July 25, 1995 - Part 4
July 25, 1995 - Part 4
(14:30:21) Mr. WATKINS. Yes, sir. Senator HATCH. At the time of Mr. Foster's death, you were the Director of Management and Administration in the White House; correct? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, sir. Senator HATCH. You are now employed in California, as I understand it? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, sir. Senator HATCH. You knew the Park Police officers were treating this death as a suicide; right? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, Senator. Senator HATCH. You knew the Park Police would probably be searching for a suicide note, correct, or at least you assumed that? Mr. WATKINS. Yes, and on my ride over to the Foster house I was notified that there was not one-or learned that there was not one at the death scene. Senator HATCH. Now, Mr. Watkins, you ordered Patsy Thomasson to search Mr. Foster's office for a note, that's right, isn't it? Mr. WATKINS. I did. Senator HATCH. Did anyone tell you or suggest to you that you order Ms. Thomasson to do so or that you, through any means, should try to find any suicide note or other materials? Mr. WATKINS. As I have stated earlier, there was general discussion at the house about a suicide note, and there was-we knew there was not one at the scene. There had-not one had been found at the scene. In looking for one at the house, there was not one at the house. I discussed it with Lisa Foster and Mr. McLarty. Senator HATCH. Those were the only two you discussed it with? Mr. WATKINS. As I recall. I don't recall specifically anyone else. Senator HATCH. OR Did you consider that your order or your request to Ms. Thomasson and the search by Ms. Thomasson might interfere with an investigation into Mr. Foster's death? Mr. WATKINS. It never occurred to me, Senator. Senator HATCH. But you never told the Park Police that you directed Ms. Thomasson to search for the note, isn't that right? Mr. WATKINS. Consistent with what the Park Police said to Lisa Foster, like if you find anything or find a note, please let us know, that's what I would have done. I did not consider it to be anything other than my-our interests in helping the family find out why and to see if there was a note, Senator HATCH. OK. It disturbs me, though-I'm disturbed by the fact that the White House was aware that the Park Police were looking for a note, but somehow you failed to tell the police that you sent Ms. Thomasson to search for the note. Mr. WATKINS. It didn't occur to me, Senator, that-the fact of the matter is that the manner in which-and with no disrespect to the Park Police, but when- they were very casual about the request of 293 Mrs. Foster-to Mrs. Foster that if she found a note please, please let them know. Senator HATCH. What's troubling to me is that not only did you authorize a search for the note, but, as we will hear in later testimony, Mr. Nussbaum failed to turn the note over to the Park Police for over 24 hours. So some people are deducing that the White House wanted to clear the note before it was released. That's what's Mr. WATKINS. Senator, my only thought was to try to give an answer to why and to help Mrs. Foster. That was the only thought that occurred to me at all. Senator HATCH. OK. Mr. Watkins, did you seal the office, Mr. Foster's office that is? Mr. WATKINS. As I've stated earlier, I was not requested to seal the office. Senator HATCH. You didn't tell Ms. Thomasson to seal it either, did you? Mr. WATKINS. I did not. Senator HATCH. In your deposition to this Committee you stated that you thought that the police would seal the office as part of their normal investigation, isn't that right? Mr. WATKINS. I don't recall specifically, and I don't have that in front of me, but my recollection is that I said that if the police had wanted the office sealed, they'd been in contact for several hours with the Secret Service, they would have requested that of the Secret Service. Senator HATCH. You didn't even dwell, then, on Mr. WATKINS. 1 never dwelt on sealing the office. It never entered my mind, Senator HATCH, Did anyone suggest to you that the office did not need to be sealed? Mr. WATKINS. I-no, I do not recall anyone saying that. Senator HATCH. Ms. Mathews, in spite of the fact that you thought it was a good thing to preserve the trash that you talked about-the burn bag, in other words-you've told this Committee that you were ordered to burn Mr. Foster's burn bag by Bernie Nussbaum, is that correct? Ms. MATHEWS. Just to clarify, the trash which was what was preserved and was put aside. Senator HATCH. But the burn bag Ms. MATHEWS. The burn bag-when we found out the information that there was not-I was told there was not a burn bag in Vince Foster's office. That was the time I was told to process it as we normally process burn bags. Senator HATCH. But you saw references on the bag that it was from Mr. Foster's office. Ms. MATHEWS. Absolutely not. On the burn bag? Senator HATCH. Yes. Ms. MATHEWS. No, sir. Senator HATCH. Was it the trash bag Ms. MATHEWS. No, sir. As I learned this morning, which I didn't know, I was told this morning that I think there was a Secret Service-I apologize because I don't remember specifically, but that there was 294 The CHAIRMAN. You did very well, so don't worry. Go ahead. MS. MATHEWS. There was a Secret Service agent that said they had never dumped the burn bag from that off-ice in any way. At no time did I have any indication that there were any documents at all from the Counsel's Office in the burn bag.