DATE=5/24/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43483
TITLE=RENO UNDER FIRE
BYLINE=JIM MALONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:   CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE CALLING ON U-S ATTORNEY 
GENERAL JANET RENO TO RESIGN IN THE WAKE OF WHAT THEY REGARD AS A
BOTCHED INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED CHINESE ESPIONAGE AT U-S 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS RESEARCH LABORATORIES.  A WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN 
SAYS PRESIDENT CLINTON STILL HAS CONFIDENCE IN MS. RENO AND 
THINKS SHE SHOULD STAY ON AS ATTORNEY GENERAL.  AS V-O-A NATIONAL
CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE REPORTS, MS. RENO IS NO STRANGER TO 
BEING IN THE POLITICAL HOT SEAT.

TEXT:   SEVERAL KEY REPUBLICANS ARE CALLING FOR MS. RENO'S 
RESIGNATION BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE SHE MISHANDLED THE INVESTIGATION
INTO THE ALLEGED THEFT OF U-S NUCLEAR SECRETS FROM A WEAPONS 
RESEARCH LABORATORY IN NEW MEXICO.

ALABAMA REPUBLICAN RICHARD SHELBY CHAIRS THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE 
COMMITTEE.

                       /// SHELBY ACT. ///

         SHE HAS BOTCHED THIS INVESTIGATION, SHE AND HER TOP 
         LIEUTENANTS, AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATION I BELIEVE 
         SHE SHOULD LEAVE (RESIGN) NOW.

                        /// END ACT. ///

AT LEAST ONE PROMINENT DEMOCRAT BELIEVES THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 
SHOULD AT LEAST CONSIDER STEPPING DOWN.  DEMOCRATIC SENATOR 
ROBERT TORRICELLI OF NEW JERSEY AGREES WITH REPUBLICANS THAT THE 
ALLEGED CHINESE SPYING IS SERIOUS AND THAT CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

                     /// TORRICELLI ACT. ///

         I THINK IT IS TIME FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON TO HAVE A 
         CONVERSATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT HER ABILITY
         TO PERFORM HER DUTIES AND WHETHER OR NOT IT IS IN THE 
         NATIONAL INTEREST FOR HER TO CONTINUE.

                        /// END ACT. ///

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS WERE QUICK TO COME TO THE ATTORNEY 
GENERAL'S DEFENSE.  SPOKESMAN JOE LOCKHART SAYS PRESIDENT CLINTON
WANTS MS. RENO TO STAY ON. 

                      /// LOCKHART ACT. ///

         HE HAS CONFIDENCE IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND WILL 
         CONTINUE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HER.

                        /// END ACT. ///

REPUBLICANS ARE ESPECIALLY UPSET WITH MS. RENO'S DECISION IN 1997
TO REJECT F-B-I REQUESTS FOR TELEPHONE WIRETAPS AND A SEARCH OF 
THE COMPUTER FILES OF SUSPECTED SPY WEN HO LEE.  MR. LEE WAS 
FIRED FROM HIS JOB AT THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS LAB AT LOS ALAMOS, NEW 
MEXICO, IN MARCH, BUT HAS NOT BEEN CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME.  MR. 
LEE'S ATTORNEY SAYS HIS CLIENT HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG, AND 
HIGH-RANKING CHINESE OFFICIALS IN BEIJING HAVE ALSO DENIED U-S 
ALLEGATIONS OF ESPIONAGE.

FOR THE MOST PART, ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO DECLINES TO TALK ABOUT 
THE WEN HO LEE CASE, CITING NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS.  BUT 
DURING A RECENT NEWS CONFERENCE, MS. RENO DID RESPOND TO CRITICS 
WHO QUESTIONED WHY SHE TURNED DOWN THE F-B-I REQUESTS FOR 
TELEPHONE WIRETAPS NEARLY TWO YEARS BEFORE THE ALLEGATIONS 
AGAINST MR. LEE CAME TO LIGHT.

                        /// RENO ACT. ///

         WHEN GOVERNMENT ASKS FOR THE AUTHORITY TO INTERCEPT 
         ELECTRONIC SURVEILANCES, TO INTERCEPT CONVERSATIONS 
         BETWEEN PEOPLE WHERE THEY ANTICIPATE THAT THEIR 
         CONVERSATIONS WILL BE PRIVATE, ALL AMERICA WANTS TO MAKE
         SURE THAT WHEN GOVERNMENT DOES THAT, THEY DO IT THE 
         RIGHT WAY, ACCORDING TO THE LAW AND TO THE CONSTITUTION.
         WE HAVE TRIED TO DO THAT IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE AND WE 
         ARE GOING TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR AS LONG AS I
         AM ATTORNEY GENERAL.

                        /// END ACT. ///

MS. RENO IS NO STRANGER TO POLITICAL CONTROVERSY.  SHE WAS ONLY 
IN THE JOB A FEW WEEKS WHEN SHE APPROVED THE CONTROVERSIAL 
ASSAULT BY FEDERAL AGENTS ON THE BRANCH DAVIDIAN RELIGOUS 
COMPOUND NEAR WACO, TEXAS IN 1993   /// OPT /// MORE THAN 80 
PEOPLE DIED IN THE RESULTING FIRE.  MS. RENO TOOK RESPONSIBILITY 
FOR THE ASSAULT BUT BLAMED CULT LEADER DAVID KORESH FOR SETTING 
THE FIRE.  /// END OPT ///

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS ALSO COME UNDER INTENSE CRITICISM FROM 
REPUBLICANS FOR REFUSING TO APPOINT AN INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR TO 
INVESTIGATE ALLEGED CHINESE ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE THE 1996 U-S 
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN BY DIRECTING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 
CLINTON-GORE RE-ELECTION EFFORT.

DESPITE ALL THE CRITICISM, MS. RENO RECENTLY ACHIEVED A PERSONAL 
MILESTONE IN HER SIX-YEAR TENURE AS ATTORNEY GENERAL.  IN 
JANUARY, SHE BECAME THE LONGEST-SERVING U-S ATTORNEY GENERAL THIS
CENTURY, SURPASSING THE RECORD SET 60 YEARS AGO BY HOMER 
CUMMINGS, WHO SERVED AS PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT'S ATTORNEY 
GENERAL FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN SIX YEARS.  (SIGNED)



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24-May-99 3:23 PM EDT (1923 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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