Opinion ID: 544588
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Referral

Text: 22 As indicated above, the independent counsel investigation of Mr. Meese began when the Attorney General (Acting), following the receipt on May 11, 1987 of a letter from Meese's counsel requesting such investigation, immediately, by letter, referred the Meese matter to Independent Counsel McKay who had previously been appointed with investigative and prosecutorial jurisdiction over Franklyn C. Nofziger and his lobbying relationship to Welbilt Electronic Die Corporation (Wedtech) and Comet Rice, Inc. 9 Under the 1982 Act, given the proper findings, referral could be a proper procedure; 10 it was granted the same day as the Meese request and without any finding in the record of reasonable grounds. 23 The letter of referral was limited to a request to Independent Counsel to investigate Meese's conduct involving Wedtech and his association with individuals involved in Wedtech: 24 I hereby request that you accept referral of the question whether the federal conflict of interest law, 18 U.S.Code Secs. 201-211, or any other provision of federal criminal law, was violated by Mr. Meese's relationship or dealings at any time from 1981 to the present with any of the following: Welbilt Electronic Die Corporation/Wedtech Corporation (including any of its contracts with the U.S. Government or efforts to obtain same); Franklyn C. Nofziger; E. Robert Wallach; W. Franklyn Chinn; and/or Financial Management International, Inc. 25 Referral letter of May 11, 1987 of Attorney General (Acting) to Independent Counsel McKay at 3. 26