More Intrigue Over FBI Files Flap

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, June 28) -- The heat on the White House over the FBI files flap remains intense, following revelations that, more than two years ago, a Democratic senator told President Bill Clinton the personnel security office should be reformed.

Retired Arizona Senator Dennis DeConcini now says it's "a little late" for the Clinton administration to be cleaning up its act, since in summer 1994 his staff offered frank recommendations to put a security professional, not a political partisan, in charge of classified information.

In a letter addressed to Clinton, DeConcini wrote: "I think this issue needs to be put to rest and the best way to accomplish this is to ensure that the White House has safeguards in place to prevent a breach of security."

While he received a reply from former White House counsel Lloyd Cutler assuring DeConcini his points would be considered, no action was taken until last week, after congressional Republicans discovered more than 700 FBI background files had improperly been collected by personnel security head Craig Livingstone and his subordinates.

In an explosive House hearing Tuesday, Livingstone resigned. The Senate hearings on the matter continue today and are expected to probe deeper into who hired Livingstone.

In a related matter, a new book by former FBI agent Gary Aldrich, a 30-year veteran of the agency, suggests that First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was behind the hiring of Livingstone. Aldrich quotes former associate White House attorney William Kennedy as saying, "Hillary wants him."

The White House has dismissed Aldrich's book as "trash for right-wing cash," pointing out the book is published by the conservative-leaning Regnery Publishing Inc. and is being promoted by a Republican media firm.

But just who hired Livingstone at the White House remains unclear. At the Senate hearings, despite repeated questioning by committee members, witnesses hedged about how Livingstone came to his sensitive post. Even Livingstone, to the dismay of the committee, couldn't recall who had hired him three years ago.

More Intrigue Over FBI Files Flap

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