FBI Reviews Chavez As Bush Heads to Washington

Reuters

Posted Jan. 9, 2001 —AUSTIN, Texax— President-elect George W. Bush flies into Washington on Tuesday, where a storm awaits him over the disclosure Labor Secretary nominee Linda Chavez gave "spending money" to an illegal immigrant who lived with her. The Bush transition team said on Tuesday the FBI was continuing to investigate the issue, but it declined to comment on the "The president-elect's approach ... is that when questions are raised, we will conduct as full and comprehensive a review of all the facts as is possible, and until we are able to complete that process we're going to be reticent to comment," Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters. Despite Bush's vows to be a "uniter" in Washington and end partisan rancor, the disclosure over Chavez has launched the biggest controversy of his transition. Democratic senators and labor groups have criticized Chavez over the relationship with the Guatemalan woman, Marta Mercado, saying it appeared to exploit the woman and violate laws against harboring and hiring an illegal immigrant.

Bush said on Monday he remains confident in Chavez, and spokesman Tucker Eskew said on Tuesday that support had not changed. "What stands is what he said yesterday," Eskew said. Fleischer, asked why Republican senators appeared to be failing to speak out on Chavez's behalf, said he was not sure that was the case, but added, "Questions have been raised and everybody wants to know what the full facts are."

Spokesmen for Bush have said Chavez was merely acting out of compassion when she let Mercado live in her home in the early 1990s, although they acknowledge the woman performed chores around the house and received what they called spending money from Chavez. Among the questions being investigated by the Bush team are when Chavez learned the Mercado was in the United States illegally. A spokesman said on Sunday Chavez "came to believe" Mercado was an illegal immigrant after she had left her home. But Mercado said in television interviews on Tuesday that Chavez knew she was an illegal alien while she lived with Chavez, from late 1991 to late 1993. Fleischer on Tuesday appeared to back off of Sunday's assertion of when Chavez learned of the woman's status.

"The time frame is just not clear, of exactly when that information came to her attention," he said. He declined to comment on a Wall Street Journal report that the FBI was investigating whether Chavez had told a former neighbor in late December that she might be nominated for a Bush administration position and did not plan to raise the Mercado matter. Mercado said on Tuesday she believed Chavez had given her shelter ``out of kindness'' and not because she was looking for someone to look after her two children and to do housework. Asked whether Chavez paid her specifically for doing the housework, Mercado told ABC's "Good Morning America" program: "I was living in that house and I felt it was necessary, you know, to do things that must be done in the house." She added: "She (Chavez) was kind to give me some money. I never asked her if it was pay," adding that she did not get the money regularly. "Sometimes it was one day and then two weeks later or three weeks later ... I don't know."

The transition team was awaiting the results of the FBI review of the case, which is being performed as part its duties to perform background checks on nominees, Fleischer said. "As information is brought to the FBI's attention, they go out and they check it out. And so, they ask additional questions, they ask follow-ups, and conduct additional interviews," he said. Opposition has also been building to Bush's nomination of former Sen. John Ashcroft of Missouri as attorney general. He was opposed by a number of civil rights, abortion rights and liberal groups and their allies in Congress. Nevertheless, Bush on Monday expressed confidence that his Cabinet picks would weather any controversy. "I know there's going to be some withering questions for some of the people that we've nominated for the positions," Bush told reporters. "But I'm convinced all of them will be able to withstand the withering questions." He said he "firmly" believed Chavez would be a "fine" secretary of labor and he retained full confidence in her. Bush was to arrive in Washington on Tuesday evening and return to Texas on Thursday. While in the capital, Bush planned to meet Defense Secretary William Cohen and the Joint Chiefs of Staff for military briefings. On Thursday he is to hold an education forum aimed at highlighting his proposals for public school reform. The meeting will be open to press coverage, in contrast with closed door sessions on the economy last week. Bush is also to hold personnel meetings while in Washington. It was possible Bush would announce appointments to top unfilled positions in his administration, aides said. He has yet to fill the posts of trade representative, CIA director and U.N. ambassador. The president-elect also is to pose for his official portrait, to be hung in post offices and federal buildings. Bush will stay at the official Blair House government guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House he is to occupy after he is sworn in on Jan. 20. Bush will make the final move to Washington next week, in time to participate in official inaugural events beginning on Jan. 18, aides have said.

Taken from www.bet.com