August 4, 1994 - Part 8
August 4, 1994 - Part 8
(17:00:33) Senator BOND. Or the entire Whitewater matter, Had you been involved in discussions that led you to ask that question? Mr. PODESTA. No. Senator BOND. To propose that question. Mr. PODESTA. No. I think that my opening statement really speaks to this, which is that my first involvement in this was around February 14, when I was asked to look at these hearings, what was coming up, and try to suggest ways that we could make sure that they were, as I said, fair and broad and dealt with. I mean, frankly, to give this some context, what we wanted to have happen, I suppose, was that Madison be kept in some perspective, that it be only a small part of the hearings that were coming up on February 24, but I didn't-I didn't know much about Whitewater. I had read a couple newspaper articles. And I knew nothing much about Madison before I talked to Mr. Levy. Senator BOND. You said we wanted to keep it in perspective. Was that the editorial "we" or was this a sense you were communicating Mr. PODESTA. I think that's the editorial "we," but that's what I 377 378 Senator BOND. If you set out on that course yourself. Mr. PODESTA. If I set out on that course myself. Senator BOND. Without any prompting from others? Mr. PODESTA. Mr. McLarty and Mr. Griffin asked me to work on the hearings. I'm a self starter. I suppose I called Mr. Levy, thought that was the appropriate course of action. Senator BOND. Did they give you any instructions on what to do about Madison or any of the Whitewater matters, Mr. McLarty? Mr. PODESTA. No. Senator BOND. Let me ask, did you send Mr. Eggleston to monitor the hearing? Mr. PODESTA. No. I knew he was going. I was working on other matters, in fact, other legislative matters that day. I didn't pay attention to the hearing through the course of that day. I had a meeting-I had several meetings during the course of the day. The one thing that Senator Kerry referenced was a cellular telephone call to me. I don't believe that was to me. It could have been to Mr. Stern, my deputy who helped me some on this matter, but I don't remember speaking to Mr. Eggleston at all during the course of the day and I checked my calendar and I was busy working on other matters. Senator BOND. Did you, thereafter, become the point man in the White House to ensure that the incomplete or inaccurate testimony of Mr. Altman was remedied? Did you have that responsibility? Mr. PODESTA. Mr. Eggleston did raise the issue with me that he said that he's testified to, that Mr. Altman in describing this meeting had not mentioned recusal. I think at that point, there was a shared responsibility between myself and the Counsel's Office. I thought we had to follow up on this, as a result of the meeting on March 1, to use a term that's been coined in these hearings, I was asked to in the course of that meeting, to make the call to Mr. Altman and raise the three concerns that I've testified to. Senator BOND. So the meeting on March 1 was with you, Mr. Eggleston, Mr. Sloan. Who else was in that? Mr. PODESTA. Mr. Mein, Mr. Nussbaum, Mr. Lindsey. Senator BOND. As a result of that meeting, were you the one who called Mr. Altman? Mr. PODESTA. I was. Senator BOND. And what did you advise Mr. Altman in that telephone call? Mr. PODESTA. I raised the three concerns we had identified. I think that is fair to say that at the conclusion of our brief discus- sion on the question of who set up the meeting, we both concluded that-the record did not need to be supplemented on that point. On recusal, the group at the White House thought it was a judgment call. It was better to do it, I think that was left with Mr. Altman thinking about it and trying to decide on the best course of judgment, With regard to the meetings in the fall that were responsive particularly to your questions, I think the group in the White House felt strongly that the record had to be supplemented on that point. Mr. Altman and I had a somewhat truncated conversation, which I testified to in my deposition, and at the conclusion of which he 379 agreed to review the questions that you had posed with Ms. Hanson.