House GOP Leaders Looking For Waste, Fraud In Clinton Administration

By Brooks Jackson/CNN

WASHINGTON (April 26) -- In a memorandum obtained by CNN, the House Republican leadership is making an urgent request for GOP chairmen to search their official committee files for election-year dirt on the Clinton Administration.

"We need this information as soon as possible," the memo said. Lauren Sims, deputy press secretary for House Speaker Newt Gingrich, defended the memo as legitimate congressional oversight of the use of taxpayers' money by the administration.

The leadership memo asked for information, including "committee investigative materials," about the following:

"Waste, fraud and abuse in the Clinton Administration"
"Influence of Washington labor union bosses/corruption"
"Examples of dishonesty or ethical lapses in the Clinton Administration"

Said Gingrich's spokeswoman Sims: "Newt believes it is a legitimate role for us. ...He just feels we should be a little more aggressive in this area."

Gingrich aides said the Speaker feels Republican chairmen have been lax about digging into the Clinton Administration, and should act more as Democratic congressman John Dingell once did digging into Republican administrations.

White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, however, said the memo smacked of rank election-year politicking.

Opposition research is part of most political campaign. It's rare, however, even in the rough and tumble world of Washington politics, to put a request for it in writing.

The memo, marked "urgent," was dated Tuesday and asked committee chairs to respond by today. "We need this information as soon as possible -- no later than the close of business Friday, April 26," the memo said.

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