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From The Post Daschle's Mount Rushmore Trip Shows Fund-Raising's New Face (Oct. 10) On Tape, Reagan Appeals to Donors at White House (Oct. 10) Campaign Finance Bill Blocked Again (Oct. 10) DNC Ex-Aide Denies Teamster Link (Oct. 10) 'False Statements' Attributed to Straw Donor by Waxman (Oct. 10) 'Bob of the CIA' Told a Story, Then Became One (Oct. 10) Reno 'Mad' About Delay In Obtaining Videotapes By Roberto Suro Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 10, 1997; Page A01 Attorney General Janet Reno said yesterday that the delay in providing Justice Department investigators with videotapes of President Clinton's fund-raising coffees had frustrated and angered her and strained her relationship with the White House. "I was mad," Reno said, describing how she reacted last Saturday when she learned of the existence of the 44 videotapes showing Clinton greeting political supporters. She said the White House had not responded to Justice Department requests for the tapes in a timely manner and then waited several days last week to inform the department that it had finally found them. "When you have a situation where the White House has recognized the responsibility to produce the documents, it is very, very frustrating to have them produced in such a delayed fashion," Reno said. "And I also thought that we should have been told immediately, as soon as they were found." Reno said the tapes have not changed her assessment that the White House coffees they depict were lawful. But her comments marked an extraordinary public critique of the White House at a time when both Clinton and Vice President Gore are the subjects of Justice Department inquiries that could lead to independent counsel investigations of their fund-raising activities. Reno refused to say whether the delay in producing them was now the subject of a criminal investigation. Lanny A. Breuer, the White House counsel who handled the tapes, was called before a federal grand jury Wednesday and questioned about why it had taken the White House so long to produce the videotapes, officials said. Reno's comments came a day after Clinton said the mishandling of the tapes was an innocent mistake and White House officials apologized to her. "We understand the reasons that Attorney General Reno expressed her anger and concerns today, and we have already both privately and publicly expressed our sincerest regrets," said Lanny J. Davis, a White House spokesman. Reno's relationship with Clinton has been distant, if not icy, for years, but she has managed to avoid direct confrontations with the White House even during difficult episodes such as the controversy over White House access to confidential FBI files. Asked about the state of her relations with the White House, Reno said, "I think anytime somebody gets upset and mad at what happened, there perhaps is a strain." The attorney general's comments came at a weekly news conference at which she responded again to critics who say she should seek an independent counsel to investigate campaign finance allegations because the Justice Department's own investigation has been ineffective. Last Friday Reno opened a preliminary investigation into telephone solicitations by Gore from the White House, a major step toward the appointment of an independent counsel, but she rejected a request from Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee to seek an independent counsel on a broad range of alleged campaign fund-raising abuses by both Clinton and Gore. Among the specific matters she addressed were the White House coffees. Reno said no information had emerged to that point to indicate that Clinton had solicited funds during the coffees in what might be a violation of a law prohibiting fund raising on government property. Then on Saturday the Justice Department was informed by the White House that it had found the 44 videotapes that were covered by subpoenas issued months ago. Investigators for the Senate Governmental Affairs committee, which had also sought the tapes, had been told about them Friday, and White House lawyers had discovered the tapes Wednesday. Reading a statement yesterday, Reno said that "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." Defending the 11-month Justice Department inquiry, Reno said, "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 provisions of the Independent Counsel Statute. These claims are not true." Reno noted that the task force conducting the campaign finance investigation now numbers 120 FBI agents, attorneys and support staff and that it has obtained more than a million pages of documents and conducted hundred of interviews. "When I say that I am determined to follow every lead," she added, "I mean it, but I don't mean to follow innuendo or rank speculation." Congressional Republicans have criticized Reno for months for her handling of the campaign finance investigations and have increased their attacks this week, questioning both her competence and objectivity. Sen. Arlen Spector (R-Pa.) said Monday that Reno has failed "to convey the tone of urgency and seriousness necessary to win cooperation from those under scrutiny." Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said yesterday he would consider holding hearings on Reno's conduct of the inquiry. "I really believe there are some things here that have to be explained," Hatch said. © Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company Back to the top Go to Campaign Finance Report | Go to Politics Section