对非法或不当活动的调查 与1996年联邦选举活动有关 政府事务委员会的最后报告 参议院雷丁。105-167 - 105日大会2D会议 - 1998年3月10日

   

    阿伦·斯佩克特参议员的补充意见参议院政府事务委员会在1997年3月11日以99票对0票对竞选资金改革产生了重大影响（如果不是决定性的话），在我们对1996年联邦选举的调查中包括了不正当和非法活动。1997年12月31日的最后期限立即削弱了这一潜力。3月11日，我与委员会主席兼高级成员举行了一次座谈会，指出反对我们调查的人显然有动机在截止日期之后采取拖延战术。12月31日截止日期一直笼罩着委员会的倡议，阻止委员会开展在该日期之前可能无法或不可能完成的活动。最后，截止日期和严重的党派分歧导致委员会在10月31日结束了听证会，甚至比法定终止日期早了两个月。党派分歧是委员会不能也没有采取更多行动揭露事实的主要原因，这些事实本可以产生必要的公众需求，迫使国会通过竞选融资改革。长期以来，我一直相信，在水门事件发生后，公众压力的浪潮导致此类立法之前，此类改革不会发生。显然，改变目前保护在职者的制度是一场艰苦的战斗。当委员会来到一个需要两党同意的十字路口时，一方或另一方在任何问题上都不需要太多的挑衅就可以设置路障。试图评估责任将是毫无希望和毫无意义的。这是两党共同的失败。关键的区别在于谁将被传唤以及传唤的范围有多广。6月，莱文参议员和我被授权就传票争议解决争议。我们成功了，也许是太好了，因为我们再也没有代理过。一些传票特别敏感，因为它们可能牵涉到成员。那些不在参议院的人没有看到，也可能无法理解议员之间在许多问题上不断、频繁地交换意见，这些问题要求该机构以合议方式运作。参议员们尽一切努力调节在具体问题上的分歧，普遍的态度是下次投票比上次投票更重要。我不会说国会不能自行调查；但在这件事上，我们没有。一些传票接受者正确地抱怨他们的传票太宽。党派之争非但没有限制并强制执行传票，反而愈演愈烈，最终一事无成。在我看来，我们未能执行这些传票构成了削弱参议院机构权威的严重先例。委员会的工作因难以从中央情报局和联邦调查局获得重要信息而受到严重阻碍。1997年9月11日，总检察长雷诺、联邦调查局局长弗里和中央情报局局长特尼特在委员会面前就一系列事件作证，这些事件过去和现在都非常难以理解，也无法证明其合理性。特尼特局长作证说，中央情报局和联邦调查局1997年7月的一次委员会简报不完整，因为当时委员会没有被告知联邦调查局的一份报告，该报告称，一名个人在许多新闻报道中被确认为政治运动和政治委员会的主要外国贡献者，作为中国政府计划的一部分作出了重大贡献。联邦调查局局长表示，自1995年9月或10月的一份报告和1997年1月的第二份报告以来，有关该个人的信息一直在联邦调查局的档案中。联邦调查局局长表示，在1997年7月的简报会上，委员会没有被告知这些信息，因为联邦调查局不知道其档案中有这些信息。政府事务委员会在1997年9月11日的简报中进一步指出，如果未来司法部发现类似的信息，他们将“非常认真地考虑并讨论将这些信息带到委员会”。事件发生后，我对联邦调查局或中央情报局向委员会提供的信息的完整性没有信心。在我为情报委员会服务期间，我发现中情局隐瞒重要信息的类似情况。我与前中情局局长约翰·道奇、联邦调查局局长弗里和中情局局长特尼特的经历让我相信他们并不知道这些被隐瞒的信息。在报道奥尔德里希·艾姆斯案件时，时任中央情报局检察长弗雷德·希茨表示，前局长威廉·艾姆斯·艾姆斯（William H。韦伯斯特，罗伯特M。盖茨和R。詹姆斯·伍尔西（James Woolsey）应根据以下理由承担责任：我们没有理由相信在相关期间任职的DCI知道该缺陷金博宝正规网址encies described in this report. But DCIs are obligated to ensure that they are knowledgeable of significant developments related to crucial Agency missions. Sensitive human source reporting on the Soviet Union and Russia during and after the Cold War clearly was such a mission, and certain DCIs must therefore be held accountable for serious shortcomings in that reporting. That controversial approach has not been adopted, but it is worth considering in the light of repeated failures by heads of those departments to find out and know what is in their agencies files. After the strong criticism by Committee Members at the Senate September 11, 1997, hearing, it was reported that the FBI then looked further to determine whether other information had not been disclosed. Shortly thereafter, on September 27, 1997, FBI Agent Ray Wickman resigned. Agent Wickman had served as a unit chief on Chinese intelligence matters. The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee has inquired into the circumstances surrounding Wickman's termination. One explanation is that he chose to resign because he was over the 57 retirement age. Another explanation was that he chose to resign rather than accept a new assignment after being replaced as the unit chief. House Chairman Burton questioned FBI Director Freeh in House hearings on December 10 and Director Freeh stated: ``. . . he (Wickman) has said that he is retired because he wanted to retire and did not retire because he felt forced. The other thing--excuse me. The idea that he was told to turn in his sources is a nonsensical notion.'' Chairman Burton later asked Director Freeh: ``. . . have any agents or anybody at the Bureau indicated that he was dissatisfied with the Justice Department regarding their inquiry into his sources?'' Mr. FREEH: ``No sir.'' At a later point in the hearing Director Freeh asked to ``put one thing on the record'' and then testified: Mr. FREEH: I got this note from my general counsel, who asked to ask a question with respect to Mr. Wickman. I'm told by my counsel that Mr. Wickman was concerned with the question of DOJ attorneys accessing what we call asset files. An asset file is not the substantive information, but lists the names and address of the informant, which is the most sensitive files that we have. I'm told that once the DOJ attorneys understood that the asset files were not substantive, that was the end of that issue. But let me get some more information and report back to you. As of this date, March 4, 1998, Director Freeh has not yet reported back. In the total context, there may be more to this issue than just the identity of assets and this inquiry should be pursued to determine whether Agent Wickman or anybody else at the FBI or the Department of Justice had any other information on the Chinese issue which was not turned over to our Committee. In late February 1998, as the Committee was preparing its final report, Chairman Thompson was advised by Attorney General Reno that there was new important information on the China issue which could not be disclosed. I urged that the information at least be made available to the Committee Chairman and Ranking Member so that there could be their evaluation as to whether that information or perhaps a redacted version could be available for our report. No information has been made available by the Department of Justice. Obviously, additional investigation is necessary to develop further the facts on the issue of the government of China influencing the 1996 federal elections. I believe campaign finance reform is urgently required. My specific recommendations are set forth in Senate Bill 1191 captioned ``The Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1997.'' Following my statements on the subject including arguments on the Senate Floor, I believe that Independent Counsel should be appointed to investigate the financing of the 1996 federal elections.