August 2, 1994 - Part 6
August 2, 1994 - Part 6
(00:45:56) Senator BOND. How was the White House notified of the referral? Is it from your agency? Mr. ALTMAN. They were not notified by the RTC to the best of my knowledge. Senator BOND. Nobody, nobody 'In your agency to Your knowledge advised the White House staff that this was going to be a major-thing could be a major source of concern. Mr. ALTMAN. Not to my knowledge. Senator BOND. Ms. Ford, do you know if the White House was notified by the RTC? Ms. FORD. No, we have had no involvement at the Oversight Board whatsoever. [Videotape ended.] The CHAIRMAN. The next person in order of question. We may all have questions here. Senator Sarbanes. Mr. ALTMAN. Mr. CHAIRMAN. may I thank you for showing that. I appreciate that very much. The CHAIRMAN. I think it was necessary to show it. I think we would have shown it even if you hadn't asked, we had a mutual interest in seeing it, but I think that's important for us to put that up front here. Senator SARBANES. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Altman, I'd like to direct you to page 8 of your statement, You were working from a reading copy, weren't you? Mr. ALTMAN. I have it, Senator. Senator SARBANES. From the Committee. At the bottom of the page, you say, "then she and I had lunch together afterwards," meaning Jean Hanson; is that correct? Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, sir. Senator SARBANES. Do you mean together after the bearing? Mr. ALTMAN. After the testimony, which was very lengthy, a group of those who had helped me on it, several came to my office and I provided sandwiches to everybody and Jean was there. Senator SARBANES. This was back at the Treasury? Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, sir. Senator SARBANES. Did she say anything to you at that meeting about the testimony you had just given? Mr. ALTMAN. No, sir, she did not. Nor, -may I add, did anyone else. Senator SARBANES. Did you go back to the Treasury together with Ms. Hanson? Mr. ALTMAN. I don't recall, Senator. I don't remember whether we did or we didn't return together. Senator SARBANES. When you responded to Senator Bond in that question we just saw, he asked you bow was the White House notified of the referral. We now know the White House was notified of the referral by Jean Hanson; is that correct? Mr. ALTMAN. That's my understanding. Senator SARBANES. Now, you said to him in responding to that question, "not notified by the RTC to the best of my knowledge. 427 Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, sir, I did. Senator SARBANES. Jean Hanson is not part of the RTC is she? Mr. ALTMAN. No, sir. Senator SARBANES. So if that answer was correct, but it did not cover Jean Hanson notifying the White House, is that the case? Mr. ALTMAN. That certainly can be interpreted that way, yes, sir. Senator SARBANES. And when you carefully said "not notified by the RTC to the best of my knowledge," were you excluding out notification by the Treasury people? Mr. ALTMAN. I can't recall what was precisely in my mind, but I wasn't aware of any notification of any kind to the White House on the criminal referral at that time. Senator SARBANES. Well now Mr. ALTMAN. Or any meeting, I guess I should say. Senator SARBANES. You said last fall I was advised that a referral was about to be made, didn't you, in that segment? Mr. ALTMAN. Yes, sir, I was advised. Senator SARBANES. And then what happened with that advice, who advised you?