N.Y. Lawmaker Sought Clinton Passport Probe : Campaign: But the State Dept. search was completed before letter citing Democratic nominee by name arrived from Rep. Gerald Solomon.

A Republican congressman demanded the State Department investigate rumors that Bill Clinton had considered renouncing his citizenship about the time department officials searched Clinton’s passport records, a statement from the lawmaker’s office said Monday.

However, the lawmaker’s letter citing Clinton was written after his passport records had been searched.

Clinton, now President-elect, has denied that he ever contemplated such a move and no evidence to the contrary has been found.

Fired State Department official Elizabeth M. Tamposi has told investigators that the department’s congressional liaison officer, Steven K. Berry, gave her copies of two letters from Rep. Gerald B. Solomon (R-N.Y.), including one demanding “information and documents” that might indicate Clinton had sought to obtain dual citizenship or renounce his U.S. citizenship to avoid military service in Vietnam.

Tamposi told investigators that Berry cited a White House aide to justify the search; he has denied that.

Solomon was traveling out of the country Monday and could not be reached for comment. But his Washington office issued a written statement on his behalf saying: “You’d better believe I was one of the congressmen demanding information from the State Department on the use of dual citizenship to avoid the draft.”

Solomon’s first letter, which did not cite Clinton by name, was dated Sept. 29, one day before the search of Clinton’s file was begun. The second, which specifically mentions Clinton, was not written until Oct. 3, two days after the search was completed.

Nevertheless, the letters may demonstrate the political pressure that was brought on Tamposi to attempt to find damaging information about Clinton during the height of the presidential campaign.

President Bush made an issue of Clinton’s participation in anti-war protests while he attended Oxford University in Britain, and briefly tried to use Clinton’s 1969 student trip against him because it included a stop in Moscow.

Clinton’s passport records were combed on Sept. 30, the records of his mother, Virginia Kelley, were searched on Oct. 1, and the file of independent presidential candidate Ross Perot was checked about two weeks later.

The State Department has admitted that the passport searches violated department rules and is investigating the affair. The report is due out Wednesday.

Tamposi was fired last week from her post as assistant secretary of state for consular affairs as a result of the controversy. She has since told investigators that Berry told her on Sept. 28 that the White House was demanding a search of Clinton’s records for possible evidence that he had considered renouncing his citizenship.

According to a source familiar with her testimony, Tamposi said she rejected Berry’s request, although she permitted a search two days later in response to requests from news organizations under the Freedom of Information Act.

The source said that Tamposi has testified that after she rebuffed Berry’s request on behalf of the White House, he replied that members of Congress were interested in the subject. She said that the congressmen could write her a letter.

The next day, according to Tamposi’s testimony, Berry gave her a letter from Solomon.

Solomon’s office made public that letter Monday. In the letter, addressed to Acting Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger, the lawmaker expressed concern that some Americans had obtained dual citizenship to “enjoy the rights of U.S. citizenship but avoid the obligations of that citizenship.” He demanded a thorough investigation of the subject. Clinton’s name was nowhere mentioned.

However, on Oct. 3, Solomon sent Eagleburger what he described as a supplement to his earlier letter. In the second letter, which was also passed to Tamposi, Solomon requested information indicating that Clinton had tried either to obtain a second citizenship or to renounce his U.S. citizenship to avoid service in Vietnam.

Although several conservative Republican congressmen had raised questions about Clinton’s avoidance of the draft, Solomon is the only one to make public comments on the citizenship matter.

Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), perhaps Clinton’s severest critic on the draft issue, said Monday that Solomon acted alone in asking for the State Department search.

Dornan said previously that he urged President Bush to base his reelection campaign on attacks on Clinton’s patriotism, especially the draft issue. But Dornan said Monday he had been dubious about the rumors concerning Clinton’s citizenship.

“I said I don’t think you’re ever going to find a smoking gun that he renounced his citizenship,” Dornan said. “They’re not going to find the smoking gun; it doesn’t exist. This is wishful thinking.”

Times staff writer Robert Stewart contributed to this story.