Clifford and Altman voluntarily went to Congress to explain that they had been duped like everyone else. They said they hadn’t realized that the by-now-infamous Bank of Credit and Commerce International had secretly taken control of First American Bank, which the two managed until they were forced to resign last month. But while a few years ago the lawmakers virtually would have thanked Clifford for allowing them to bask in his glow, those present last week lashed out acidly. “You’ve been in bed with BCCI for at least 10 years and you’re telling us all you got was a back rub,” said Wisconsin Republican Toby Roth. Clifford and Altman’s presentations did not restore their reputations. Rather, it just added to the intrigue that has puzzled Washington insiders since the BCCI scandal first engulfed Clifford last winter. How could someone ostensibly so wise be so foolish rely too heavily on his young disciple?
In a city where so many personal relationships are built on the foundation of ambition, the phrase “father-son relationship” isn’t quite right. The 84-year-old Clifford and Altman, 44, had a mentor-protege connection common between older men and younger aides in Washington. Clifford had formed one with Harry S. Truman, who, like Clifford, had no son of his own. For people whose lives rotate around work, leaving a legacy at the office can be as important as extending the bloodline. Clifford has been known to gush about Altman, whom he hired as a clerk while Altman was still in law school. Former House speaker Jim Wright remembers mentioning Altman in conversation, prompting Clifford to say, “I’ve had occasion to be helpful to 200 talented young law students and Bob Altman has by all odds the strongest, best, quickest mind. He’s the pick of the crop.”
People who know both men say Altman’s reverence for Clifford is deep and sincere, but add that it should still be viewed in the context of the younger man’s ambition. While Clifford built his reputation by standing at the elbow of Democratic presidents, Altman tried to take a shortcut-standing by people who stand at the elbows of presidents. Critics paint a picture of a classic Washington “repositioner,” a Jew who throws lavish Christmas parties, a Democrat who socializes with Republican cabinet secretaries. When Altman watches Washington Redskins games at his 16 bathroom mansion, he is often joined by people like Secretary of Transportation Samuel Skinner and Bush economic adviser Michael Boskin as well as Democratic bigwigs like Rep. John Dingell.
Lynda Carter, meanwhile, guarantees Altman, if not respect, at least considerable attention. When the hearing broke for lunch last Wednesday, photographers rushed after Altman and his long-legged wife instead of Clifford. One Altman friend believes Carter promotes the Clifford-Altman relationship because she seeks acceptance as a Hollywood woman in a political town. “She talked about Mr. Clifford this, Mr. Clifford that,” the friend says. “I heard it from her more than from him. There was just this sense of awe. He represented everything that was most powerful, impressive, grandest. He served with presidents, and for someone from outside the Beltway, that’s pretty impressive.”
Some of Clifford’s friends believe he’s in trouble because he left too many decisions to Altman and came to trust his judgment too much. Altman ran the day-to-day operations of the bank, lobbied Congress and assembled the legal-defense team when BCCI was indicted in 1988. As president of the holding company that owned First American Bank, it is Altman’s name that appears on most of the potentially incriminating documents. But those who have worked with Clifford say he’s not one to be led astray by others. Clifford is simply too shrewd. “Mr. Clifford’s in charge wherever he is,” says Bert Lance, the Carter administration official who introduced Clifford to BCCI’s founder. “Anybody who doesn’t think that doesn’t know him very well.”
Clifford and Altman continue to assert that they both behaved properly–and they assert it together. They are represented by the same lawyers and show no signs of turning on each other. On some level that would, after all, be like a father betraying a son. Of course if criminal indictments get issued, stranger things could happen.
