Thompson Claims Perjury in Hearings

Tennessee Republican Fred Thompson, who headed the 1996 Senate campaign-finance probe, says he will send information to the Justice Department that could lead to possible indictments on perjury charges.

Senator Thompson refused to say Sunday who would be named in the "half-dozen or so" reports, but he indicated they would be names "you heard of." He said the referrals would be made within days.

"References will be made to the Justice Department, with regard to perjury, with regard to false statements," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Thompson was referring to possible false testimony to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, which he chairs.

Neither President Clinton nor Vice President Al Gore testified before the committee, but a number of current and former White House aides were called, as were the former heads of the Democratic and Republican Parties.

Thompson reiterated his criticism of Attorney General Janet Reno for failing to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate campaign wrongdoing by Mr. Clinton or Mr. Gore.