Former White House aides to be interviewed in Tillman investigation Nick Juliano

Published: Thursday August 2, 2007





Print This Email This A House committee investigating Patrick Tillman's death by friendly fire agreed Thursday to off-the-record interviews with White House aides. Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman agreed to "informal" interviews with three former presidential aides: communications director Dan Bartlett, spokesman Scott McClellan and speechwriter Michael Gerson. "We believe this is a constructive offer and we are willing to proceed on this basis," Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis wrote to White House counsel Fred Fielding. The committee reserved the right to subpoena the former aides if it was not satisfied after the private session that they were not involved in mishandling the disclosure of the circumstances surrounding Tillman's death. In requesting the former officials' testimony and documents from the White House, the Oversight Committee is trying to determine who knew what, and when White House officials learned that Tillman was killed by US troops, not enemy fire. Committee members also are expected to address the White House's strategy in responding to press inquiries about Tillman's death in the weeks after he was killed. Tillman, who quit the NFL to join the Army after Sept. 11, became a national hero in the wake of his death, and was posthumously awared the Silver Star for his service. News that he was killed by friendly fire did not emerge for a month after his death in April 2004. The committee also requested drafts of President Bush's May 1, 2004, White House Correspondents Dinner speech, which was delivered the week after Tillman was killed. "Friends say that this young man saw the images of September the 11th, and seeing that evil, he felt called to defend America," Bush said in that speech. "He set aside a career in athletics and many things the world counts important: wealth and security and the acclaim of the crowds."



