August 2, 1994 - Part 9
August 2, 1994 - Part 9
(22:40:31) Senator DAMATO. Let me say this to you Senator KERRY. I think we should get the answer. I'm not saying we shouldn't but lees do it in an orderly fashion. senator D'AMATO. Mr. Altman, when I asked you, were there any other meetings that may have been requested, you answered no. In light of what you know now, in light of what you have beard testified to, that you called at least two people to set up a meeting on the 3rd that 's what Maggie Williams says, that's what Ms. Hanson. says, Mr. Ickes verifies the meeting, and Mr. Eggleston verifies the meeting. Is it not true that that answer was not responsive and not accurate? Mr. ALTMAN. No, Senator, it isn't. That question was responsive to the question as I understood it. Senator D'AMATO. Let me tell you, the question as you understood it, that you make reference to, didn't take place until after you answered. I then pursued that when you said no, I then asked you about other contacts. Mr. ALTMAN. But I think it's a reasonable thing to see how I might have come to that conclusion because you say you mean there were no other meetings requested by the White House? You were explaining your own question. Senator D'AMATO. I only raised the question after you said precisely no to the question as to were there any other meetings? You said no. I have to tell you, it is hard for this Senator to see how "You could have forgotten the meeting of February 3. 1 then went -further to say: Dig other people possibly set them up? Did the White House set it up, et cetera. I nave to tell you, are you saying :,now that because maybe Ms. Williams set it up or because Ms. Hanson set it up that there was no meeting? Mr. ALTMAN. No, Senator, I believe I called Mr. Ickes. Senator D'AMATO. So the difference is because you called Mr. Ickes that it means you didn't have to tell us about the meeting February 3? ALTMAN. No, Senator. I'd like to try to make one thing as clear as I can. I Senator D'AMATO. Yes, please. Mr. ALTMAN. I've testified the same way I've always tried to tes- when I come before the Congress, and I've had the privilege of doing that many times, and there are some Members on this Committee known me for some time, and they think of me do, but I just want to assure this Committee that I up here on February 24 as a different person, as a dif- ferent person than I've been every other time. Senator Riegle-Sen- ator Riegle knows me very well. I thought he always had a high regard for me. I hope that's true. 506 Senator DAMATO. Mr. Chairman, I don't mean to. Mr. Altman, YOU re now not being responsive to the question and I understand your answer. I don't accept it, but reasonable people may disagree. Let me move on to something else, Mr. Ickes testifies about the meeting in his deposition on July 24. Among other things he was asked, are a number of questions about the details of the statute of limitations and the progress of the inquiry being conducted. He goes on and he says: What he discussed was whether there was an inquiry underway and that, in his View based an information from his sources--I don 't think he delineated them, but I assumed one of them was the General Counsel of the RTC-that investigation was going to take a longer period of time to conclude and that it might not conclude until after the expiration of the statute of limitations Now, that's Mr. Ickes, a trained lawyer, Deputy Chief of the White House. That's his recollection. Let me go on to page 122. Mr. ALTMAN. Senator, that is false. Senator DAMATO. He says the purpose of the meeting Mr. ALTMAN. That is false, Senator DAMATO. OK You disagree with him. Mr. ALTMAN. Not only do I disagree with him, but the facts disagree with him. The facts disagree with him, and I can tell you in the strongest terms that that is false. Senator D'AMATO. Let me continue. Mr. Ickes says the purpose of this meeting and the focus of his discussion, and I think this goes to the essence of being responsive to the Committee, was the relationship of the time that he felt this investigation might be wrapped up, and be said, at least in so many words, that it was his understanding that the investigation probably would not be concluded and that Et a determination could not be made by the RTC's General Counsel as to whether there was a basis for a civil claim until after the expiration of the statute of limitations had ap- lied to this particular investigation. And I'll note that, thereafter, he says that be informed both Mrs. Clinton and the President of the gist of this conversation. Now, would Mr. Ickes go to the President and to the First Lady and inform them of this, if it didn't happen? Mr. ALTMAN. Senator it is false. The Office of Government Ethics, the independent Office of Government Ethics evaluated that. That's not a Clinton body. That's an independent Office of Government Ethics, and it concluded that no nonpublic information was provided. Senator DAMATO. Let me say Mr. ALTMAN. Just a moment, Senator. Senator D'AMATO. I don't want to hear about the Office of Government Ethics-that's not a responsive question, to have him come