Committee Activities in Past Congresses: Waco Investigation

In the 105th, 106th, and 107th Congresses, the Government Reform Committee conducted a series of investigations that were marked by unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing, unusual procedural steps, and partisan abuses.

In the 106th Congress, the Government Reform Committee conducted an extensive investigation of the 1993 law enforcement operation against the Branch Davidian religious sect in Waco, Texas. The Committee’s investigation continued even after Attorney General Reno appointed a prominent former Republican Senator, John C. Danforth, as Special Counsel with extensive resources and prosecutorial power to determine the facts.

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Minority Views on the Waco Investigation Report

As detailed in the minority views, the Committee’s 13-month investigation of Waco was unnecessary, expensive, and fruitless. Although the majority report spans 100 pages and includes nearly 1,400 pages of documentary exhibits, it contributes virtually nothing to the public’s understanding of Waco. Many of the report’s findings duplicate those of Senator Danforth’s investigation. In an interim report issued July 21, 2000, as well as in a final report issued November 8, 2000, Senator Danforth concluded that government agents did not cause or contribute to the fire that consumed the Branch Davidian compound on April 19, 1993, did not direct gunfire at the Branch Davidians on April 19, 1993, and did not unlawfully employ U.S. armed forces at any time during the standoff. To the extent the majority report deviates from Senator Danforth’s findings, it consists largely of unsupported allegations of wrongdoing by the Attorney General and Justice Department officials.

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