FBI investigated Kerrigan
DFTROIT (AP) The day that figure skater
Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed on the leg. FBI agents
investigated whether Kerrigan might have staged
the attack to avoid the U S Figure Skating com
petition
That theory — one of many considered in the
hours after the Inn 6 attack in Detroit — was
quickly discounted after authorities talked to Ker
rigan and her parents and reviewed the videotape
of Kerrigan i rving, "Why me7" FBI special agent
lames Triano said in an interview Wednesday
"They decided (Kerrigan’s innocence) was on
the up and up," said Triano, an FBI spokesman.
Since then, Kerrigan-rival Tonya Harding and
Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, have become
key figures in the investigation The Oregonian
newspaper reported Wednesday that Harding is
"virtually certain" to face criminal charges
Sources told the newspaper that Gillooly was
willing to admit his role in the attack and testify
that Harding helped plan the assault as well as
cover it up after learning the FBI yvas investigating
In the early hours of the investigation, hoyvev
er. Triano said authorities questioned whether
Kerrigan could have had a part in her own injury,
the same wav a student might call in a si.hoot
bomb threat to avoid taking a test
"Has this ever happened before7 Has she ever
hacked away from a performance7 Does she wilt
under pressure7 Has she called in sick when you
can't afford to l>e st< V Triano said Kerrigan's par
outs were asked
"I'm sure thin apologised profusely for asking.”
lie said
Kerrigan's parents did not immediately return a
message left Wednesday on their answering
machine in Boston
Detroit agents also reviewed the videotape taken
moments after Kerrigan was struck Kerrigan, sit
ting on the floor next to the skating rink, held her
knee and cried. Why me?"
"You have to ask yourself, is this real? Is it con
trived? Does she appear too distraught, not dis
trnught enough7 Frankly, does it look staged in any
way?” Triano said.
"That First night, most of those questions had
been resolved." he said.
FBI agents brainstormed about other possibili
ties. including whether an obsessed fan or even
Harding could have lieen involved
Investigators have also been considering
w hether Cilloolv might have been trying to sabo
tage Harding, given their storrnv relationship that
inc luded a restraining order against (lillooly and
accusations of physical abuse. Triano said
"They could be in an out-of-love phase and he
could he striking back and (Harding) could have
nothing to do with it." Triano said, adding that the
investigation was not leading in that direction
now
House wants Clinton
to aid Holocaust victim
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
House asked President Clinton
on Wednesday to seek Gentian
(iutm ellor Helmut Kohl’s help
for an American lew seeking
reparations for the abuse he
suffered in Nazi concentration
camps
By a voice vote, the House
passed a resolution urging
Clinton and Secretary of State
Warren Christopher to bring
up Hugo Print ./’s case when
they meet with Kohl and Ger
man Foreign Minister Klaus
Kinkel on Monday in Wash
ington.
The resolution asked Clin
ton to trv to help Print z win
payment from the Gorman gov
eminent as a death t amp sur
vivor The Senate passed a
similar resolution last Novem
ber.
The U S Circuit Court of
Appeals for the Dislrn t of
Columbia is considering
whether Prim./ may pursuit
his $17 million lawsuit against
the Gorman government.
The son of a naturalized
Amerit an father. Print / was
living with his family in Slo
vakia In HM2 when the tier
mans deported them to con
centration camps His father,
mother, sister and two younger
brothers all perished
The Germans denied
Prim /'s l'ISTi request for repa
rations Imh ause he was a U.S.
citizen
"Mr Prim z should not he
denied compensation on the
basis of a technicality." Pal
lone saitl
Rep lee II Hamilton. I)
Inet . chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee,
■wild. "It is time for the German
government to resolve this
situation, to come to an
agreement with Mr Prim z. on
adequate compensation "
DJs want
county
renamed
RAPID CITY. S.D. (AP) —
Despite a publicity stunt by two
disc jockeys, the Harding Coun
ty Commission doesn’t plan to
change the county’s name to Ker
rigan County, a commissioner
says.
"I just doubt it. I think it'll bo
Kind of laughed off.'' Ab Penn
said Wednesday. “I think it's
just a joke "
The stunt was the brainchild
of Kevin Phillips and Rapid
Rich Peterson, known collec
tively as the Morning Animals
Their request reads "We the
undersigned residents of South
Dakota would like the name of
Harding f ounts changed to Ker
rigan Counts at least through the
Olympics.”
They cooked up the stunt
tiecause the county's name is the
same as that of figure skater
Tonya Harding, who has been
the subject of intense scrutiny in
the Jan. 0 knee-clubbing of rival
Nancy Kerrigan.
Harding has maintained her
innocence and has not been
charged in connection with the
incident, which knocked Kerrig
an out of the national figure
skating championships. Hard
ing's ex-husband and three oth
er men have been intplit ated in
the beating
Ihe dist jockeys said they
have filed their petition with the
county auditor in Buffalo They
said they plan on Monday to dri
ve the approximately 110 miles
to Buffalo, in the northwestern
corner of the state, to lobby citi
zens for the name change
Penn, who also is the football
coach for Harding County High
School, said the tongue-in-cheek
radio stunt generated some pub
licity for the county. "We've
enjoyed it,” he said.
The disc jockeys, who work
for Rapid City's KK1.S, said the
petition will be brought before
the county commission Tues
day.
Penn doubts it. "We'll go
about our business" at the meet
ing, he said.
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