Department of Justice Seal


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          AG
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1997                          (202) 616-2771
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


             STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last Friday I sent a letter to Chairman
Henry Hyde responding to his and his colleagues request that I
apply for the appointment of an independent counsel.  Almost
immediately some people claimed that I had made a final decision
with respect to certain fund raising activities and use of
government facilities by determining that at this time I did not
have information that triggered the Independent Counsel Statute
with respect to covered persons.  These claims are simply not
true.

     This is an ongoing investigation.  It is being conducted in
a professional, sensible way by building our case from the ground
up --by investigating and confronting low level targets and
moving up the chain of those involved to whomever is responsible,
and by building cases that provide proof that meets the tests of
the law and that will stand up in court.  I don't seek to create
headlines or deal in innuendo or mere speculation.  I want to
make decisions and build cases that stand the test of time and
court review, and no pressure, or harsh words, or editorials will
change my focus.  

     There have been claims that we have somehow tied
investigators' hands, or chosen not to pursue all available leads
or spared high level figures by not triggering the provisions of
the Independent Counsel Statute.  These claims are not true.  I
will continue to review the evidence and if the information
triggers the statute, I will do so as I have already done in this
case.

     At the same time, it is our duty to carefully review all the
information and separate information from innuendo and fact from
speculation based on unreasonable deductions when determining
whether to commence an inquiry against a covered person.  

     More than 120 agents, attorneys and staff are working full-
time to do this investigation the right way.  No criminal case in
this Department has more resources.  More than a million pages of
documents have been obtained.  Hundreds of interviews have been
conducted.  We have an active grand jury investigation, and
agents have been dispatched across the country to track down
leads.

     When I say that I am determined to follow every lead, I mean
it, but I don't mean to follow innuendo or rank speculation.

     Some have claimed that I have not vigorously pursued
evidence by failing to secure production of White House tapes. 
These claims are not true.  As I have said before we have an
active grand jury investigation underway.  In general, the law
relating to grand juries does not allow me to discuss grand jury
subpoenas and their enforcement.  Thus, all I can say is that we
sought the production of these tapes in an appropriate manner and
are as disturbed as anyone about their delayed production. 

     I can't tell you everything that we have found in the course
of our investigation to date or everything we have done because
since I have told you on a number of occasions, prosecutors
should not comment about pending investigations.  But if I could,
it would dispel so many of the misunderstandings and so much of
the misinformation that have swirled around this investigation. 
People have alleged that we are reacting only to the press and
for the work of others--but that's only because they cannot see
everything we are doing.  I am going to press on and investigate
until we find the truth.

     I will close by saying this:  In my four and a half years in
Washington, I have asked for independent counsels on several
occasions, and referred additional matters to them at least twice
more.  On other occasions, I have declined to do so.  

     Each time I acted deliberately, after thorough analysis.
Each time I worked with career prosecutors to separate the facts
from the hype.  And each time my decision was based on the facts
and the law, and nothing else.  No one can shout loud enough, or
write a headline big enough, or use words shrill enough to keep
me from doing what I think is the right thing on this
investigation.

     

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