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Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Meeting With House Democratic Leaders

May 25, 1993

White House Travel Office

Q. Mr. President, we haven't actually been able to get your view on the dealings the White House had with the FBI on all this travel stuff. Could you tell us what your view of all that is? Was it appropriate? Did you know about it?

The President. The only thing I know is that we made a decision to save the taxpayers and the press money. That's all I know. We saved 25 percent on the first plane ride and saved the taxpayers a bunch of money. Any other questions, I'll just refer you to Mr. McLarty

Q. Was it your decision to go around the Attorney General and have the FBI issue a very rare statement?

The President. I had nothing to do with any decision, except to try to save the taxpayers and the press money. The press has been complaining for years that they were overcharged by the way the thing was done before. The first trip out we saved 25 percent for the press, and the taxpayers saved a lot of money. That's all I know about it.

NOTE: The exchange began at 8:45 a.m. in the State Dining Room at the White House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of this exchange.

William J. Clinton, Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Meeting With House Democratic Leaders Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/219841

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