[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 26 (Thursday, March 10, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      THE WHITEWATER INVESTIGATION

  Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, while I do not think there is anyone in 
this body who fully understands the intricacies of the complex 
Whitewater case, we should all understand the potential danger of a 
premature congressional hearing. That danger could be significant in 
getting to the truth and bringing about what we all want--a conclusion. 
All we need to do is reflect upon the problems associated with the 
criminal convictions and having them stick or not stick in the Iran-
Contra case, largely because of joint Senate and House hearings.
  We should be on notice of these pitfalls. And, in retrospect, I am 
willing to admit that those hearings turned out to be a mistake. They 
were not intended to be, but in fact they were. I hope we will not make 
that mistake again.
  I will be the first to admit that the Whitewater case might have been 
handled better by the White House, but I am convinced that the proper 
protections are now in place to prevent additional mistakes, which 
could impede any investigation.
  The lengthy White House directive ordering full cooperation with the 
investigation, the searching of files, going through trash cans and 
burned bags to ensure that all material is made available, is, I 
believe, precedent setting for the 18 years I have been here, when a 
White House is being pursued or asked questions.
  I compliment the President and the First Lady. They have never tried 
to stonewall this. Yes, we can kibitz or suggest that they might have 
done things differently. But they have been open and have told their 
people to come and testify, whether to the grand jury or to Congress. 
They will work cooperatively with us at any time. And that has not 
always been the case when there have been investigations involving 
personnel at the White House.
  If our objective is to get to the truth--and I believe that is it--in 
this Whitewater case, and to ensure that anybody who may be guilty of 
wrongdoing will be punished, we should leave the investigation to the 
special counsel, Mr. Fiske. Mr. Robert Fiske, Jr., is a well-respected 
Republican, a former prosecutor. He is an extremely capable attorney. 
His reputation is of the utmost integrity. He is a no-nonsense 
investigator, who is dedicated to getting to the bottom, getting to the 
truth of this complicated matter. He subpoenaed a large number of high-
level White House staff, without batting an eye. Can there be any doubt 
that Mr. Fiske is going to conduct a very aggressive special counsel 
investigation? I think not.
  If we want to help Mr. Fiske with this investigation, we should honor 
his request for Congress not to hold hearings at this time. In this 
respect, I am glad to see that our Republican colleagues, yesterday, 
seemed to finally get the message that this is not something we ought 
to be partisan about. If there is wrongdoing, it is going to come out. 
We should not jeopardize in any way the special prosecutor's 
investigations. We should heed Mr. Fiske's advice. The Congress and 
especially this body, will have ample time to do its thing, as we say, 
to hold hearings, to proceed and ask witnesses, and even somewhere down 
the line, after the criminal case, if there are criminal charges, to 
grant immunity, if that would be necessary.
  So I am pleased that it looks like maybe we are going to cool off a 
little bit here on the partisan side and let the process we enacted 
into law, to have Mr. Fiske, as special counsel, do the independent 
investigation. The case for a congressional hearing now, in my 
judgment, has been purely and simply political. Everybody understands 
what is going on here. I do not know any time, in the years I have been 
here, where there has been an effort to damage the First Lady of this 
country. I resent it as a Member of this body and as a citizen. Trying 
individuals in the public arena undermines the most fundamental 
principles of justice upon which this great Nation was founded.
  We understand politics as well as anybody here, but these attacks on 
the First Lady and the President are unfounded and ought not to be 
continued. So let us put faith in the institutions and what we have 
created under the special counsel legislation here, and let it go 
forward.
  As I said before, if there were wrongdoings, it will come out 
notwithstanding the press deciding that there has to be a feeding 
frenzy on this every day. You see the stories where one day the courier 
in the Rose firm in Arkansas did this or did not do this. It is every 
day. I know Mr. Fiske will complete this investigation as thoroughly 
and expeditiously as he can.

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