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December 15, 1995
Web posted at: 1:15 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House let a deadline pass Friday, refusing to turn over to a Senate committee notes from a 1993 meeting on the Whitewater issue.
The White House maintains the notes are protected by attorney-client privilege. The Senate Whitewater committee had subpoenaed the notes on a meeting between White House aides and President Clinton's private attorneys.
After the White House said it would not turn over the notes, the Whitewater committee voted to ask the full Senate to seek a court order to enforce the subpoenas. The vote was 10-8, along party lines.
"We all know that claim" of executive privilege "was bogus and they were hiding something then as perhaps they are now."
-- Sen. Richard Shelby, Republican-Alabama
"We remain willing to talk, but we are basically in the same position we were in yesterday afternoon." White House spokesman Mark Fabiani said after the 9 a.m. deadline imposed by the Whitewater committee passed.
The White House said Thursday it would not turn over the notes unless Republicans agree that the meeting came under the president's attorney-client privilege and that the Senate committee would instruct others investigating Whitewater to view it the same way.
"As long as the Senate is willing to acknowledge the president's right to have confidential conversations with an attorney and also encourage others to acknowledge that right, then he has no objections to turning over the material," said White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry. "He does not want to waive his right as an American citizen and as president to have representation by an attorney."
"He does not want to waive his right as an American citizen and as president to have representation by an attorney."
-- White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry
If necessary, McCurry said, the White House would take the fight to the courts.
The confrontation is providing political fodder for Republicans as Clinton's job approval ratings are peaking.
Sen. Richard Shelby, Republican-Alabama, called Clinton's use of the attorney-client privilege "Nixonian." President Nixon invoked executive privilege to protect Watergate tapes. Nixon lost the battle to protect the tapes, leading to his resignation.
"We all know that claim" of executive privilege "was bogus and they were hiding something then as perhaps they are now," said Shelby.
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