ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, October 26, 1996             TAG: 9610280061
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL   PAGE: A-5  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press

STARR TO INVESTIGATE CLINTON EX-COUNSEL

Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr was authorized Friday to investigate whether a former White House counsel lied to Congress about Hillary Rodham Clinton and the FBI files controversy.

A federal appeals court order gave Starr permission to expand his probe to cover Bernard Nussbaum's sworn testimony June 26 to the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee.

At issue is whether Hillary Clinton had anything to do with the hiring of Craig Livingstone, a former White House personnel security chief questioned about the Clinton administration's improper collection of hundreds of FBI background files, many on Republicans from previous administrations.

Nussbaum denied knowing who hired Livingstone and denied discussing Livingstone with Hillary Clinton.

The month after Nussbaum testified, an old FBI report surfaced quoting Nussbaum as saying, in 1993, that Hillary Clinton ``highly recommended'' Livingstone for the job of security manager. The FBI report turned up in a review of Livingstone's FBI file.

Nussbaum has denied making the statement to the FBI, and White House officials have said repeatedly that the first lady had no knowledge of Livingstone's hiring.

When Rep. William Clinger, chairman of the House panel, asked Nussbaum if he knew who hired Livingstone, Nussbaum responded: ``I don't know who brought Mr. Livingstone into the White House.''

According to Clinger, a report by FBI Special Agent Dennis Sculimbrene said that during a 1993 interview, Nussbaum said Hillary Clinton had recommended Livingstone to him.

Nussbaum was not immediately available for comment, his attorney, Lawrence Pedowitz said.

``The Department of Justice has obviously felt obliged to refer this matter to the independent counsel because of partisan pressure from House Republicans. Mr. Nussbaum stands by his House testimony,'' Pedowitz said.

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