April 13,1999

Roth Follow-Up Statement on Webster Report

WASHINGTON -- Senate Finance Committee Chairman William V. Roth, Jr. (R-DE) today released a second statement on the Webster report following a briefing on the report by Judge Webster and Commissioner Rossotti in his office this afternoon:

"I have a great deal of confidence in Judge Webster and laud his effort to bring this report forward. Likewise, I am encouraged by Commissioner Rossotti's resolve to take the findings of this report and reorganize the Criminal Investigation Division.

"The report makes clear the following items:

1. The CID has been suffering from mission drift;

2. The CID has no defined leadership;

3. There is no structural mechanism within CID to determine the abuses that may or may not be taking place within the division;

4. There is no mechanism to determine whether the division is complying with its own rules such as using 'least intrusive method' to carry out its mission.

"These findings confirm that this division has serious problems and is in need of restructuring to ensure that it properly returns to and carries out its intended mission."