[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 106 (Thursday, July 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
   SUBPOENA TO CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND 
                               OVERSIGHT

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, something is wrong. How can it be that a 
House committee serves a subpoena on a Federal agency one day and 3 
days later that same agency subpoenas the campaign records of that 
committee's chairman? Talk about politicizing the Justice Department.
  Yes, it is curious but that is exactly what happened 2 weeks ago. The 
gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton] sent a subpoena about campaign 
fundraising to the Justice Department on July 8. Bingo. On July 11, an 
FBI agent walks into his Indianapolis campaign office with a subpoena 
for all ``Burton for Congress'' records. We are not the only ones to 
think this is strange. Even Dan Rather on CBS News raised it on his 
program.
  This is not what good government should be about, Mr. Speaker. It 
should not be a game of tit for tat. The gentleman from Indiana [Mr. 
Burton] should not have to face a political prosecution or persecution 
just because he is trying to do his job. The Attorney General should 
not politicize our system of justice in this way.

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