Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: 'Pawn' says he's innocent Date: Wed, 25 Nov 92 16:20:05 EST Message-ID: Lines: 100 \SE A \HD 'Pawn' says he's innocent \SH Weinberger rips Walsh after plea \BY Michael Hedges \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, saying he is "a pawn in a clearly political agenda," pleaded not guilty yesterday to the Iran-Contra charge filed by independent counselor Lawrence Walsh's staff four days before the presidential election. The new count, contained in an indictment handed up by a federal grand jury Oct. 30 at the request of Walsh assistant James Brosnahan, said Mr. Weinberger made a false statement to congressional investigators in June 1987 about whether he took notes of a 1986 meeting on arms deals with Iran. After a brief court appearance, Mr. Weinberger called the charge against him "a grotesque abuse of the prosecutorial power," adding, "I have not lied, nor will I ever." "I have become a pawn in a clearly political agenda as is shown by the return of the indictment only days before the presidential election," he said. Mr. Brosnahan responded: "This case has nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with government." He said the second indictment was timed to keep the case on schedule for the planned Jan. 5 trial. Asked if he was concerned that the Weinberger indictment may have affected the political campaign, Mr. Brosnahan said it is "not a matter of interest to me whether people not in the case are discomfited." Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas said yesterday, "It is time for Mr. Walsh and his staff to plead guilty to playing politics with their taxpayer-funded inquisition." The Oct. 30 indictment revealed for the first time a Weinberger memo that named President Bush as attending a meeting in 1986 at which the Iran-Contra arms deal was discussed. That memo was used by the Clinton-Gore team to attack Mr. Bush over the last weekend of the campaign. GOP officials have said the president's comeback effort was blunted by the indictment. The Clinton-Gore team issued a news release within hours of the Oct. 30 indictment saying it proved Mr. Bush "flatly lied." That release was dated the day before the indictment, Oct. 29. George Stephanopoulos, Mr. Clinton's communications director, called the date a clerical error. That is a matter of concern to some Republicans. Mr. Dole, who has called for a Justice Department probe of possible illegal and unethical activities by Mr. Walsh and his staff, said, "Let's face it: The taxpayers have gotten a lot of politics and not much justice for the 40 million tax dollars Walsh has wasted in his lavish operation." Citing government documents, Mr. Dole listed some of the expenses incurred by Mr. Walsh during his six-year probe. "As of August, Walsh had billed the taxpayers for more than $5.6 million for office space, $881,000 for 'incidental expenses,' $401,000 for 'maintenence,' $698,000 for 'contractual services,' and a whopping $655,000 for 'per diem and subsistence,' including $300,000 for personal living expenses and an estimated $65,000 in room service meals," Mr. Dole said in a news release. Attorney General William Barr has until Dec. 11 to respond to Mr. Dole's call for an investigation of Mr. Walsh. Among the things Mr. Dole wants investigated is the appointment of Mr. Brosnahan, a liberal activist, to handle the Weinberger case. That appointment came nearly six years after Mr. Walsh began his investigation. Mr. Brosnahan has made personal contributions to Bill Clinton. Others working for his law firm donated more than $20,000 to the president-elect's campaign. Mr. Dole also asked for a probe of whether there was a leak of the Weinberger indictment to Clinton-Gore campaign workers. Mr. Weinberger's attorneys have sought to throw out the new charge, saying the five-year statute of limitations for filing such charges has passed. Mr. Walsh has said the charge replaces one previously dropped. Mr. Weinberger also faces four charges filed in June that allege other false statements. Federal law allows prosecutors to replace a defective charge with a new one after the time limit has passed, but Mr. Weinberger's attorneys said in court papers that the false-statement charge was "a totally different statutory offense." U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan scheduled a Dec. 7 hearing to consider the issue. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM