July 25, 1995 - Part 4
July 25, 1995 - Part 4
(14:55:38) Mr. WATKINS. Senator, my response would be that if this city has to try to find that someone is lying about it, then that's one thing. But as I've stated repeatedly today, I'm not saying Officer Braun doesn't believe she said that. I'm saying if she said it, I did not hear it, Had I heard it, I would have taken action. That's what I do. That's what my job was. I would have done one of three things: I would have notified the Chief of Staff, who was there, I would have notified the Counsel's Office, or would have said let's talk to the Secret Service. I do not recall Officer Braun making any request of me to lock or seal the office. Senator MURKOWSKI. Recognizing the circumstances, and hindsight, of course, is cheap, but in your opinion, should the office have been sealed? You indicated that you had responsibility as Assistant to the President for Management Administration. Mr. WATKINS. Senator, at the time the concern was to find-to determine the why of Vince doing that. The Park Police had been in constant contact or had been in contact for over 5-for about 5 hours with the Secret Service, and had there been, had they felt there was a compelling need to do that, I assume they would have requested that. I didn't think it was my responsibility. It never occurred to me that it was my responsibility to have the office sealed. Senator MURKOWSKI. When you went back to the office the next day, you had access to Foster's office the next day? 300 Mr. WATKINS. I did? No, sir. Senator MURKOWSKI. So you did not go into Foster's office, Mr. WATKINS. No. Senator MURKOWSKI. At all? Mr. WATKINS. No, sir. Senator MURKOWSKI. Mr. Gearan, I'm going to refer to notes that you indicated to the Committee you took with regard to the phone call from Phil Heymann. I think that was--I'm not sure of the notation here as to just when that occurred, but it's been made reference to by the Committee previously and it bears 11:45, 7/29 on the top. It's your notes regarding the Phil Heymann phone call. I'd ask that perhaps the witness be provided with those notes. Have you got them there? Mr. GEARAN. Senator, this is the phone call made at 11:45 on July 29th. Senator MURKOWSKI. That's the one. 11:45, July 29. Mr. GEARAN. Yes, I have that. Senator MURKOWSKI. At the bottom of the page, there's a reference that reads as follows: "There's a sense from Park Police and including Phil," that would be Phil Heymann, "and Department of Justice and probably the Washington field office, that too much of the investigation inquiry before, when, after was exercised by the White House and those too close to Vince." Then there's a notation, "suspicions extremely dangerous, do everything in your power to quiet suspicion." Then further, "I've had heated discussions on the way the documents were handled," I'm not sure "review," I guess, "Janet Reno." Then the last page of those, page 4 of this note, under the reference "PH," Phil Heymann, "d-o-c," documents, "have been distributed over my objections." Are these the same documents in each case referred to on page 2 with your interpretation I've had heated discussions by the way the documents were handled and then it says Bernie and, recognizing these are Heymann's comments, do you have any reason to believe that that reference to documents is the same as the reference at the conclusion of page 4? Do you know what documents Mr. Heymann was referring to specifically? Senator SARBANES. Mr. Chairman, would Senator Murkowski yield for a question? Senator MURKOWSKI. Sure. Senator SARBANES. Is this the same note that Senator Shelby questioned about extensively this morning? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Senator SARBANES. It is the same? The CHAIRMAN. They are the same notes. Senator MURKOWSKI. If I may respond, my questions are specific to the documents themselves as to, see