White House, Helms Staff Discuss Hearings on Moseley-Braun Nomination
In a conciliatory gesture, White House officials met Thursday with Sen. Jesse Helms’ staff to try to reach agreement on confirmation hearings for former Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun.
Helms, who has said the Illinois Democrat’s nomination to be ambassador to New Zealand is under “an ethical cloud,” announced that he will hold a Foreign Relations Committee hearing as early as Tuesday--and a vote the following day--if “relevant documents” are received.
President Clinton nominated Moseley-Braun, the nation’s first black female senator, earlier this month. Civil rights groups and Democrats have criticized Helms for seeking to block the nomination.
Helms requested an array of Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department documents concerning Moseley-Braun’s background and allegations, never proved, that she used leftover 1992 campaign funds to pay for personal luxuries.
The White House hopes to provide the information as quickly as possible, spokesman Barry Toiv said.
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