An Inquiry Clears Hatfield

Senator Mark Hatfield had two assets working for him as he faced a preliminary inquiry of the Senate Ethics Committee into his wife's financial dealings with a Greek businessman. One was the Oregon Republican's long reputation for integrity. The other was Hatfield's admission that he had made a serious error of judgment in helping to promote Entrepreneur Basil Tsakos' planned $6 billion oil pipeline in Central Africa.

Tsakos had paid Hatfield's wife Antoinette $55,000 for helping him find and decorate an apartment in Washington.

Two disgruntled former employees of Tsakos testified that Mrs. Hatfield had performed no broker or decorating services for the financier. But last week the Ethics Committee staff concluded that there was insufficient evidence to determine that the fee paid Mrs. Hatfield, a real estate broker, was meant as a bribe to her husband and urged the Senate committee to drop the matter. The Ethics Committee is expected to agree this week. The Justice Department also seems likely to come to a similar conclusion after a preliminary FBI investigation of Hatfield's activities.