Several White House officials are expected to parade before a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., today to face questioning about a possible cover-up attempt of the Whitewater controversy.
Their appearances come as the criminal investigation by special counsel Robert Fiske moves into full swing in Arkansas and Washington, D.C.
Fiske has subpoenaed six White House aides and four Treasury Department officials for a Thursday appearance.
On Wednesday, Fiske said the White House portion of the probe should last only a few weeks, at most, a few months.
"I'm confident we can be finished with (the White House probe) considerably faster than we can in the underlying investigation," he said.
Fiske said once the White House portion of his inquiry was completed, he wouldn't object to congressional hearings.
But he wants them limited to contacts White House staffers had with officials investigating aspects of Whitewater.
The federal grand jury meeting today in Washington is examining if those contacts, between White House staff and independent regulators investigating the failed Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan, were improper. Madison was owned by James McDougal, the Clintons' partner in the Whitewater real estate deal.
White House deputy counsel Joel Klein will turn over a two-inch stack of Whitewater documents to the special counsel today. The stack includes phone logs, hand-written notes, internal memos and possibly newspaper articles.
White House communications director Mark Gearan is expected to testify today, but it isn't clear who else will appear.
White House senior aide Bruce Lindsey is traveling with the president today and will not appear until next week.
Also, deputy chief of staff Harold Ickes had his grand jury appearance delayed until next Thursday.
A further postponement is possible if his attorney, Robert Bennett, has a conflict.
Bennett also represents Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., who is under investigation by a federal grand jury in the same Washington, D.C., courthouse.
The White House declined to reveal who had been granted postponements. But defense attorneys said some aides were expected to appear.
Among those subpoenaed:
-- White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum.
-- Deputy Treasury Secretary Roger Altman.
-- Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief of staff Maggie Williams.
The Washington, D.C., grand jury is one of three grand juries that will hear testimony about Whitewater. Also under way:
-- A special grand jury, dedicated to Whitewater, convenes March 23 in Little Rock.
-- An existing federal grand jury will hear more Whitewater testimony next Tuesday.
-- A federal trial of Little Rock judge David Hale is scheduled for March 28.
The special counsel is prosecuting Hale for defrauding the Small Business Administration.
Hale says President Clinton asked him to make an SBA-backed loan to Susan McDougal in an effort to help the Madison Savings & Loan.
Clinton has denied Hale's accusation.
The Little Rock grand jury will hear Tuesday from Clayton Lindsey. He is a courier at the Rose Law Firm where the first lady was formerly a partner. Lindsey says he shredded documents that were signed by Vincent Foster, the White House deputy counsel, whose death was ruled a suicide.
Also scheduled to testify: Russell Webb, an Arkansas physician who was a partner in a company that swapped an airplane for 20 Whitewater lots. The plane then was sold to Seth Ward, a major Madison borrower and father-in-law of Associate Attorney General Webster Hubbell.
Webb "was surprised he was subpoenaed because he doesn't know anything," said Chris Wade, Webb's partner and the real estate agent for Whitewater. Wade says he has the airplane transaction records but has not been called to testify.
Fiske is examining whether it was a conflict of interest for Hubbell to represent federal regulators in a lawsuit against Madison's accountants.
Also Wednesday: Hillary Clinton made her first public appearance in a week, her weekly private meeting with Capitol Hill Democrats to map out health care strategy.
