Sessions Feud Continues Amid Attempts to Cool It

Acting Atty. Gen. Stuart M. Gerson tried Monday to calm the dispute between FBI Director William S. Sessions and the Justice Department over a highly critical department investigation of Sessions.

But even as Gerson was predicting in an interview that “temperatures should cool a little,” Sessions distributed to congressional offices a two-page statement by a Texas civil rights attorney urging support of Sessions’ “fight against these neo-Nazis within the Justice Department.”

Ruben Sandoval, a lawyer from Sessions’ hometown of San Antonio, also praised Sessions’ “fight against the ‘Hooverites’ within the bureau”--a reference to officials who joined the FBI under Director J. Edgar Hoover, who died in 1972.

The Sandoval statement was included in a package of materials that Sessions sent to various congressional offices as he fought for support in holding onto his job.

Gerson, asked in the interview about a series of television appearances that Sessions had made denouncing the investigation and report concluding that he had abused his office, said, “I’m hopeful we reached the end of that.”

Gerson, who headed the Justice Department civil division in the George Bush Administration and was designated acting attorney general when President Clinton was inaugurated, said he had spoken Monday with Sessions and the FBI’s No. 2 man, Floyd I. Clarke, whose loyalty Sessions questioned in a television interview Sunday.

“Clarke has my confidence,” Gerson said. “He is still in place.” As deputy director, Clarke is responsible for managing the organization day to day.

Gerson said that Clinton will make the decision on what to do about Sessions and that the process “may involve the new attorney general.”

Clinton has not nominated a successor to Zoe Baird, who withdrew last week after Senate support crumbled over her hiring of an undocumented immigrant couple and her failure to pay Social Security and other taxes for them.

Gerson noted that Clinton will consult with White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum on the Sessions matter. Available to him will be the report on Sessions by the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, a 25-page statement by Sessions’ private attorneys disputing some aspects of the report and “a rejoinder” from the Justice Department.

Gerson said that there still are additional documents to be submitted and analyzed, such as the loan papers on Sessions’ $375,000 mortgage. The Office of Professional Responsibility sought to explore allegations that the mortgage was a “sweetheart deal,” although the FBI director refused to release copies of his loan papers. On Saturday, Sessions denied any knowledge of receiving favorable treatment on the loan from Riggs National Bank but did say that he would obey former Atty. Gen. William P. Barr’s order to give investigators access to the documents.

“I think we have in place mechanisms for a fair resolution,” Gerson said. He acknowledged that lesser FBI employees have no right of appeal from investigations by the Justice Department office. Appearing on NBC’s “Today” show Monday, Sessions said he is optimistic and believes that Clinton will meet with him at some point.

Times staff writer Gebe Martinez contributed to this story.