Hatch claims new evidence could convict Clinton
By David M. Bresnahan
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UT, is warning President Bill Clinton that new evidence is about to come out that could change the conventional wisdom about the outcome of a Senate trial.
Hatch says if a trial takes place in the Senate new evidence he is aware of will end Clinton's career. He is offering an opportunity to avoid that, but attacks in his home state are making his job more difficult.
All members of the Utah congressional delegation came under attack from the state's attorney general -- and some believe it is a direct result of their votes to impeach Clinton. The only Democrat elected to state office in Utah is Attorney General Jan Graham. Monday she gave Utah's three House members and two senators one week to sign an unusual affidavit.
Graham has asked the delegation if they have ever been unfaithful to their wives. She sent them an affidavit asking them to attest to their fidelity. Graham's motivations and intentions were questioned, and some suggested she may have been "put up to it by someone in Washington."
Graham refused a request for an interview. She faxed WorldNetDaily a copy of a prepared statement and said, "It speaks for itself."
"I am making this request as a citizen and elected leader of Utah, but this is not an official action of the Utah Attorney General's Office and no employee of that office has been involved in this request nor involved in the preparation of the attached Affidavit," she said in the statement. She also said that no legal action is planned in any form.
Graham's chief of staff, Palmer DePaulus, claimed he had no knowledge of the actions and could only convey a message to Graham to send a fax from her home. He said she would send the statement herself from her
home fax to avoid the use of any employees. However, the fax arrived with a cover sheet signed by DePaulus.
All members of the Utah delegation criticized her actions, and each denied ever being unfaithful to their wives. Each is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which teaches that sexual relations of any kind outside the bonds of marriage is a sin. Graham's staff members would not respond to questions about her religious affiliation.
"Jan Graham, as attorney general, should have had a better sense of what the impeachment vote was all about," said Rep. Merrill Cook. "Her letter to the Utah delegation demonstrated a gross misunderstanding of
the articles of impeachment that myself and the other members of the delegation supported with a heavy heart and after much consideration.
"Her request for these affidavits trivializes the impeachment process. Her attempt to have members of the Utah delegation file affidavits was nothing short of juvenile and it's a typical example of gotcha politics that sickens the American public."
Rep. Chris Cannon is a member of the Judiciary Committee which held hearings on impeachment. He is now appointed as one of 12 prosecutors to present the impeachment case in a Senate trial set to begin in January.
Cannon was critical of Graham and stated emphatically that he has never been unfaithful to his wife. He also said he would not sign the affidavit.
"It is unfortunate that the chief prosecutor of Utah doesn't understand the difference between perjury and sexual misconduct," said Cannon. "It's also unfortunate that her partisan love of this president would lead her to demean such a serious process. I have no intention of giving any credibility to her actions by signing her affidavit."
Rep. James Hansen, chairman of the House Ethics Committee, agreed with Cannon's assessment and reason for not signing. He also pointed out he has been attacked many times in the past.
"I have been the target of fictitious and salacious rumors regarding all kinds of behavior," said Hansen. "I have always been absolutely faithful to my dear wife and family, and I have always tried to honor and uphold the law in every respect. I resent even the implication by Graham or other partisans that this might not be the case."
"We're not going to get down in the muck with pigs the likes of Jan Graham and Larry Flynt," added Steve Peterson, Hansen's state director.
I'm offended by it," said Sen. Bob Bennett. He too stated that he has never been unfaithful and has no intention of signing Graham's affidavit.
Sen. Orrin Hatch is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He stated that he has never had an affair "before or after marriage."
"That's just dumb," said Hatch of Graham's actions. He said that efforts to find sexual immorality in the lives of Republicans was an unwise approach to the current challenges in Washington over the impeachment issue.
"That's just throwing gas on the fire," he added. "That's just plain dumb."
Hatch confirmed that he is working behind closed doors to provide Clinton with one last opportunity to avoid an impeachment trial in the Senate. Although he agrees that if a vote were taken now, there would not be enough (two thirds) to convict Clinton, he believes a trial would change that.
Hatch did not wish to reveal what new evidence may come forth, but he did say that "if these things come out and they are proven to be true, anything could happen."
Hatch says he sent a message of advice to Clinton:
"Get this over with as quickly as you can. Agree to whatever it takes to get it over with because right now the votes aren't there, but over time they could be there."
The Senate returns to Washington on Jan. 6, and a trial is expected to start very soon after that date.
Hatch is working with other senators to prepare several possible alternatives to give all parties as many choices as possible. He would not provide specifics, but he made it clear that plans were being designed to enable all senators to vote their conscience.
In a recent speech to constituents, Hansen said Hatch will be making an announcement in January that he is a candidate for president. Hatch would not confirm that he has such plans, but he would not deny the possibility
either.
"That was just a nice thing on Hansen's part," said a Hatch spokesman. "We didn't encourage that. We've made no declaration. The only plan we have is to run for the Senate again."
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