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Dole Campaign Press Release - Fast Facts

October 16, 1996

More than 30 Clinton administration officials have been investigated, fired, or forced to resign due to ethical improprieties.

A partial list includes: Roger Altman, Henry Cisneros, Joycelyn Elders, Mike Espy, Jean Hanson, Webster Hubbell, William Kennedy, Bruce Lindsey, Craig Livingstone, Dick Morris, Bernard Nussbaum, Hazel O'Leary, Federico Pena, Joshua Steiner, and David Watkins.

Four independent counsels have been appointed -- three investigating members of Clinton's Cabinet and one looking at Clinton himself.

In addition to Kenneth Starr's investigation of President Clinton, the other three independent counsels have been Donald Smaltz (investigating former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy), David Barrett (investigating Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros), and Daniel Pearson (investigating the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown.)

The FBI was tricked into handing over more than 900 confidential, personal files to the White House to a former bar bouncer who had worked on the Clinton campaign.

"Mr. Livingstone has also testified that the FBI files were obtained through an innocent 'bureaucratic snafu' because his investigator, Anthony Marceca, did not realize the list was outdated and included more than 900 staffers from the Reagan and Bush administrations," Wall Street Journal, 10/4/96

A six-month gap was discovered in the White House log used to control access to FBI files.

Question: "Well, it appears, at least from the copy of the log that we have, there is a 6-month gap, roughly, between March 29, 1994 and September 21, 1994.

Do you recall during that period whether any files would have been checked out?"

Answer: "I recall that background investigations were checked out and that we did log them."

Question: "Do you have any idea why there are no entries on this copy of the log that we have for the period between March 29, 1994 and September 21, 1994?"

Answer: "I have no idea." Deposition of Mari Anderson, former assistant in the White House Security Office, 10/4/96

The Justice Department was abused to investigate innocent workers at the White House travel office as a cover for putting political friends in charge of it.

"In May 1993, the White House fired the Travel Office staff, alleging financial mismanagement and gave the business to an associate of Clinton crony Harry Thomason. ... This led to a Justice prosecution of Travel Office head Billy Dale, whom a jury acquitted within hours." editorial, Wall Street Journal, 9/16/96

Subpoenaed travel office records were hidden from congressional committees.

"Resisting the subpoenas with legally preposterous claims of executive privilege, the White House turned over two sets of documents under pressure of House contempt threats. What then emerged from the collapse of this stonewall was Filegate -- the abuse of some 900 confidential FBI files, including many on Bush administration officials." editorial, Wall Street Journal, 9/16/96

A Clinton Cabinet member was forced to resign for taking illegal gifts.

"Through grand jury testimony, prosecutors recently have uncovered more instances of possible illegal gratuities that Douglas gave Espy while he was Agriculture Secretary, those close to the inquiry said. The gifts included tickets to the U.S. Open tennis matches and a number of professional basketball games, as well as new luggage and restaurant meals, the sources say. Espy resigned under pressure last year," Washington Post, 10/30/95

Presidential Marine helicopters were used for a staff golf outing.

"Mr. Watkins, who resigned from the administration in May 1994 after he used a presidential helicopter on a golf trip to Maryland, told the House committee his memo was accurate .. ." Washington Times, 9/6/96

Executive privilege was abused to suppress an FBI report critical of Clinton's drug policies.

"The White House today claimed executive privilege to withhold from a House panel a memorandum to President Clinton from the FBI Director that Newsweek magazine had reported was critical of Federal drug policy." New York Times, 10/2/96

Similar stonewalling was used to hide details on the health care task force and billing records.

"In 1993, a physicians' group sued to make public the members of Mrs. Clinton's health-care task force, which was designing her health- system overhaul. The White House refused. ... This January, the White House aide Carolyn Huber announced that the billing records had materialized on a table in the 'book room' next to Ms. Clinton's study." editorial, Wall Street Journal, 9/16/96

Pardons have been dangled in front of convicted felons who might implicate the President.

Lehrer: "If you're reelected, would you consider pardoning the McDougals and Jim Guy Tucker for a second term?"

Clinton: "I've given no consideration to that. And you know, their cases are still on appeal. And I would -- my position would be that their cases should be handled like others, they should go through -- there's a regular process for that and I have regular meetings on that, and I review those cases as they come up after there's an evaluation done by the Justice Department. And that's how I think it should be handled." Interview with Bill Clinton, Newshour with Jim Lehrer, 9/23/96

A wealthy Indonesian family was allowed to buy access and play a role in foreign policy in exchange for contributions to the DNC.

"With Mr. Clinton's election to the Presidency in 1992, the Indonesian billionaire) Riadys and their business associates have become more politically active, from soliciting campaign contributions to influencing trade policy and conducting quiet diplomacy. ... Last month, in response to questions from the Los Angeles Times, the Democratic Party returned an unlawful $250,000 contribution that had been solicited from a South Korean company by the former American head of the Riady's business operations, John Huang." New York Times, 10/10/96

Robert Dole, Dole Campaign Press Release - Fast Facts Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/315847

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