Whitewater Special Counsel Declines Invitation to Testify

WASHINGTON — Declaring that it might hurt his criminal investigation, Whitewater Special Counsel Robert B. Fiske Jr. said Friday he is declining an invitation to appear at congressional hearings later this month on the Whitewater affair.

Fiske notified House Banking Committee Chairman Henry B. Gonzalez (D-Tex.), in a letter that “the major part of my work is still in progress” and that he should be allowed to complete his entire investigation before coming under congressional scrutiny.

“It would be inappropriate and would compromise my ability to function effectively,” Fiske wrote.

Gonzalez said he was deeply disappointed and asked Fiske to reconsider his decision to skip a July 26 appearance before the committee.

“To the extent your work is completed . . . I see no reasons why you should not be required to discuss your findings,” Gonzalez said.

“We do not want to compromise your investigation, and that can best be achieved by your providing clear guidance as to the proper scope of our hearings,” Gonzalez added.

Fiske offered to have his staff meet privately to discuss the matter, but Gonzalez declined, saying such information should be presented to the public.

Fiske’s biggest task is just getting under way--a Little Rock, Ark.-based investigation into whether President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton or the Clinton gubernatorial campaign benefited from Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, which was owned by their partners in the Whitewater real estate venture.

Fiske told Gonzalez he still is probing the Justice Department’s handling of a criminal referral by federal regulators in the Resolution Trust Corp. regarding the savings and loan.