They've Testified Before

Lloyd Cutler, counsel to President Jimmy Carter, testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Sept. 10, 1980, on efforts by the president's brother, Billy Carter, to influence the federal government on behalf of the government of Libya.

Samuel Berger, assistant to President Bill Clinton for national security affairs, appeared before the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs on Sept. 11, 1997, to discuss campaign fundraising practices for Clinton's 1996 presidential campaign.

Lisa M. Caputo, press secretary to first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, testified before the House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs on July 28, 1994, about whether White House aides had inappropriately learned details of a government investigation of the failed Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan in Arkansas. Harold Ickes, deputy chief of staff to Clinton, appeared at the same hearing. So did Bruce Lindsey, a senior Clinton aide, John D. Podesta, Clinton's staff secretary, and George R. Stephanopoulos, a senior policy adviser. A week later, Thomas F. McLarty III, White House counselor, testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on the Madison Guaranty investigation.

John M. Quinn, assistant to Clinton and chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore, appeared before the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the Whitewater Development Corporation and Related Matters on Aug. 7, 1995, to answer questions on numerous topics.

Lanny A. Breuer, special counsel to Clinton, testified before the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight on Nov. 7, 1997, on White House compliance with committee subpoenas issued in the course of an investigation into alleged fundraising abuses.

In his letter to Congress last week, Bush counsel Fielding offered only limited access to White House aides under strict conditions: "Questioning of White House officials would be conducted by a member or limited number of members, who would be accompanied by committee staff. Such interviews would be private and conducted without the need for an oath, transcript, subsequent testimony, or the subsequent issuance of subpoenas." This offer was rejected; both House and Senate Judiciary committees authorized subpoenas for Rove, Miers and Rove's former deputy, J. Scott Jennings. The House panel added the name of deputy White House counsel William Kelley to its list.

-- Outlook staff