[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 433 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 433

     Calling upon the President of the United States to urge full 
 cooperation by his former political appointees and friends and their 
             associates with congressional investigations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 1998

 Mr. Solomon submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Calling upon the President of the United States to urge full 
 cooperation by his former political appointees and friends and their 
             associates with congressional investigations.

Whereas approximately 90 witnesses in the campaign finance investigation have 
        either asserted a fifth amendment privilege or fled the country to avoid 
        testifying in congressional investigations;
Whereas prominent among those who have asserted the fifth amendment privilege or 
        fled the country to avoid testifying are former political appointees and 
        friends of the President of the United States, such as former Associate 
        Attorney General Webster Hubbell; former Department of Commerce 
        political appointee John Huang; former Presidential trade commission 
        appointee Charlie Trie; former senior Presidential aide Mark Middleton; 
        longtime Presidential friends James and Mochtar Riady, as well as 
        family, friends, and associates of some of these individuals;
Whereas when the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Louis Freeh 
        testified before the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee on 
        December 9, 1997, he had the following exchange with the Chairman of the 
        Committee:

    Mr. Burton: Mr. Freeh, over 65 (at that time) people have invoked the 
Fifth Amendment or fled the country in the course of the committee's 
investigation. Have you ever experienced so many unavailable witnesses in 
any matter in which you have prosecuted or in which you have been involved?

    Mr. Freeh: Actually, I have.

    Mr. Burton: You have. Give me a run-down on that real quickly.

    Mr. Freeh: I spent about 16 years doing organized crime cases in New 
York City, and many people were frequently unavailable.

Whereas never in the recent history of congressional investigations has Congress 
        been faced with so many witnesses who have asserted fifth amendment 
        privileges or fled the country to avoid testifying in a congressional 
        investigation; and
Whereas the unavailability of witnesses has severely limited the public's right 
        to know about campaign finance violations which occurred over the past 
        several years and related matters: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives urges the President of the 
        United States to immediately call upon his friends, former 
        associates and appointees, and the associates of those 
        individuals, who have asserted fifth amendment privileges or 
        fled the country to avoid testifying in congressional 
        investigations, to come forward and testify fully and 
        truthfully before the relevant committees of Congress; and
            (2) that the President of the United States should use all 
        legal means at his disposal to compel people who have left the 
        country to return and cooperate with the investigation.
                                 <all>