Editing Whitewater controversy (section)

=== Interference by White House officials ===
White House counsel Nussbaum was accused of obstructing both the Justice Department investigation and National Park Service investigation into Foster's death by refusing to hand over documents found in Foster's briefcase.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Labaton|first=Stephen|date=July 28, 1995|title=Nussbaum Becomes Focus Of Whitewater Testimony|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/28/us/nussbaum-becomes-focus-of-whitewater-testimony.html|access-date=October 4, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=July 28, 1995|title=Foster File Search Said Blocked by Ex-Counsel : Senate: Bernard Nussbaum went through the papers and described them to investigators, who did not get to look at them, witnesses tell panel.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-07-28-mn-28942-story.html|access-date=October 4, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>

On February 25, 1994, presidential aides [[George Stephanopoulos]] and [[Harold M. Ickes]] attempted to interfere with the [[Madison Guaranty]] investigation. Stephanopoulos and Ickes had a conference call with [[Roger Altman]] in which they protested the hiring of Jay Stephens, who was heading the investigation. On the call Stephanopoulos asked if Stephens could be removed.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ifill|first=Gwen|date=March 28, 1994|title=Top Clinton Aide Gains Defender in Odd Quarter|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/28/us/top-clinton-aide-gains-defender-in-odd-quarter.html|access-date=October 4, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=AllPolitics - Whitewater - Timeline|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/infocus/whitewater/timeline2.html|access-date=October 4, 2021|website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=March 27, 1994|title=Cutler Defends Critics of RTC Investigator : Politics: Clinton aides reportedly asked about firing Jay Stephens, a GOP lawyer hired to probe Whitewater-related case.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-03-27-mn-39116-story.html|access-date=January 15, 2022|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>

In April 1994 after [[Webster Hubbell]] resigned from his position as [[Associate Attorney General]] and was facing fraud charges, there was the potential that he might cooperate with Ken Starr's investigation. During the time there was pressure for Hubbell to cooperate, Clinton's chief of staff [[Mack McLarty]], Clinton aide [[Bruce Lindsey]], and Clinton friend [[Vernon Jordan]] arranged for Hubbell to be paid from consulting contracts.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Broder|first=Jonathan|date=August 30, 1998|title=Where's Whitewater?|url=https://www.salon.com/1998/08/30/newsd_3/|access-date=January 14, 2022|website=Salon|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Schmidt">{{Cite news|last=Schmidt|first=Susan|date=December 10, 1997|title=LIPPO PAID HUBBELL AFTER CALL FROM FRIEND|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/12/10/lippo-paid-hubbell-after-call-from-friend/60dbff2c-a341-4a21-b783-637e1c96fa27/|access-date=January 14, 2022|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name="Washington Post">{{Cite news|title=MCLARTY TESTIFIES BEFORE WHITEWATER GRAND JURY|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/04/18/mclarty-testifies-before-whitewater-grand-jury/a1ca5061-fc06-4a6d-9299-34aed28bbb68/|access-date=January 14, 2022|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> They did so with the approval of the first lady and President Clinton.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Washingtonpost.com: Clinton Aides Sought Help For Hubbell|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/whitewater/stories/wwtr970402.htm|access-date=January 14, 2022|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> In the [[Starr Report]], Starr said "the jobs and money paid to Mr. Hubbell by friends and contributors to the President had raised serious questions about whether such assistance was designed to influence Mr. Hubbell’s testimony about Madison-related matters".<ref>{{Cite news|title=Washingtonpost.com Special Report: The Starr Report Grounds|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/icreport/7groundsviii.htm|access-date=January 14, 2022|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>