FileGate was a scandal in which the Clinton administration and democrat operatives illegally obtained access to nearly a thousand (or more) raw FBI data files on various important people (mostly republicans) and were in the process of illegally transferrring the information from them into Whitehouse and DNC computer databases. What makes these raw data files special is that they contain the *dirt* on people ... even unsubstantiated rumors and accusations.
When this activity was first reported, the White House initially only admitted to acquiring 338 files, including "dozens" of Republican files. They hoped the matter would just fade away. But under pressure from Bill Clinger, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, FBI Director Freeh issued a report that revealed 408 files were actually obtained. Within weeks the number of admitted cases spiraled to about 700 files (
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9606/26/fbi.files/index.shtml). Later on hundreds more names were added to the list ... for a total of nearly a 1000 files. Here's the list of names:
http://www.mega.nu:8080/ampp/filegate.html . On top of that, there was sworn testimony by Linda Trip suggesting perhaps many more files were obtained ... perhaps 1000's. And as I indicated, the vast majority of the files were Republicans although it looks like Bill and Hillary did want to know what Carville's file contained.
Bill Clinton (and Panetta) called the controversy a "completely honest bureaucratic snafu." Certainly that was the conclusion of Ken Starr and Robert Ray, the Independent Counsels who investigated the matter. According to Wikipedia (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filegate ) Starr and Ray exonerated both Clintons and found no evidence that anyone higher than Livingstone or Marceca was in any way involved in ordering the files from the FBI. But then Starr and Ray spent less than 10 minutes interviewing Hillary, who others (who Starr and Ray didn't bother to interview at all) later testified (in depositions to Judicial Watch) was the mastermind behind the whole operation.
Wikipedia says Starr found no evidence that information contained in the files of former officials was used for an improper purposes and Ray determined there was no credible evidence of any criminal activity by any individual in the matter. But then they didn't really look very hard for that evidence. Judicial Watch would later obtain testimony clearly indicating the material was being illegally loaded on to DNC computer databases (a crime). And who knows what role the contents of these files played in the Senate impeachment trial or other matters.
According to wikipedia, "Ray's report also concluded that there was no credible evidence that Bernard Nussbaum testified falsely about not having discussed Livingstone's hiring with the First Lady, and found as well that there was no personal relationship between the First Lady and Livingstone". The Ray report makes it sound so innocent. Just a snafu. The Wikipedia article goes on to state that Hillary gave a sworn statement that she had nothing to do with Livingstone's hiring and that "Livingstone also stated under oath there was no truth to the supposed hiring relationship." But the wikipedia article misrepresents a number of things and is leaving out a few details ... and the devil is in the details.
First of all, how significant are these files? The article doesn't say. But during a previous administration (prior to Clinton's), a man went to jail for years for improperly acquiring just one file. Imagine ... they obtain nearly a thousand, mostly on folks the Clinton administration might consider adversaries ... and not one person went to jail or was even indicted.
Here's more that Wikipedia fails to mention. Craig Livingstone was not only a former bar bouncer but a former democrat operative. Anthony Marceca also had ties to democrat politicians, and was specifically requested and hired by Livingstone. In hearings before the House Oversight Committee, Bernard Nussbaum, Counsel to President Clinton during the time the files were acquired, testified under oath that they didn't know who was responsible for hiring Livingstone. A few weeks later, the FBI discovered a memo dated March 1993 of an interview with Bernard Nussbaum by FBI Special Agent Sculimbrene in conjunction with the background investigation of Livingstone. In the memo, Sculimbrene writes: "Bernard Nussbaum, Counsel to the President, advised that he has known [Livingstone] for the period of time that he has been employed in the new administration.
[Livingstone] had come highly recommended to him by HILLARY CLINTON, who has known his mother for a longer period of time." Sculimbrene was then interviewed by FBI agents and he confirmed he wrote the memo and was told by Livingstone that Livingstone's mother was a friend of Hillary Clinton. But curiously (or purposefully), the FBI revealed the discovery of the memo to Whitehouse Staff days before notifying the House Oversight committee and Independent Counsel of its existence. This led to questions about whether the FBI was acting independently or working to help the administration conduct damage control. This perception was furthered by the fact that the general counsel of the FBI then edited a letter for the White House that was harshly critical of the chairman Clinger, when he referred the matter of Nussbaum apparently lying to the committee to Ken Starr.
Despite their vast resources, little was accomplished in investigating Filegate by the House Committee, FBI, DOJ or the Independent Council. The Clinton Whitehouse stonewalled everything and some of those organizations (including the IC) made no real effort to get to the bottom of what happened. The wikipedia article mentions Judicial Watch but doesn't give them due credit. It fails to acknowledge that the only reason we even know 900+ files were taken (plus some of the facts I will mention below) is Judicial Watch. It wasn't the FBI or Independent Councils with their huge staffs, budgets and enforcement powers that uncovered the true scope. It was little Judicial Watch filing civil suits for damages and taking depositions under oath.
Among the things they learned were:
Anthony Marceca pled the 5th to questions about the misuse of FBI files and the role of Hillary Clinton in their misuse.
Livingstone eventually admitted to obtaining about a thousand raw FBI data files and to bringing them to the Whitehouse. Most were the files of top Republicans. And Livingstone continued to claim (under oath) he didn't remember who hired him.
Assistant White House Counsel Michelle Peterson admitted that the Clinton White House planned to stall the Filegate case until after the Clintons left office.
Linda Tripp, former executive assistant in the White House Counsel's Office, testified that she observed FBI files of Republicans being loaded onto a White House computer and rooms piled high with the files. She testified the files numbered in the
thousands.
Tripp testified she overheard William Kennedy, former Rose Law Firm partner of Hillary Clinton and then associate White House counsel, and Marsha Scott, the first lady's confidante, discussing Hillary Clinton's plan to share the FBI files on a computer database with the Democratic National Committee.
Tripp testified she saw FBI files of Republicans in the office of Kennedy, who supervised Livingstone.
Leslie Gail Kennedy testified that her husband loaded FBI files onto a computer database on a laptop computer while sitting at their kitchen table. For those that don't know, there are several violations of law in doing this which were never prosecuted.
Deborah Perroy, a White House staffer, testified under oath that operatives of Craig Livingstone were going through FBI and CIA files of Republicans
and that it was Hillary Clinton who hired and directed Livingstone.
Sherry Rowlands ('friend' of Clinton's spinmaster at the time, Dick Morris) testified that Morris admitted to her that
Hillary Clinton was the mastermind of Filegate.
Sheryl Hall, another White House staffer,
testified that Livingstone worked for Hillary Clinton.
Sign-out logs showed a six-month gap (akin to President Nixon's infamous 18 - minute tape gap) in detailing who removed which FBI files from the White House Office of Personnel Security.
Secret Service documents showed numerous visits by Livingstone into the White House residence but no explanation was forthcoming about the purpose of those visits.
And since that time, even more curious facts have come to light.
Independent Counsel Ken Starr had told the American people that the illegally obtained files had been returned to the FBI ... but years later, his replacement, Ray admitted to Sam Donaldson and George Will that they were still in the White House vault. Remember that Ken Starr was the #2 name on the list of suggested names provided by the Clinton's for the job of IC. Maybe this tells us why. And once Ray knew that the files were still in White House hands, he should have ordered them removed too. One wonders who the ICs really worked for.
In 2001, after denying for five years that Hillary Clinton had anything to do with bringing him to the White House in 1993, Craig Livingstone admitted that she may have had a hand in his hiring.
But throughout all this, Hillary claimed she never even knew Craig livingstone. Not just the mother ... Craig himself. Never mind what the many photos of them together suggest.
Hillary with Donna Shalala (there's Livingstone!)
Hillary in the WhiteHouse (there's Livingstone!)
Hillary with friends (there's Livingstone!)
Hillary strolling with ... guess who ... Livingstone!
By the way, it took a court order obtained by Judicial Watch before the Clinton Whitehouse would release those seemingly innocent photos of Hillary and Livingstone.
