August 4, 1994 - Part 8
August 4, 1994 - Part 8
(18:15:04) Senator FAIRCLOTH. As you may be aware, Roger Altman testified before us Tuesday and one of the items discussed was his diary, as he has called it, or a scrapbook of historical significance. After a meeting with Maggie Williams, Hillary Clinton's Chief of Staff, on January 11th, Mr. Altman wrote that he had gotten the impression the White House was actively trying to negotiate officials at the Justice Department the scope and jurisdiction of what a Special Counsel could look into. This, of course, was prior to the appointment of the Special Counsel. The point being that after months of opposing the appointment of a Special Counsel, the Clintons were finally about to succumb to the growing political pressure and to ask the Attorney General to appoint a Special Counsel, but not until they first tried to limit what he could look into. Mr. Fiske, did you-Mr. Lindsey rather., did you talk with Robert Fiske prior to his appointment as Special Counsel? Mr. LINDSEY. No, sir. Senator FAIRCLOTH, Did you talk with Bernard Nussbaum about Mr. Fiske before his appointment as Special Counsel? Mr. LINDSEY. I don't believe so. I think I had heard that Mr. Fiske's name had been mentioned as a possible candidate, but I don't believe Senator FAIRCLOTH. This is an important question: Did you talk with Bernard Nussbaum about Robert Fiske prior to his appointment as Special Counsel? Mr. LINDSEY. Again, I think I had heard that Mr. Fiske's name was one of the names being mentioned, Bernie and I may have talked about that, but we didn't talk in any detail about it, it was simply a discussion about the newspaper accounts. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Did you talk with anyone at the Justice Department concerning jurisdiction or scope of the Special Counsel? Mr. LINDSEY. No, sir, I did not and I do not know of anyone in the White House who did. Senator FAIRCLOTH. Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Sarbanes, do I understand (18:17:02)(tape #10093 ends)