Republicans Pressure Reno For Independent Counsel -- March 5, 1997
Clinton Defends Democratic Fund-Raising -- March 4, 1997
Gore Says Nothing Wrong With His Fund-Raising Calls -- March 3, 1997
President Bill Clinton -- March 5, 1997
Here are President's Clinton's remarks this morning on the campaign finance controversy:
QUESTION: What do you think of Republicans suggesting a vote tomorrow in the Senate on insisting there be an independent counsel on campaign finance -- campaign financial fund-raising?
CLINTON: Well, I think that, you know, there's a law on that. It's a legal question, it shouldn't be a political one.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) coming out on the Lippo connection to the White House. Are you satisfied that there's been no undue influence by outside influence on -- by outside countries on either your White House or on your former -- your very good friend, Webb Hubbell?
CLINTON: I have no reason to believe that there has been. But I think that everybody should comply with the information, and we have.
And you know, Mr. [Dan] Burton asked us yesterday, I think, for some information relating to the allegation of an attempt by the Chinese to influence the American election. And when we have made that -- when we said in our letter to the Justice Department that we assumed anything that we got would be given to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, because we didn't want to raise any questions, we just want to get to the bottom of that.
And so they have it. And whatever's appropriate for them to share with Mr. Burton, they can. I just think we...
QUESTION: Is Burton grandstanding?
CLINTON: I don't want to get into that. But what we -- I believe that the House and Senate committees have every -- intelligence committees have anything that we have. And so they can share it with (OFF-MIKE), as is appropriate.
QUESTION: Do you believe there was influence?
CLINTON: No. I do not. But I think we have to get -- you know, there's an investigation, as I said, the charge is serious. We need to get to the bottom of it.
But I have no reason to believe -- I have no personal evidence, but that's not the issue. The issue is this charge has been made. Any time you allege that another government attempted to influence an American election, that's a serious thing. It has to be looked into.
But you know, I have no personal evidence, but I want the investigation to proceed, and I want the Justice Department to get to the bottom of it, and I expect that they will.