[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 101 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H6420]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  A FOURTH INVESTIGATION OF THE INVESTIGATOR: D.C. BAR COUNSEL PROBES 
                   LEAKS BY INDEPENDENT COUNSEL STARR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Conyers, is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, by my count, Independent Counsel Kenneth 
Starr is now the subject of four separate investigations into whether 
he and his staff improperly leaked confidential information to the 
media. The first is being conducted by Chief Judge Norma Holloway 
Johnson of the federal court in the District of Columbia. The second 
involves Attorney General Janet Reno's referral of the issue to the 
Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility. The third 
is being conducted by Mr. Starr himself in response to complaints 
lodged by the President's lawyers. And the fourth, as reported in the 
media today, is in the hands of the District of Columbia Bar Counsel.
  Back in early February, the President's lawyer, Mr. Kendall, wrote 
the Independent Counsel that the ``leaking by your office has reached 
an intolerable point.'' In response to that letter, the Independent 
Counsel struck an indignant tone. He called the letter from the 
President's lawyer ``strange and inappropriate,'' and accused Mr. 
Kendall of elevating ``mere suspicion to specific accusation without 
any facts other than the press's often-misleading attributions of 
sources.''
  The Independent Counsel's response to Mr. Kendall added that: ``[i]n 
light of the unclear press attributions in some examples cited in your 
letter, I have undertaken an investigation to determine whether, 
despite my persistent admonitions, someone in this Office may be 
culpable. I have no factual basis--as you likewise do not have--even to 
suspect anyone at this juncture. I am undertaking this investigation 
with deep regret, because I know how demoralizing it is to a staff of 
highly professional and experienced federal prosecutors. You do an 
extreme disservice to these men and women--and to the legal profession 
and the public--by your unsupported charges.''
  Mr. Starr has never reported the results of his ``investigation.'' 
But in light of his later admissions that he and his deputy, Mr. 
Bennett, routinely talk to the press on an off-the-record basis, I 
assume he did not have to look far to find the source of these leaks. 
Judge Johnson, the Attorney General, and now the District of Columbia 
Bar Counsel, have all treated this issue far more seriously than the 
Independent Counsel. In fact, media reports say that Judge Johnson has 
ordered Mr. Starr to show cause why he should not be held in contempt 
for his inappropriate release of information.
  The Independent Counsel's indifference to this issue is very 
troubling. To date, Mr. Starr has defended his actions with the 
technical claim that rules regarding grand jury secrecy apply only 
after information is presented to a grand jury. I do not agree with 
that claim, and I do not believe that D.C. Circuit law allows the kind 
of off-the-record conversations that happened here. We will see whether 
Mr. Starr can survive the scrutiny of these outside investigators.


                     Exchange of Special Order Time

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask unanimous 
consent to claim the time of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentlewoman from Texas?
  There was no objection.

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