Bush got fast word of Cheney incident
Questions mount on release of news
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- President Bush was informed by 8 p.m. Saturday that Vice President Dick Cheney had accidentally shot a hunting partner earlier that day in Texas, but the information was not relayed to the White House spokesman until Sunday morning and was not confirmed to the public until around 1 p.m. Sunday, White House officials said yesterday.
The disclosure about when Bush was informed about Cheney's accidental shooting of Harry Whittington, a Texas lawyer, sparked renewed questions about why the White House let 20 hours elapse before alerting the public -- only after a local newspaper broke the story.
At an often-contentious briefing yesterday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said questions about the delay should be directed to Cheney, whose office did not return a phone call seeking comment.
''I'm not going to get into all the discussions that are had, but it was the vice president's office that took the lead on this," McClellan said.
Meanwhile, Texas officials yesterday issued a warning citation to Cheney because he had not purchased a stamp that is required for the type of bird he was hunting. The requirement for the bird stamp went into effect last September, and many hunters have been given warnings instead of a fine, the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife said.
The citation requires that Cheney get a stamp before hunting for similar types of birds. Last night, Cheney's office said in a statement, ''the vice president has sent a $7 check to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which is the cost of an upland game bird stamp."
Whittington, who was hit by bird shot from cheek to chest, declined to speak to the press. Dr. David Blanchard, the director of emergency services at Christus Spohn Hospital, told reporters late yesterday that Whittington was recovering quickly and had been moved out of the intensive care unit.
Under Texas law, a hunter does not have to inform authorities about an accidental shooting unless someone has been killed. However, a physician who treats a wounded hunter must report the incident to local authorities, according to Steve Lightfoot, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife.
A hospital spokesperson said public safety officials filed a report on the hospital's behalf.
Gilbert San Miguel, chief deputy sheriff of Kenedy County, issued a statement late yesterday saying the incident has been investigated by authorities and determined to be ''no more than a hunting accident." He told reporters the case remains open, however.
The
Separately, the local county attorney, who would get the case if it were deemed a misdemeanor, discounted any possibility that charges should be brought.
''It is just a silly notion that anyone would be charged in an accident like this, whether or not it is the vice president involved," Jaime Tijerina, the Kenedy County attorney, said in a telephone interview.
Tijerina, a Republican who was elected to his post, added: ''You got to understand the culture down here. Hunting is what you do. If you quail hunt, you are going to get peppered every now and then."
White House officials have noted that an eyewitness blamed Whittington for the accident. The witness, the co-owner of the ranch where the shooting occurred, said Whittington had left the hunting group briefly to get a downed bird and should have announced that he was returning to the hunting group.
A report released last night by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife listed a contributing factor to the accident as being ''hunter's judgment," which it described as ''victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game." That is a reference to Cheney swing his rifle to hit the quail and accidentally Whittington.
A safety specialist said yesterday that hunters are expected to be aware of their surroundings and the location of fellow hunters.
''It is the responsibility of the person who is shooting to be sure that they have a safe target and that there is nothing in line with that target that they don't want to shoot, especially another hunter," said Les Smith, past president of the International Hunter Education Association.
Regarding the Cheney accident, Smith said the vice president ''is the shooter. He is ultimately responsible."
The shooting happened at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, which is 6:30 in Washington. McClellan said he was informed Saturday night only that someone in Cheney's hunting party was hurt.
''I found out that there was a hunting accident . . . late Saturday night," McClellan said. ''But it was a member in his party. But I did not know who was involved in that hunting accident."
However, McClellan said, Bush was told a few hours after the accident by deputy chief of staff Karl Rove that Cheney was the shooter.
At about 6 a.m. Sunday morning, McClellan was awakened by a phone call from a White House official in which he learned Cheney had been the shooter. McClellan said he then discussed the matter with the vice president's office.
He said the vice president's office allowed a co-owner of the ranch, Katharine Armstrong, to inform a local newspaper. Cheney spokesman Lea Anne McBride did not return a call seeking comment.
Armstrong left a message on the cellphone of a reporter at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times at around 8 a.m., according to Shane Fitzgerald, the newspaper's managing editor. A reporter and Armstrong discussed the incident at about 11 a.m. After receiving confirmation from the White House, the newspaper posted the story on its website at about 1:30 p.m. The story appeared on wire services and cable news channels a few hours later.
Asked why the White House did not directly inform the public earlier, McClellan said that Cheney's first priority was helping Whittington get medical attention.
Whittington was first taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and given initial treatment, after which he was flown by helicopter to the hospital in Corpus Christi, which specializes in trauma treatment.
Texas officials said Cheney and Whittington had not taken a hunting safety class, but they said such a class is only required for hunters born after Sept. 1, 1971. State officials said both men were wearing orange vests and caps. The third hunter in the party was the US ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Pam Willeford, the Caller-Times reported.
Nobody close to the incident has suggested that Cheney may be at risk of criminal prosecution or a civil lawsuit. Whittington, a wealthy Republican donor, is a friend of Bush and Cheney and an unlikely candidate to file a personal injury lawsuit.
George Dix, a criminal law professor at the University of Texas, said a hunter would have to know he was shooting a person to be charged under Texas firearm and assault laws. Armstrong, an eyewitness, has said Cheney did not know Whittington was in the line of his fire.
However, Dix said, Texas does have a statute that provides special protection to certain vulnerable groups. Under this law, a person who simply acts negligently and causes seriously harm to a victim over 65 can be charged with a felony. Whittington is 78.
''If a prosecutor were looking to make a case, this is where he might think about starting," Dix said.
Material from wire services was included. Michael Kranish reported from Washington; Bryan Bender contributed from Corpus Christi. Charlie Savage of the Washington bureau contributed to this report. 