An unfettered probe also could increase pressure on Clinton, who so far has weathered congressional investigations without serious harm to his popularity. Gore acknowledged in March that he had made phone solicitations to 48 Democratic donors from his White House office between November 1995 and May 1996. Federal law prohibits federal officials from making fund-raising solicitations on government property, although experts disagree whether that statute applies to calls made to donors outside the building. Gore originally said he did not charge any of the calls to taxpayers, insisting he had used a Democratic Party credit card. But last month, the White House acknowledged 20 of his calls were originally charged to taxpayers.
Federal law prohibits the use of government resources for politics.
Gore and his supporters have steadfastly maintained that the calls he made from the White House were legal. White House officials blamed staffers for the oversight. As for the law prohibiting solicitations on federal property, Gore said he was advised prior to making the White House calls that there was nothing wrong with such solicitations. After the disclosure she said she would look at it anew. Last week, the AP disclosed that Gore made an earlier set of phone solicitations to donors in the final weeks of the 1994 election.