January 1993 Clinton's first term as president begins. May 1993 White House fires seven employees in the travel office, possibly to make room for Clinton friends. An FBI investigation of the office ensues, allegedly opened under pressure from the White House to justify the firings. June 1993 Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster files three years of delinquent Whitewater corporate tax returns. July 1993 Foster is found dead in a Washington area park.
Police rule the death a suicide.
Federal investigators are not allowed access to Foster's office immediately after the discovery, but White House aides enter Foster's office shortly after his death, giving rise to speculation that files were removed from his office. First of three meetings in which Treasury Department officials tip off Clinton aides about the progress of the RTC investigation. October 1993 RTC's criminal referral is rejected by Paula Casey, U.S. attorney in Little Rock and former law student of Bill Clinton. The White House agrees to turn over Whitewater documents to the Justice Department, which had been preparing to subpoena them. These documents include files found in Foster's office.