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"The following exchange occurred October 4, 1997, on Evans & Novak:
JOHN ASHCROFT: The truth of the matter is that if the law’s been violated, we should be able to ascertain that. We can, if we have an independent person without a conflict of interest…
ROWLAND EVANS: …The attorney general has shaved down all the allegations that Vice President Gore apparently down to one single allegation — which telephone he used to make these fundraising calls from. Do you really think that alone is worthy of a special prosecutor?
ASHCROFT: …you know, a single allegation can be most worthy of a special prosecutor. If you’re abusing government property, if you’re abusing your status in office, it can be a single fact that makes the difference on that. So my own view is that there are plenty of things which should have caused [Attorney General Janet Reno], a long time ago, to appoint a special prosecutor, an independent investigator.
If using the wrong phone to make fundraising calls may have violated a law written before there even were telephones – and justified a special prosecutor – how about blowing the cover of a CIA agent, endangering lives and jeopardizing national security? Nah, says Ashcroft now. Apparently that doesn’t rise to the same level."
JOHN ASHCROFT: The truth of the matter is that if the law’s been violated, we should be able to ascertain that. We can, if we have an independent person without a conflict of interest…
ROWLAND EVANS: …The attorney general has shaved down all the allegations that Vice President Gore apparently down to one single allegation — which telephone he used to make these fundraising calls from. Do you really think that alone is worthy of a special prosecutor?
ASHCROFT: …you know, a single allegation can be most worthy of a special prosecutor. If you’re abusing government property, if you’re abusing your status in office, it can be a single fact that makes the difference on that. So my own view is that there are plenty of things which should have caused [Attorney General Janet Reno], a long time ago, to appoint a special prosecutor, an independent investigator.
If using the wrong phone to make fundraising calls may have violated a law written before there even were telephones – and justified a special prosecutor – how about blowing the cover of a CIA agent, endangering lives and jeopardizing national security? Nah, says Ashcroft now. Apparently that doesn’t rise to the same level."
