Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 3, 1994 TAG: 9408040023
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Houston Chronicle
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Altman apologized to the Senate Banking Committee and suggested much of the confusion rested with Treasury's top lawyer who, he complained, failed to give him complete information.
Skeptical senators grilled Altman for hours as the committee for the third day delved into Clinton administration contacts over a Resolution Trust Corp. probe into Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, owned by the Clintons' partner in Whitewater Development Corp. Until Feb. 25, Altman also served as acting RTC chief.
Altman conceded that his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Feb. 24 ``may appear too narrow or perhaps incomplete. I regret that perception, and I apologize for it.''
He said he testified on Feb. 24 that there had been only one contact, a Feb. 2 meeting, between White House and Treasury Department officials about an RTC criminal referral. The referral against Madison named President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton as possible beneficiaries of misspent money.
Altman disputed testimony given Monday by Treasury General Counsel Jean Hanson that Altman told her to inform White House Counsel Bernard Nussbaum in September about the RTC referral and the anticipation of press leaks.
He maintained he was unaware that Hanson had two previous meetings with White House officials, in September and October 1993.
Altman clashed with Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, who accused him of lying to the panel both on Feb. 24 and on Tuesday.
Gramm said that Altman had four contacts with White House aides and that Altman was not candid about his decision to disqualify himself from RTC decisions on Madison.
Altman said that at no time did anyone in the White House or the Treasury Department attempt to influence or interfere with any RTC investigation. He also maintained he never gave any information to White House officials beyond what was public information.
Republican senators have accused Altman of providing inside information that the RTC would not complete its civil investigation before the Feb. 28 deadline. Altman called the charge ``categorically false.''
Altman's version was undermined not only by Hanson's testimony but also by a personal diary kept by Joshua Steiner, the Treasury Department's chief of staff and Altman's protege.
Steiner, 28, appeared before the panel earlier Tuesday. He sought to explain away entries as having been impressions from sometimes second-hand conversations that were likely incorrect.
``I made no effort to check the accuracy of my diary, because this was never intended to be a precise narrative or a verbatim account of what took place,'' Steiner said.
by CNB