The memorandum could cast new light on Ms. Reno's early decision making in the investigation and her later decision to turn aside the advice of Mr. Freeh and her own chief campaign finance prosecutor and close an investigation into Vice President Al Gore.
Not only did the F.B.I. director, Louis J. Freeh, and Ms. Reno's chief campaign finance prosecutor, Charles G. La Bella, conclude that Ms. Reno was obligated to seek an independent counsel, but so did aides like Robert S. Litt, a highly influential political deputy at the Justice Department who was often said to have opposed such appointments.
After talks with the Justice Department's chief political-finance prosecutor, Robert J. Conrad Jr., Mr. Riady has been under pressure in recent days to accept a plea bargain, the officials said.
Mr. Clinton's comments were contained in a 155-page transcript of his April 21 interview with Robert J. Conrad Jr., the department's chief political-finance prosecutor.
Mr. Kurniawan, 35, of Arcadia, Calif., was also charged with fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in loans to finance what prosecutors called his "high-end lifestyle".
The Justice Department is planning to charge Mr. Edwards with violating campaign finance laws; prosecutors say he used money that should have been reported as campaign donations to cover up the affair, which produced a child, wrecked his marriage and ended his political career.
Recchion and two other jurors also told NBC that while they believed Edwards was guilty of some campaign finance violations, prosecutors didn't produce convincing evidence to overcome their doubts about the government's case.
As assistant treasurer of Gray's mayoral campaign, he handled the day-to-day finances, Justice Department prosecutors said.
After years of investigating the senator's fund-raising and personal finances, federal prosecutors dropped their inquiry in January.
The defense said he knew little about the company's finances, while prosecutors made him out to be a shrewd schemer.
