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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Hearing Will Focus On Foster Papers

Associated Press

Senate Whitewater hearings are scheduled to begin July 18 with a focus on whether White House officials improperly handled Vincent Foster’s papers after the attorney’s suicide.

There will be further rounds of hearings through the end of 1995 and perhaps into next year, Sen. Al D’Amato, chairman of the Senate Whitewater committee, said Thursday.

The White House said the Senate is spending “another million dollars” to delve into areas already covered by Whitewater prosecutors Kenneth Starr and Robert Fiske.

“We hope the hearing will be fair and not partisan,” said White House spokesman Mark Fabiani. “The facts will show that the vague and ever-shifting Whitewater allegations have no merit.” In a statement, D’Amato reiterated an earlier promise that the Senate’s work will be “fair, impartial and thorough.”

The committee is looking into the investment by President Clinton and his wife, Hillary, in the Arkansas real estate venture with James McDougal, owner of a failed savings and loan.

White House officials removed tax-related papers on Whitewater from Foster’s office on July 22, 1993, two days after the deputy White House counsel was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The papers were stored in the family residence for several days before they were picked up by the Clintons’ personal attorney.