[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S7888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have never professed to be 
clairvoyant, but I was able to predict 8 months ago and subsequently 
authored an op-ed piece to this effect: that obfuscation and diversion 
would be the damage control strategy of the Clinton White House and its 
allies in Congress. They would be engaged in that kind of activity, Mr. 
President, in seeking to avoid the fallout from the Clinton campaign-
DNC fundraising malfeasance in the last election.
  This damage control strategy was to be expected from this White 
House, as wave upon wave of scandal has lapped up on the White House 
lawn these past 4 years. President Clinton's aides have become highly 
skilled at putting out press fires, lest, of course, the President be 
singed. I had hoped for better from Democrats here in the Congress 
embarrassed--I should hope mortified--by the evidence and admission of 
illegal conduct by the Clinton campaign-DNC fundraisers.
  I thought my Democratic colleagues would step up to the plate, seek 
the truth and let the chips fall where they may.
  A disappointing spectacle it has been to witness this collusion in a 
disingenuous effort to blur the truth, smear the innocent and protect 
the guilty, by saying everyone does it, and even trying to drag 
innocent private citizens before the committee.
  We are all victims of the system, they say. What we need, they say, 
is campaign finance reform. Well, in fact, Mr. President, what we need 
is an independent counsel. That has been clear for a number of months--
an independent counsel to remove the investigation from an obviously 
politicized Justice Department.
  Bearing in mind the Attorney General's indefensible refusal to 
appoint an independent counsel, and the Justice Department's outrageous 
conduct in the past few weeks in which it has injected itself into 
partisan maneuvering regarding the granting of immunity for low-level 
but key witnesses, the inexplicable and entirely inappropriate action 
by a Justice Department political appointee to distance the 
administration from United States intelligence agency findings that the 
Chinese Government plotted to influence United States elections, Mr. 
President, there is simply no other recourse to ascertain the truth in 
a nonpartisan manner but to appoint an independent counsel.
  That is why this law was passed some 25 years ago, for precisely 
these kinds of situations, in which you had a highly political 
investigation affecting covered employees--for example, the President 
or the Vice President--where it could be suspected that the Attorney 
General would be reluctant to pursue alleged claims of wrongdoing.
  This episode over the last few months is precisely the fact situation 
which brought about and argued for the passage of the independent 
counsel statute.
  Now, Mr. President, the truth is going to come out sooner or later. 
No one here should want to be seen in a position of trying to keep the 
truth from coming to the public. So the point I would like to make this 
morning very briefly once again, the Attorney General would appoint an 
independent counsel to investigate the fundraising abuses of the 1996 
election, the violations of existing law that may have occurred--
contributions from foreigners, money laundering, raising money on 
Federal property, all violations of existing law. The Attorney General 
of the United States is responsible for enforcing existing law, and in 
situations such as this when a clear conflict of interest is apparent, 
there is no other logical recourse other than the appointment of an 
independent counsel.
  I call upon the Attorney General one more time, Mr. President, to 
appoint an independent counsel to complete this investigation.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, how much time is remaining on our side?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming, Senator Thomas, has 
the time until 11 o'clock.
  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I yield the floor in deference to the 
Senator from Wyoming.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming is recognized.

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