From: Bob Franken/CNN
In: Washington
Posted 6-24-97

Subject: Starr Considered Getting Search Warrant For White House

CNN has learned that Whitewater prosecutors considered seeking a warrant to search the White House last year, but cut a compromise with administration officials who were horrified at the prospect.

Sources familiar with the incident tell CNN that "sometime after the grand jury," referring to Hillary Rodham Clinton's historic grand jury appearance in January 1996, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr "raised the possibility" with the White House that he would seek a warrant to search the White House living quarters.

According to a source, Starr was seeking a box that had handwriting on it belonging to Vincent Foster, the close Clinton friend and deputy White House counsel who killed himself in 1993. Foster had done personal legal work for the Clintons.

Sources say a compromise was reached: White House attorneys Jane Sherburne and Miriam Nemetz and usher Gary Walters "scoured the living quarters" but did not come up with the box.

The Clintons' personal attorney, David Kendall, was not involved. Sherburne and Nemetz were the two White House counsels who took notes of conversations with Mrs. Clinton -- notes just turned over yesterday to Starr after he won his Supreme Court case.

According to a source, "The president and first lady did not object to the search," although, he went on, a warrant "could have raised all kinds of legal and constitutional questions."

The sources said they did not know what was in the boxes. There was no comment from any of the participants.

Meanwhile, White House meetings continue to discuss whether and how to release to the public the notes that were just turned over to Starr.