Long-sought Whitewater Records Released

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Hillary Rodham Clinton's lawyer released 116 pages of legal billing records that detail work the First Lady and her then-colleagues at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock performed for Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, a key focus of the Whitewater probe. Coming on the heals of another sensitive Whitewater memo written by a former White House aide, the records were described by Sen. Alfonse D'Amato as the "second miraculous discovery within the past 24 hours." It does fit a disturbing pattern, notes TIME's Michael Duffy. "This phenomenon of disappearing then suddenly reappearing documents conjures very unpleasant comparisons with an earlier 'gate.' This is going to attract the avid interest not only of the Senate investigators but of independent Whitewater investigator Kenneth Starr, who probably would like to have gotten these records when he originally asked for them." Hillary Clinton has stated under oath that she did little work related to the troubled S & L, but conflicting comments made by her associate Susan Thomases have prompted renewed demands from Whitewater investigators for her time sheets. Until now, the whereabouts of the documents was unknown. Releasing the documents Friday, Clinton lawyer David Kendall said the records were discovered by Carolyn Huber, Special Assistant to the President, and "confirm our earlier statements about the nature and amount of Mrs. Clinton's work on this representation." D'Amato unsurprisingly took a different view, saying " a cursory glance would indicate there was s a minimum of $21,000" in billings, which would "raise volumes of questions" and possibly lead to obstruction of justice charges.