August 4, 1994 - Part 7
August 4, 1994 - Part 7
(16:30:57) Senator D'AMATO. I agree with my learned friend. Mr. Ickes? Next page, page 122, line 15. This is your testimony: "The purpose of this meeting and the focus of his discussion was the relationship of time that he felt this investigation might be wrapped up at and he said in so many words that it was his understanding"-being Altman--"that the investigation probably would not be concluded and that a determination could not be made by the RTC's General Counsel as to whether there was a basis for a civil claim until after the expiration of the statute of limitations has applied to the particular investigation." is your testimony true? Mr. ICKES. That is my testimony. Senator D'AMATO. Is it true? Mr. ICKES. Yes. Senator D'AMATO. Would you turn to page 124 , line 9. "I don't know whether it was public knowledge or not. I assumed that it was- when you say 'public,' did the public in general, I didn't think it was. I didn't know whether it was but it was my assumption that this was information that was not known to the public in general and probably very few people inside the Administration Is your testimony true? 369 Mr. ICKES. That is my testimony. Senator D'AMATO. It is true. Is it true? Mr, ICKES. Yes. Senator DAMATO. Thank you very much, and I thank my col- leagues. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Sarbanes-is Senator Sarbanes just in the back room or has he stepped away? Senator Shelby. Senator SHELBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Podesta, did you help prepare Mr. Altman for the February 24th oversight hearing for this Banking Committee? Mr. PODESTA. No, Senator, Senator SHELBY. You were not involved in briefing notes or in volved in any way? Mr. PODESTA. Other than the statement I gave, which is that Senator SHELBY. What was that? Mr. PODESTA. I had a very brief conversation with Mike Levy who is the Assistant Secretary of Treasury, saying that they'll probably get questions about recusal and he should be prepared to answer them, and I believe I had a brief conversation with Josh Steiner, fairly shortly after I learned of the February 2nd meeting saying that he was likely to be asked about any contacts he had with the White House on Madison, and that he should be prepared to answer a question about it. Senator SHELBY. Mr. Podesta, you called Mr. Altman about the White House concerns about his testimony before this Committee? Mr. PODESTA. I did. Senator SHELBY. When did you call him? Mr. PODESTA. March 1. Senator SHELBY. How many days after his testimony? Mr. PODESTA. He testified on Thursday. That would be the following Tuesday. Senator SHELBY. What did you relate to him about the concerns? What did you say to him, basically what did you say? Mr. PODESTA. We had a 5- or 10-minute conversation. We talked briefly about setting up the February meeting. I think we both concluded that the testimony didn't need to be supplemented in that regard. We talked about recusal at some greater length, and then finally we talked-we approached the subject of Senator Bond's questions on how the White House became aware of the RTC criminal referrals. Senator SHELBY. Specifically, what did he say about his failure to mention the recusal issue before this Committee? Mr. PODESTA. He said-to the best of my recollection, he said that it had been inadvertent, it had been in his briefing notes-let me start earlier. I believe he said that it had been raised with him at Treasury. Senator SHELBY. Were you aware of Mr. PODESTA. And it had been inadvertent. It had been in the note, and that he was thinking about it.