Rostenkowski Lawyers Still Talking With Justice Dept.

Attorneys for Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.) were continuing Thursday to bargain with Justice Department officials to conclude a criminal probe that could threaten the lawmaker’s committee chairmanship and even his ability to vote in the House, sources knowledgeable about the case said.

Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) repeated predictions that there would be no indictment, and said: “Nobody in this Congress is indispensable. But he is one of the key members . . . a member of enormous experience, ability and value.”

Asked about the status of the Rostenkowski case, Atty. Gen. Janet Reno said Thursday, “I don’t comment on pending prosecutions--well, pending investigations.”

The consequences for the Ways and Means Committee chairman could be devastating if he is charged with a felony. A conviction or plea to a misdemeanor could bring milder congressional consequences for Rostenkowski, who is at the center of efforts to reform health care, remodel welfare and approve the latest extension of a new world trade agreement.

The investigation began as a drug-and-embezzlement probe of House post office employees in 1991 but eventually focused on Rostenkowski and his campaign and office account spending.