DATE=5/24/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43483
TITLE=RENO UNDER FIRE
BYLINE=JIM MALONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE CALLING ON U-S ATTORNEY
GENERAL JANET RENO TO RESIGN IN THE WAKE OF WHAT THEY REGARD AS A
BOTCHED INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED CHINESE ESPIONAGE AT U-S
NUCLEAR WEAPONS RESEARCH LABORATORIES. A WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN
SAYS PRESIDENT CLINTON STILL HAS CONFIDENCE IN MS. RENO AND
THINKS SHE SHOULD STAY ON AS ATTORNEY GENERAL. AS V-O-A NATIONAL
CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE REPORTS, MS. RENO IS NO STRANGER TO
BEING IN THE POLITICAL HOT SEAT.
TEXT: SEVERAL KEY REPUBLICANS ARE CALLING FOR MS. RENO'S
RESIGNATION BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE SHE MISHANDLED THE INVESTIGATION
INTO THE ALLEGED THEFT OF U-S NUCLEAR SECRETS FROM A WEAPONS
RESEARCH LABORATORY IN NEW MEXICO.
ALABAMA REPUBLICAN RICHARD SHELBY CHAIRS THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE.
/// SHELBY ACT. ///
SHE HAS BOTCHED THIS INVESTIGATION, SHE AND HER TOP
LIEUTENANTS, AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATION I BELIEVE
SHE SHOULD LEAVE (RESIGN) NOW.
/// END ACT. ///
AT LEAST ONE PROMINENT DEMOCRAT BELIEVES THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
SHOULD AT LEAST CONSIDER STEPPING DOWN. DEMOCRATIC SENATOR
ROBERT TORRICELLI OF NEW JERSEY AGREES WITH REPUBLICANS THAT THE
ALLEGED CHINESE SPYING IS SERIOUS AND THAT CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
/// TORRICELLI ACT. ///
I THINK IT IS TIME FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT HER ABILITY
TO PERFORM HER DUTIES AND WHETHER OR NOT IT IS IN THE
NATIONAL INTEREST FOR HER TO CONTINUE.
/// END ACT. ///
WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS WERE QUICK TO COME TO THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S DEFENSE. SPOKESMAN JOE LOCKHART SAYS PRESIDENT CLINTON
WANTS MS. RENO TO STAY ON.
/// LOCKHART ACT. ///
HE HAS CONFIDENCE IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND WILL
CONTINUE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HER.
/// END ACT. ///
REPUBLICANS ARE ESPECIALLY UPSET WITH MS. RENO'S DECISION IN 1997
TO REJECT F-B-I REQUESTS FOR TELEPHONE WIRETAPS AND A SEARCH OF
THE COMPUTER FILES OF SUSPECTED SPY WEN HO LEE. MR. LEE WAS
FIRED FROM HIS JOB AT THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS LAB AT LOS ALAMOS, NEW
MEXICO, IN MARCH, BUT HAS NOT BEEN CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME. MR.
LEE'S ATTORNEY SAYS HIS CLIENT HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG, AND
HIGH-RANKING CHINESE OFFICIALS IN BEIJING HAVE ALSO DENIED U-S
ALLEGATIONS OF ESPIONAGE.
FOR THE MOST PART, ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO DECLINES TO TALK ABOUT
THE WEN HO LEE CASE, CITING NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS. BUT
DURING A RECENT NEWS CONFERENCE, MS. RENO DID RESPOND TO CRITICS
WHO QUESTIONED WHY SHE TURNED DOWN THE F-B-I REQUESTS FOR
TELEPHONE WIRETAPS NEARLY TWO YEARS BEFORE THE ALLEGATIONS
AGAINST MR. LEE CAME TO LIGHT.
/// RENO ACT. ///
WHEN GOVERNMENT ASKS FOR THE AUTHORITY TO INTERCEPT
ELECTRONIC SURVEILANCES, TO INTERCEPT CONVERSATIONS
BETWEEN PEOPLE WHERE THEY ANTICIPATE THAT THEIR
CONVERSATIONS WILL BE PRIVATE, ALL AMERICA WANTS TO MAKE
SURE THAT WHEN GOVERNMENT DOES THAT, THEY DO IT THE
RIGHT WAY, ACCORDING TO THE LAW AND TO THE CONSTITUTION.
WE HAVE TRIED TO DO THAT IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE AND WE
ARE GOING TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR AS LONG AS I
AM ATTORNEY GENERAL.
/// END ACT. ///
MS. RENO IS NO STRANGER TO POLITICAL CONTROVERSY. SHE WAS ONLY
IN THE JOB A FEW WEEKS WHEN SHE APPROVED THE CONTROVERSIAL
ASSAULT BY FEDERAL AGENTS ON THE BRANCH DAVIDIAN RELIGOUS
COMPOUND NEAR WACO, TEXAS IN 1993 /// OPT /// MORE THAN 80
PEOPLE DIED IN THE RESULTING FIRE. MS. RENO TOOK RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE ASSAULT BUT BLAMED CULT LEADER DAVID KORESH FOR SETTING
THE FIRE. /// END OPT ///
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS ALSO COME UNDER INTENSE CRITICISM FROM
REPUBLICANS FOR REFUSING TO APPOINT AN INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR TO
INVESTIGATE ALLEGED CHINESE ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE THE 1996 U-S
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN BY DIRECTING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
CLINTON-GORE RE-ELECTION EFFORT.
DESPITE ALL THE CRITICISM, MS. RENO RECENTLY ACHIEVED A PERSONAL
MILESTONE IN HER SIX-YEAR TENURE AS ATTORNEY GENERAL. IN
JANUARY, SHE BECAME THE LONGEST-SERVING U-S ATTORNEY GENERAL THIS
CENTURY, SURPASSING THE RECORD SET 60 YEARS AGO BY HOMER
CUMMINGS, WHO SERVED AS PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT'S ATTORNEY
GENERAL FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN SIX YEARS. (SIGNED)
NEB/JBM/PT
24-May-99 3:23 PM EDT (1923 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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