KENDALL: Mr. Starr, I don't think it's unfair to try to find out the fact because there has been
considerable publicity about Miss Steele's claim that that is, in fact, what your
investigators have been doing. I was simply asking to clarify the record.
STARR: Well, in respect to some
of her claims, some of her claims, and I am going to say this, even though there
is an active part of our investigation under way, utterly without merit
and utterly without foundation, utterly without factual foundation.
KENDALL: Is this one of those claims?
STARR: No, I did not say that Mr. Kendall. ...
KENDALL: It is your comment, though, Mr. Starr. It's what you wanted the world to think you were doing in the Lewinsky investigation. Is that not
a fact? It is your press release.
STARR: Well, except I think it is still you're talking about a press
release.
You're not talking about a filing in court
and the like.
KENDALL: Let me return to a question asked
by Congressman Wexler this afternoon about a witness called Julie
Hiatt Steele. Have your investigators investigated
the adoption of her 8-year-old child she adopted from a Romanian orphanage?
STARR: Mr. Kendall, my investigators work very hard and diligently to find
relevant evidence.
I believe that the questions, and I have conducted no specific investigation, and you just spent a good deal of time establishing that I don't go with
my FBI agents on every single interview.
KENDALL: Mr. Starr, when did you come to those conclusions?
STARR: With respect to the travel office, I would frankly have to
search my recollection to see exactly where we were and when we were there.
As I indicated with respect to the travel office, we have, in fact, had to put part off
the travel office investigation -- and I'm now talking about the travel office -- I'll
come to the FBI files --
we had, in fact, had to put part of the travel office investigation on hold, as it were,
because of issuing over privileged litigation, which we did not prevail in the Supreme
Court.
And there are other matters that we are presently examining, and which
I can't talk about -- talk about here.
KENDALL: But were the two exonerations you
announced today -- did you come to those conclusions before or after Nov. 1, 1998?
STARR: Before Nov. 1 of this year? Well, I would say that we have not had information
that would guide us to the view that we should be concerned about the president in respect
of those two matters, and that's why, of course, there's no mention of
either of those matters in the referral.
KENDALL: And how many did she find there
was prima facie reason to believe that your office had committed these leaks?
STARR: And I think you know the answer to that. Under the
hair-trigger, Barry-standard where almost anything will satisfy.
KENDALL: I think the answer to my question was
all 24.
KENDALL: But did you issue any press release
admitting that you were talking about aspects of your investigation?
STARR: No, in terms of being able to provide a public
information function, it depends upon how broadly one wants to read a particular document.
This is not a legal document. It's a
statement of policy.
KENDALL: Did Professor Dash give you any advice as to what should
be on background or what on the record?
STARR: We discussed with Sam a variety of issues. I would have to
search my recollection with respect to any specific observations that Sam gave us with
respect to this.
KENDALL: Mr. Starr, I bring this out not to cast
aspersions or question your use of time, but you are here as -- and I believe you have
already said this -- you are not a fact
witness. Is that correct?
STARR: Yes, in terms -- well, I can testify to a number of facts in the
investigation.
