Judiciary Committee To Summon Janet Reno Gop Attacks Her Decision Not To Seek Independent Probe Of Fund Raising

A Senate committee intends to put Attorney General Janet Reno under oath to explain why she decided not to seek an independent counsel to investigate Democratic campaign fund raising, Sen. Orrin Hatch said Sunday.

“I believe she’s going to have a very difficult time justifying” the decision, Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Hatch, R-Utah, said Reno will appear before the panel April 30 - unless she appoints an independent counsel.

Asked if the committee will put Reno under oath, Hatch answered, “There’s no question about that.”

Asked about Hatch’s plans, Justice Department spokeswoman Carole Florman said Reno is “always willing to speak to Congress, on or off the record, about her decisions.”

Republicans claim Reno was protecting President Clinton when she announced last week that she wouldn’t request judicial appointment of an independent counsel to investigate allegations of illegal campaign fund raising by the Democrats.

The attorney general opted instead to allow career prosecutors in the Justice Department to continue their investigation of the issue.

Reno said she found no “specific and credible evidence that … any person with whom I would have an automatic conflict has violated the law.”

The independent counsel statute is reserved for cases in which clear evidence exists that top administration officials such as the president, vice president or Cabinet members may have committed a federal felony and the matter would present a conflict of interest for the presidentially appointed attorney general to handle.

Republicans argue there easily is sufficient evidence suggesting illegalities by Democratic fund-raisers to justify an independent prosecutor.

Prior to last Monday’s announcement by the attorney general, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., threatened to investigate Reno if she decided against an independent counsel.

It’s the Senate that will have the first shot at the attorney general. Sen. Trent Lott, the Republican majority leader from Mississippi, said Reno should “be called up to answer” about her decision.

“We’re not ready to back off, but I do think that if she doesn’t go forward with what the law clearly indicates, we deserve at least an explanation,” Lott said Sunday on CNN’s “Late Edition.”

Democrats largely have rallied to Reno’s defense, as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle did Sunday on “Meet the Press.”

“There is no criteria today, no evidence to suggest that we are exceeding the threshold that would call for a special prosecutor,” said Daschle, D-S.D.

But Hatch contended otherwise.

“I would like to think (Reno’s decision) isn’t just to protect the president,” said Hatch.

It’s “going to be a very, very important hearing.”