CLINTON DENIES WRONGDOING

ASHINGTON (AP) -- Excerpts from President Bill Clinton's interview with news services Wednesday:

Q. How about all the stories from Little Rock, the state troopers, their allegations, how do you feel about it and are they true? What can you say?

A. Well, obviously it hasn't been a pleasant thing, especially coming here at the holiday season. But we put out a very strong statement about it and I don't really have anything to add to what has been said in our written statement or what Hillary said yesterday.

Q. Mr. President, there's something new now in the allegations, now there are allegations that public funds might have been used, public employees to do something that was improper. Are you ready to deny that that happened?

A. The statement covers that. There was an allegation about offering a job, too, and that's the only thing I think I should specifically say because it affects my role as president. We've already put out a statement about it. But I want to reaffirm that, that that absolutely did not happen.

Q. Do you have big enemies in Little Rock who are trying to get you or destroy you as your wife said?

A. I think, look I just, I don't have anything to say to add to what's been said. I think what I should do is keep working, doing the best I can at my job. I just -- I have nothing to add to what's been said.

Q. Mr. President, the statements that have been put out don't address the central points, they call the allegations outrageous, they call them ridiculous. But they don't ...

A. I think they clearly say that, they clearly do say that. That they're not so. And I think we've done a good job of it. I am comfortable with the statement that's been out. I have nothing else to add to it.

Q. What do you think the motivations of these officers is?

A. I just have nothing else to say about this.

Q. Are you turning the other cheek?

A. No, I'm just going on. I'm going to do my best to do my job. I think that's what I should be doing.

Q. How about the Whitewater files that were taken from Vince Foster's office? If the investigators want to see those files, will you let them look at them? There's some reason to believe that they want to see them.

A. Of course we'll do what we can to cooperate on that. Now, let me say I don't know what's in that file. But I asked about that when I saw the news stories and let me say what I understand the circumstances to be just to make sure. (Addresses aides in the room) And if I make a mistake you guys can correct me. But literally I don't know what's in the file and haven't looked at it. But when -- after Vince committed suicide and the authorities, the people came in to investigate, as they should have done, all the files were still in the office. There were no files (inaudible). But they were broken into three categories. The bulk of them were the files that he was working on which were then obviously distributed to others in the office.

And he had some personal files which were turned over to his family.

Then he had this one and I don't know that there are any more. But there was this file which related to work he had done before he came to work at the White House on our behalf, which was given to our counselor after the investigation. There was never any indication that anyone wanted to see it. ...

Q. Do you feel there was any wrongdoing?

A. Let me say this, we have no reason to believe at this time, I read one of the stories today right before you came in, I have no reason to believe at this time that anybody thinks there's anything in there relevant to any ongoing federal matter. But if they do...

Q. You've had no request?

A. No, we've had no request. To the best of my knowledge we haven't. But if anybody wants, thinks that we have some relevant information, then obviously we'll do what we can to cooperate.

I just want to emphasize this, I don't exactly know how this happened. But this Whitewater things - we tried to deal with this back in the campaign. And when I got into this investment, Hillary and I did, it was a time when land values were going up and Arkansas retirees were flooding down there. It looked like a pretty good deal.

What happened was we had a big recession starting in 1980, land values went down, retirees didn't buy so much. And so I never thought much about it when we were clearly losing money and never knew until obviously the accountant closed the books out exactly how much we had lost. ...

Q. Mr. President, on the allegations that surfaced this week, I think I can confidently speak for all of us in saying that your private life as far as we're concerned is your business, not ours or not the public's. But the allegations are that state resources were used, or misused. Can you say for sure...

A. We did not do anything wrong. I can say that. We did not on that score. We have a statement. I think I disagree with you about that, I think Bruce Lindsey's statement does cover this.

Q. He's not you.

A. Well then I will associate myself with the statement he put out, how's that. (Laughs) I'm happy to do that.

Q. Mr. President, the statement has been very careful, very lawyerly, and yet this is something that is on the minds of a lot of Americans. Is there a reason why you can't just come out and say things in simple, clear language and kind of clear this up once and for all?

A. Well, I think we have cleared it up. I've told you that, you know, I just think the statement speaks for itself and I think what I have said today on the points that you've raised perhaps reinforces it and that's fine with me. I just think it is not appropriate in a situation like this for me to do much more than I am doing. What I need to do is just keep working at my job and keep going on. Apparently in the world we live in things like this happen.

Q. Why do these charges keep coming up, Mr. President, and are you going to be dogged by this throughout you're whole administration?

A. I just, I have nothing else to say about it.