July 27, 1995 - Part 3
July 27, 1995 - Part 3
(13:50:18) Mr. JOHNSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't have any further questions. The CHAIRMAN. I yield back the balance of our time. Senator SARBANES. Senator Dodd. OPENING COMMENTS OF SENATOR CHRISTOPHER J. DODD Senator DODD. Mr. Chairman, this may have been gone over and if it has, then interrupt me. But just to tie this down a bit because we're going to get into a parallel line of questions, I presume, with later witnesses, let me see, Mr. Spafford, if I can't try to deal with at least the implications that some are making that there was some sort of sinister cabal going on here even involving you. At least some of the implications are-I guess when we ask your party affiliation, there's some implication here that that was a major consideration. At any rate, you were the counsel for the Foster family and as such, you have a duty to protect that family's privacy. As the attorney for that family, that's one of your responsibilities; is that correct? Mr. SPAFFORD. Yes, sir. Senator DODD. You were reluctant to allow law enforcement officials to rummage through Vincent Foster's personal files; is that not correct? Mr. SPAFFORD. Yes, sir, at least until I had had an opportunity to look through them myself and talk to the family about them. Senator DODD. That's the point I'm trying to make, In fact, Mr. Margolis even talked about a subpoena, if necessary, to get those personal family files; is that not correct? Mr. SPAFFORD. He raised the issue of a subpoena, yes. Senator DODD. But it was your concern, in exercising your responsibility as an attorney, as a professional, to protect the privacy of that family; is that not correct? Mr. SPAFFORD. That's correct. Senator DODD. So you did not get into some discussion with Mr. Nussbaum or other people at the White House to stonewall regarding documents that might have been in there that would have been embarrassing to someone'? Mr. SPAFFORD. No. 541 Senator DODD. Your sole motivation was to protect the privacy of your clients, the Foster family? Mr. SPAFFORD. Yes, and to cooperate with the investigators to the best that I could because, obviously, the family has an interest in seeing that the investigation go forward. Senator DODD. But there were no other discussions that went on involving the Travel Office, Whitewater, all of these other words that you've heard mentioned in conjunction with this? Mr. SPAFFORD. No, I did not discuss those with Mr, Nussbaum or anyone in the White House Counsel's Office. Those never came up. Senator DODD. So you were exercising your responsibility as attorney to that family? Mr. SPAFFORD. That's correct. Senator DODD. That's your sole motivation? Mr. SPAFFORD. Yes. Senator DODD. That's enough, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. If that concludes all of the Senator SARBANES. I have a couple of questions, The CHAIRMAN. Certainly, Senator Sarbanes. Senator SARBANES. Senator Ben-Veniste. Mr. BEN-VENISTE. Thank you, Mr. Mr. SPAFFORD. You've been promoted. Mr. BEN-VENISTE. That's an elected position and not one to which I can be promoted. Thank you. With respect to the briefcase, finally, to bring closure to this point, the briefcase was Mr. Foster's personal briefcase; correct? Mr. SPAFFORD. That's correct. Mr. BEN-VENISTE. Is it correct, sir, that at the conclusion of the search on the 22nd, at that time you did not take that briefcase with you? Mr. SPAFFORD. No, I did not. Mr. BEN-VENISTE. The question of these scraps of paper had not piqued your interest to the extent that you wished to look in the briefcase or to take that briefcase with you? Mr. SPAFFORD. No. Mr. BEN-VENISTE. I have nothing further. Senator SARBANES. Let me ask you this question, Mr. Spafford, because we're going to have another panel here: When Mr. Sloan made this comment to Agent Salter, I take it Mr. Nussbaum put down Mr. Sloan right on the spot? Mr. SPAFFORD. He basically cut him off and defused the situation and said let's move on, and it became a non-event. Senator SARBANES. Mr. Nussbaum indicated they were to cooperate? Mr. SPAFFORD. Yes, he did. Senator SARBANES. He, in effect, cut that right off; is that correct? Mr. SPAFFORD. That's correct. Senator SARBANES. OK. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. If there's no one else, we'll go to the second panel. Senator KERRY. Mr. Chairman, just a couple of questions. 542 The CHAIRMAN. Senator Kerry. OPENING COMMENTS OF SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY Senator KERRY. Mr. Spafford, you took extensive notes, as the Committee has seen. I believe they're the most extensive notes of anybody who was present. Do you know that now to be a fact? Mr. SPAFFORD. I don't know. I did take notes and made a conscious decision to take detailed notes. Senator FERRY. When you went back to your law firm, You typed up those notes?