Republicans Turn Up Heat On FBI Reports

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, June 10) -- A House committee chairman said he will investigate how and why the White House obtained 330 FBI background reports, among them files on prominent Republicans. GOP challenger Robert Dole suggested President Bill Clinton should personally take responsibility for the incident.

Chief of staff Leon Panetta apologized over the weekend for the blunder, which he termed both "inexcusable" and "a completely honest bureaucratic snafu." In an interview with CNN, Dole said, "This isn't the Panetta administration," and suggested the voters want to hear an explanation directly from the president.

Announcing plans to hold hearings as early as next week, House Government Reform Committee chairman William Clinger (R-Pa.) declared at a Capitol news conference: "The Clinton administration's changing and conflicting explanations over the last several days regarding misused FBI personal files leave many disturbing questions unanswered."

Clinger says even more FBI reports may have been obtained by the White House and he wants to question FBI director Louis Freeh, White House personnel security office head Craig Livingston and Anthony Marceca, a temporary aide who was responsible for issuing the requests for the FBI reports.

Among the files requested were those of former Secretary of State James Baker, former White House press secretary Marlin Fitzwater and Tony Blankley, House Speaker Newt Gingrich's press secretary.

As White House officials brace for yet another charge of wrongdoing from Republicans, congressional lawmakers are fuming that the collection of information is reminiscent of former president Richard Nixon. "This creation of an enemies list demands a full investigation," declared Rep. David Funderburk (R-N.C.) from the House floor.

Republicans Turn Up Heat On FBI Reports

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