[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 112 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 JUDGE SENTELLE'S CONFLICT OF INTEREST

  (Mr. BONIOR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, today's front page story in the Washington 
Post raises disturbing new questions about the decision to remove Judge 
Fiske from the Whitewater case.
  First we learned that Judge Fiske was being replaced by a person who, 
in the past few months, has clearly taken partisan positions critical 
of the President.
  Now we learn that the judge who led the decision to replace Judge 
Fiske, Judge David Sentelle, at the very time he was making the 
decision, met with two of the most partisan critics of Judge Fiske, two 
critics who have called for Judge Fiske's resignation again and again.
  Mr. Speaker, this appears to be a clear, improper, and partisan 
manipulation of the judicial system.
  Judge Sentelle's panel is supposed to be impartial.
  The counsel he appoints is supposed to be independent.
  For Judge Sentelle to meet with partisan members of the other body 
who have a political axe to grind in this case should be a subject of 
investigation itself.
  Judge Sentelle said Fiske had to go because there appeared to be a 
conflict of interest. Well, it looks like Judge Sentelle has an ever 
greater conflict of interest of his own.
  Having Judge Sentelle rule on the independent counsel is like having 
George Steinbrenner rule on the baseball strike.

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