Man of Conviction

White House Press Briefing with Ari Fleischer


Monday, January 6, 2003 12:30 pm

   
White House reporter Russell Mokhiber: Ari, other than [National Security Council member] Elliot Abrams, how many convicted criminals are on the White House staff?



Ari Fleischer: You tell me, Russell.



Mokhiber: Could you give a list of convicted criminals on the White House staff, other than Elliot Abrams?



Ari Fleischer: I'll go right to the convicted criminals division and ask them.



Mokhiber: Seriously, why isn't being convicted of a crime a disqualifier for being on the White House staff?



Ari Fleischer: Russell, this is an issue that you like to repeat every briefing--



Mokhiber: But you don't answer it Ari.



Ari Fleischer: -- I refer you to the repeat that I gave you the third time that you asked, which masked the second, which corresponded to the first.



Mokhiber: Why isn't it a disqualifier?



(Ari moves on)