Don Nickles: “He discussed in detail Vice President Gore's telephone conversations, the President's telephone solicitations, the need…”

“He discussed in detail Vice President Gore's telephone conversations, the President's telephone solicitations, the need for independent counsel in both cases. It is the Director's ultimate conclusion it should be referred to an appointment of an independent counsel as part of a broader scheme to circumvent campaign finance law under either the mandatory or the discretionary provisions of the statute. He held the same conclusion with regard to White House coffees, the overnights, and other perks, and that would include Air Force One. He also talks about the scheme to evade the law. When the President agrees to take public funding of a Presidential campaign, he says: Here is how much money we are going to raise and spend. Clearly, the White House, and Mr. Harold Ickes and other people, tried to circumvent the law and say: We are going to raise lots and lots of money, the White House will do it, and we will basically get around these limits. Director Freeh obviously thinks that should be investigated and may well think it should be investigated for both parties. I am not making any aspersions. I am just saying that we should have an independent counsel. If Director Freeh has studied this as long as he has--he is the chief investigative officer of the country as head of the FBI--if it is his strong conclusion, with a 27-page memo, that we should have an independent counsel, then we should have an independent counsel.”