Reno's Decision Expected Today

'We should let her make the decision,' says Clinton, 'and then ... we should get on with the business of America'

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Dec. 2) -- After using every available moment to ponder the issue, Attorney General Janet Reno is expected to announce today that she will not recommend the appointment of independent counsels to investigate political fund-raising by President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.

At a ceremony this morning to nominate Army Secretary Togo West as Veterans Secretary, the president said he is looking forward to getting the independent counsel matter behind him and his administration.

"We should let [Reno] make the decision," Clinton said, "and then whatever the decision is, we should get on with the business of America, and the Justice Department should get on with the business of protecting the people of America."

Clinton said that once the decision is made, "whatever the decision is," he expects that "things will return to normal, because we'll go back to work. I just want everybody to go back to work here.

"We've got serious law-enforcement challenges, both beyond our borders and within our country. And the most important thing is that everyone does the people's work up here, that we get back to the business of protecting the American people and dealing with those challenges," he said. (480K wav sound)

Clinton decried the pressure that others have tried to apply on Reno, which has included calls for her impeachment. "It should be a decision based strictly on the law, and not outside political pressure," Clinton said, "and I have scrupulously avoided saying anything one way or the other, publicly or privately, that would be that kind of thing. (256K wav sound)

"There's a statute here," Clinton said. "And we cannot get in the position in this country of basically bringing politics to bear on every legal decision that has to be made. That's not the right way to do this." (416K wav sound)

Reno held an hour-and-a-half long meeting Monday night with top aides and campaign-finance task force members. Asked if she had made any final decisions as she left for home after 8 p.m. ET, she told The Associated Press, "No. I'm going to make sure I consider every angle."

According to provisions of the independent counsel statute, today is the deadline for her decision, though no particular time of day is specified. Reno's decisions generally come in the late afternoon.

Reno's task force has advised her that an independent counsel is not warranted, saying there is no evidence the president or vice president broke any laws by making those fund-raising calls from the White House.

The attorney general met Sunday with her deputies about their final set of staff recommendations. Senior law-enforcement officials told CNN her questions seemed to refer mostly to fine-tuning aspects of the recommendations, as opposed to an outright rejection of them.

Freeh disagrees

FBI Director Louis Freeh has put in writing to Reno his disagreement with Justice Department staff recommendations, CNN has learned.

Sources say the FBI director raised a number of investigative issues in a detailed memo sent within the past week from Freeh to the Justice Department. Freeh maintains the Justice Department had focused too narrowly on campaign fund-raising telephone calls made by Clinton and Gore.

Freeh believes that the phone calls must be looked at in the broader context of allegations that the Clinton Administration engaged in a conspiracy to circumvent campaign-finance laws.

He is also concerned about the appearance of a conflict of interest for the Justice Department and the investigation in general. FBI officials have long maintained that because Reno and their own director were appointed by Clinton, their investigation might appear biased.

The political battle

Even as Reno continues to mull over her much-anticipated decision, it is already at the center of a bruising political debate.

Republicans also want Reno to take a broader view and seek an outside investigation of White House coffees, illegal overseas contributions, and the use of Democratic Party money for ads supporting the president's re-election.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) said, "The focus just on the calls is much too narrow. You have fund-raising in the Oval Office."

But Democrats say Reno has the independence to handle the case, and accuse Republicans of playing politics.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said, "To have some of the partisan politicians attack Janet Reno for a lack of integrity is a little bit like ... Saddam Hussein attacking you for undermining international law."

The timing might limit the political fallout, at least temporarily, if Reno decides not to seek an independent counsel. Congress is off until January, making it more difficult for Republicans to attack the attorney general.

In Other News:

Monday Dec. 1, 1997

• Reno's Independent Counsel Decision Expected Tuesday
• Report: Defense Readiness Depends On Quick Reforms
• Former Espy Aide Convicted Of Lying

E-Mail From Washington:
• White House-Freeh Relations Worsen
• Cohen Blames Hussein For Infant Deaths
• Gore To Attend Global Warming Conference
• U.S. Pressures Israel On Settlements