From: [C reuters] at [clari.net] (Reuters)
Newsgroups: clari.usa.top,clari.usa.gov,clari.usa
Subject: White House Aide Quits Over Files Flap
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 4:10:10 PDT
Expires: Thu, 4 Jul 1996 4:10:10 PDT

                                         
         WASHINGTON (Reuter) - The head of the White House office  
that improperly requested hundreds of FBI files, including those 
of prominent Republicans, told a congressional investigating 
committee that he is resigning. 
         Craig Livingstone, head of the White House personnel  
security office, said Wednesday at a politically charged hearing 
that the action was a mistake and he had not known that an aide 
was requesting the files. 
         ``I am deeply sorry this mistake occurred,'' he said. ``As a  
result I want to be the first to announce that I am tendering my 
resignation from the White House effective immediately.'' 
         On board President Clinton's plane en route to an economic  
summit in Lyon, White House spokesman Mike McCurry told 
reporters that Clinton ``thinks he (Livingstone) did the 
appropriate thing under the circumstances.'' 
         Democrat Tom Lantos of California told Livingstone he should  
have quit earlier and resigning was ``the least you can do'' for 
atone for ``stupid'' actions. 
         The White House had come under increasing criticism for not  
firing Livingstone, who has been on paid leave. 
         Rep. William Clinger a Pennsylvania Republican and chairman  
of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee, opened the 
hearing by asking why Livingstone remained on the payroll 
''despite having made what everybody says were inexcusable 
mistakes and despite having a total lack of experience for the 
job.'' 
         Questions have been raised on whether the files acquisition  
was part of an effort to dig up dirt about Republicans. 
Livingstone and other witnesses flatly denied it. 
         ``The very idea of obtaining FBI files for the purpose of  
digging up dirt on political opponents -- the very thought of 
creating an enemies list and using secret and private government 
information against those individuals, is abhorrent to me,'' 
former White House Counsel Bernard Nussbaum said. 
         The aide who obtained the files, Anthony Marceca, denied he  
did it for any purpose other than to update FBI information on 
what he thought was everyone with a White House pass. 
         The FBI has acknowledged giving the White House 407 FBI  
security files, primarily on Republicans, including former 
Secretary of State James Baker. Committee members said they had 
learned nearly 300 additional files were also requested. 
         Marceca, an army investigator, worked at the White House for  
six months after being recruited in August 1993 on Livingstone's 
recommendation. 
         He indicated he followed a list of names when updating a  
security file without questioning whether some on the list, such 
as former CIA Director Robert Gates, had been high officials of 
the George Bush administration. 
         Clinger said Marceca and Livingstone were longtime political  
operatives. Dennis Casey, a campaign consultant who met them on 
former Sen. Gary Hart's presidential campaign in 1984, told 
committee investigators they wanted to use information on 
peccadilloes against opposition aides. 
    Marceca and Livingstone both said they could recall no such  
incident. ``He's got the wrong guy. It's not me he is talking 
about,'' Marceca said. 
         ``Why did the president allow a political operative with a  
dubious background to hire a fellow political operative with a 
dubious background to conduct this most sensitive work?'' 
Clinger asked. 
         Rep. Dan Burton, an Indiana Republican, released a letter  
from the FBI stating that a box of information returned to the 
FBI by the White House contained a folder with five sheets of 
paper entitled ``IRS reports returned'' and bearing the names of 
many individuals with notations as to whether the reports were 
complete or incomplete. 
         The FBI letter said the bureau never gathered IRS data for  
its background investigations indicating the information had 
been obtained by the White House. 
         Rep. Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, accused  
Republicans of playing politics. 
         ``This isn't a hearing to get to the bottom of this issue.  
This is a hearing to smear President Clinton and his 
administration, to be reckless with the truth for partisan 
purposes,'' Waxman said.