, at which the President was also in attendance. At about 4:00 p.m, on December 30th, I received a call' from Associate White House Counsel, Neil Eggleston, who stated that Eugene Ludwig, the Comptroller of the Currency, had called Cliff Sloan, also an Associate White House Counsel, and requested information concerning the Whitewater/ Madison Guaranty matter, indicating that the President had asked to speak to him about it. Mr. Eggleston said he and Mr. Sloan thought that even though Mr. Ludwig was not involved in the matter, it would be better that the President not talk to Mr.Ludwig, given his position as Comptroller. I agreed and told Mr. Eggleston that I would take care of it. I then went to see the President who was at the time at a Renaissance session and after the session I took him aside and I said that my office had been called and had indicated to me that Mr. Ludwig had requested information so that he could talk to the President about Whitewater. The President responded to me that Mr. Ludwig must have misunderstood him because he had only wanted to ask for the names of people knowledgeable in banking I and real estate who might be able to explain Whitewater to the public in simple terms.