IA

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 22

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 19, 1997

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

To express the sense of the Congress concerning the application by the Attorney General for the appointment of

an independent counsel to investigate allegations of illegal fundraising in the 1996 Presidential election campaign.

Whereas 28 U.S.C. §§ 591 et seq., allows the Attorney General to make application to the Special Division of the

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for the appointment of an independent counsel

when there is specific and credible information that there

may have been violations of Federal criminal law (other

than a class B or C misdemeanor or infraction) and the

investigation of such violations by the Department of

Justice may result in a political conflict of interest;

Whereas this Attorney General has previously exercised that

discretion to apply for the appointment of an independent

counsel to investigate the Whitewater matter on the basis

of a political conflict of interest;
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Whereas there has been specific, credible information reported in the media that officers and agents of the

Democratic National Committee and the President’s reelection campaign may have violated Federal criminal

laws governing political fundraising activities in connection with the 1996 Presidential election campaign;

Whereas, according to reports in the media, the Attorney

General has found such allegations of sufficient gravity

that she has created a task force within the Department

of Justice and convened a grand jury to further investigate them;

Whereas there has been specific, credible information reported in the media that senior White House officials

took an active role in and supervised the activities of the

President’s reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee in connection with the 1996 Presidential election campaign;

Whereas there is specific, credible information reported in the

media that the decisionmaking structure and implementation of fundraising activities carried out by the Democratic National Committee and the President’s reelection

campaign were supervised by White House officials, including the President and Vice President; and

Whereas it is apparent that any investigation by the Department of Justice allegations concerning the fundraising

activities of the Democratic National Committee and the

President’s reelection campaign will result in a political

conflict of interest because such an investigation will involve those senior White House officials who took an active role in and supervised the activities of the President’s reelection campaign and the Democratic National

Committee: Now, therefore, be it
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SJ 22 RFH

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That it is the sense of the Congress that the Attorney

4 General should make application to the Special Division

5 of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of

6 Columbia for the appointment of an independent counsel

7 to investigate allegations of illegal fundraising in the 1996

8 Presidential election campaign.

Passed the Senate March 19, 1997.

Attest: GARY SISCO,

Secretary.