The FBI Monday evening flatly contradicted a statement by the White House earlier today with the following statement:

"On June 3, 1996, senior officials from the FBI's National Security Division briefed two senior staff members of the National Security Council (NSC), one of whom was an FBI Agent detailed to the NSC, about the possible covert activities of a foreign government in the United States. The purpose of the briefing was to inform the NSC of the information the FBI received.

"The FBI placed no restrictions whatsoever on the dissemination up the chain-of-command at the NSC on any information provided to the NSC senior staff by the FBI during the June 3, 1996 briefing.

"Briefing senior NSC staff is the long-established procedure for the FBI to provide sensitive information to the NSC.

"Congress also was informed by the FBI through briefings of senior staff on the intelligence committees. Likewise, no restrictions were placed on congressional staff about briefing the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Committees.

The FBI cannot publicly discuss the substance of the briefings and will not disclose the individual Members of Congress who were briefed."

White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry quickly issued a statement to reporters contradicting this FBI statement.

McCurry said that the White House legal council Charles Ruff has had, "very specific conversations" with the two NSC staffers who were briefed by the FBI. "They are adamant in remembering that they were specifically urged not to disseminate the information outside the briefing room."

The White House considers the statement made by the FBI an error. McCurry maintains that President Clinton still has full confidence in Louis Freeh.