Lieberman Threatens Bush with Subpoena Over Enron Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source: Reuters via Yahoo - May 17, 2002 Lieberman sends White House Enron subpoena threat By Tim Dobbyn WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - Sen. Joseph Lieberman threatened in a letter released on Friday to subpoena the White House to uncover administration contacts with now-bankrupt Enron Corp. Lieberman, the chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, alleged White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales was still refusing to commit to providing information sought by the committee back in March. "I have concluded that I have no choice but to seek authorization to issue a subpoena to the (Executive Office of the President) at the committee's May 22 business meeting," the Connecticut Democrat said in a letter dated May 16 and released on Friday. The letter was the latest in an escalating battle between Lieberman, who ran as the Democrats' vice-presidential candidate in the 2000 elections, and the Republican White House of President George W. Bush, who enjoyed substantial campaign support from Enron. Gonzales said he thought Lieberman's actions were premature as the White House felt it was being cooperative. "I'm quite frankly a little perplexed that the chairman felt a need to threaten a subpoena," he told reporters. Enron, once the world's biggest energy trader, filed a record bankruptcy on Dec. 2 amid revelations of losses from off-the-books partnerships. TWO QUESTIONS ADDED TO SURVEY Before its spectacular failure, the company spent heavily on lobbying efforts to deregulate electricity markets, to limit efforts to regulate financial derivatives trading and to seek government funds and logistics help for various overseas projects. Lieberman has said his committee needs the contact information to determine the federal government's role in the chain of events that led to Enron's collapse. He told Gonzales he would hold off seeking subpoenas if the White House promptly takes steps to broaden the search and provides all information sought by the end of May. The White House announced on Tuesday it had added two questions to a three-question survey sent on April 29 to every assistant, deputy assistant and special assistant to Bush, as well as to Vice President Dick Cheney's aides. According to a copy of the revised survey, administration officials were asked whether they had contacts with Enron regarding "any energy regulation, policy, law, or other issue affecting Enron's business" between Jan. 20, 2001, and Dec. 2, 2001. This includes contacts with the White House energy task force that Cheney headed. Gonzales had sent his own letter to Lieberman on Thursday that said the surveys had been sent to 204 employees on Bush and Cheney's staffs. A small percentage of individuals has so far indicated they may possess relevant information and a preliminary summary of initial interviews could be provided next week. An administration official said the White House had offered to expand the scope of the questionnaire, giving it to every White House staffer, if needed to avoid a subpoena threat. The offer was made in a Friday afternoon meeting between staff members for Lieberman and Gonzales, but there was no agreement, the White House official said. Lieberman's letter did not specifically mention the expanded questionnaire. He criticized Gonzales for being vague about when relevant information will be provided and refusing to commit to providing information connected to the energy task force. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytenv-05.19.02-06:18:50-28771