Republicans Seek Source of Leaks on Deaver Inquiry

Republicans on the House panel investigating Michael K. Deaver called Friday for an investigation of leaks to reporters about a staff finding that there is evidence of possible perjury by the former presidential aide.

The seven GOP members of the House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee asked Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), the panel’s chairman, to determine the source of leaks about the staff report on the Deaver investigation.

The panel is scheduled to meet in a closed session Tuesday to consider a staff report that recommends asking independent counsel Whitney North Seymour Jr. to investigate evidence of possible perjury by Deaver in his May 16 testimony before the subcommittee.

Served in White House

Seymour has been investigating allegations that Deaver, former deputy White House chief of staff, violated the Ethics in Government Act by lobbying former Administration colleagues on behalf of the government of Canada.

Dingell said Thursday night that the subcommittee will meet to vote on the staff report that recommends referring to Seymour evidence of “possible perjury before the committee” by Deaver.

He said there were “several items of serious conflict in Mr. Deaver’s testimony” before the subcommittee last May 16. Dingell made the comments at about the same time television networks, quoting unnamed sources, gave details of the report.

‘No Evidence of Perjury’

When asked about the report, Randall Turk, a Washington attorney representing Deaver, said: “I’m confident there is no evidence of any perjury and that Mr. Deaver’s testimony is truthful and accurate. I believe when the full story is told that he will be exonerated.”

Deaver was out of town on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

The Republican letter, drafted by Rep. Norman F. Lent (R-N.Y.), the ranking GOP member, said: “Clearly, some person or persons with inside knowledge of this investigation has leaked these confidential materials.

“We find it incredible that the news media is being given detailed information on internal subcommittee documents and on questions to be considered by the subcommittee in a closed meeting, before the members of the subcommittee have ever seen those documents or been presented with any proposed actions.”

Source of Leak

The letter asked Dingell to “personally seek to determine who leaked this information, and if those responsible can be identified, to have the subcommittee consider appropriate action.”

Subcommittee spokeswoman Nancy Mathews said: “As far as I know, the chairman has received no letter.”

Mathews noted that Dingell’s comments “about referrals and the like did not deal with the report.”

Deaver, a longtime associate of President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, has denied any wrongdoing. “I have never traded on my relationship with the President for any client--and I never will,” he told Dingell’s panel last spring.