[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]

 
   POLITICAL TAINT DARKENED ON APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL TO 
                       INVESTIGATE THE PRESIDENT

  (Ms. NORTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, on the floor this week I criticized the 
baggage-of-appearance problems surrounding the appointment of Kenneth 
Starr to investigate the President. I thought then, though, that the 
furror and delay of yet another appointment augured for going on with 
the Starr appointment and assumed a heavy burden of demonstrating 
impartiality.
  Following new revelations, however, it is clear that for his sake and 
for the sake of the court that appointed him, Starr should bow out. 
Partisan letters to the court and contacts between a particularly 
partisan Senator and the judge, David Sentel, a protege of Jesse Helms, 
now give the court an appearance problem.
  The entire point of our independent-counsel legislation is to remove 
the investigation not only from political taint but from the appearance 
of political taint. That taint has now darkened. We need a new 
independent counsel and a new court to appoint her.

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