Q.

A.

TREASURY STAFF MET WITH WH?

How can it be that your staff has had this series of meetings with the White House on matters that may involve the President and First Lady, and you were never consulted about the meetings?

As Chairman of the Thrift Depositor Protection Oversight Board, I take my responsibilities very seriously. Congress limited the Board's and my involvement solely to policy oversight over the RTC and instructed that neither it nor I intervene in case-specific matters involving individual institutions or the day-to-day operations of the RTC. My staff has known than since the beginning of my time at Treasury, and has serupulously avoided bringing such matters to me.

[Background: The Conference Report accompanying FIRREA (Aug. 4, 1989), provides at page 410:
"The Oversight Board will review and have overall responsibility for the RTC's activities. The
Oversight Board will not, however, be involved in or responsible for case specific matters involving
individual institutions, specific asset dispositions or generally the day-to-day operations of the RTC."]

5560

Q.

A.

SECRETARY KNOWLEDGE OF MEETINGS?

Once you knew about the meetings, what did you find out about them?

As I have said before, I have not engaged in my own fact-finding on these contacts. Mr. Fiske is doing the fact-finding and we're cooperating completely with his inquiries. I have asked the Office of Government Ethics to advise me on any ethics issues raised by the meetings, and they have told me that they will do so once they are notified by Mr. Fiske that it is appropriate to proceed.

5561

Q.

A.

SECRETARY KNOWLEDGE OF MEETING CONTENT

What was said in these meetings?

As I have said before, I have not engaged in my own fact-finding on these contacts. Mr. Fiske is doing the fact-finding and we're cooperating completely with his inquiries. I have asked the Office of Government Ethics to advise me on any ethics issues raised by the meetings, and they have told me that they will do so once they are notified by Mr. Fiske that it is appropriate to proceed.

5562

[Source: House Appropriations Followup]

Q.

A.

SECRETARY INFORMED OF SOME MEETINGS (WSJ)?

The Wall Street Journal quoted you as saying "I did not attend any of these meetings nor was I informed of many of these meetings." Did you know of some of the meetings, and, if so, which ones and when did you learn about them?

The Wall Street Journal misquoted the Treasury press release.

[Source: House Appropriations Followup]

Q.

A.

OTHER MEETINGS?

How do we know whether there have been other meetings between
Treasury staff and White House staff regarding Madison matters?

As I have said before, I have not engaged in my own fact-finding on
these matters. Mr. Fiske is doing the fact-finding and we're cooperating
completely with his inquiries. I have asked the Office of Government
Ethics to advise me on any ethics issues raised by the meetings, and they
have told me that they will do so once they are notified by Mr. Fiske that
it is appropriate to proceed.