[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 11, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H10179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RELEASE THE OUTSIDE COUNSEL'S REPORT ON NEWT GINGRICH

  (Mr. VOLKMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, a month ago James Cole, who is the special 
counsel investigating our Speaker, Newt Gingrich, filed a report with 
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. It cost half a million 
dollars of taxpayers' money.
  What has happened to it? Well, it has been submerged by the Committee 
on Standards of Official Conduct. They are not going to release it, it 
appears.
  Well, what did Newt Gingrich say about these kinds of reports? Back 
in March 1989, he said in regard to the report of the special counsel 
on our former Speaker, Jim Wright:

       Now that report is secret; I don't know what's in it. I 
     don't know of anybody other than the committee members and 
     Mr. Phelan, who was special counsel, who know what is in it--
     except Mr. Wright's lawyer. And I think that report and the 
     back-up documents have to be published.
       I cannot imagine going to the country--tell them we've got 
     a $1.6 million report--and, by the way, there's nothing in 
     it, but you can't see it, but clearly that report is going to 
     have to be published.

  Well, Mr. Speaker, why don't you tell your Committee on Standards of 
Official Conduct to release the report? They are meeting today at 1:30. 
Let every Member have it. I would like to have a copy of that report. 
Every Member of this House by tomorrow should have a copy of that 
report. I do not know what is in it. I do not know if it exonerates 
you, but let us release the report.

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