Former Rep. Thomas Ashley, a longtime friend of President Bush, confirmed today that he's been giving advice to Neil Bush since last winter on the controversy surrounding the president son's role in the collapse of a Denver savings and loan. But Ashley, a banking lobbyist, denied that Bush had asked him to contact his son. ``That is absolutely inaccurate,'' Ashley said in an interview. ``I'm to smart to do that.'' The Denver Post reported in today's editions that Ashley, a college classmate of George Bush's from Yale, had talked to the younger Bush at the president's behest before Neil Bush was questioned by federal banking regulators. The newspaper attributed the report to comments by Neil Bush himself, contained in a deposition taken by the Office of Thrift Supervision. ``If Neil thinks his father called me, he's mistaken,'' Ashley said. Ashley, 67, a Democrat, is a former congressman from Ohio. He is currently president of the Association of Bank Holding Companies, a banking lobbying organization based in Washington. Neil Bush faces a public disciplinary hearing before federal regulators in September on his role as a director of the bankrupt Silverado Banking, Savings and Loan. Ashley said that he contacted Neil Bush on his own last winter after reading about his troubles in the paper. Since then, ``I've seen Neil a half dozen times. We talk about it,'' Ashley said. He said that, although President Bush didn't ask him to contact Neil Bush, the president is aware that he has been counselling the son. Bush has pledged not to get personally involved in the investigation of his son. Ashley said ``I don't think the president has any problem'' with the fact that he has involved himself in the matter. ``What he feels is I'm a longtime friend of Neil's.'' ``Is everyone who is close to the president supposed to stay away from Neil?'' Ashley asked. President Bush ``doesn't go along with that. He rejects that,'' Ashley said. ``I've talked to the president (about the situation) on a couple of social occasions, when we're alone,'' including once at Camp David, Ashley said. ``I talk about the kids. Neil's one of the kids.'' Ashley said that Neil has made his own decisions in the matter. ``What we do is talk about the consequences of one course or another,'' Ashley said. Ashley said that his own experience in politics and in bank regulation make him a good source for advice for Neil Bush. ``The situation is such that he can't go to his father and talk to him,'' Ashley said. ``It's not a partisan matter or he wouldn't be coming to a Democrat,'' Ashley added. ``It's just a situation where somebody he's known for a long time is available and has experience in matters involving regulatory matters.'' ``I'm a good sounding board,'' Ashley added. Ashley said that Neil Bush decided on his own ``not to take the easy way out'' and that he's been the victim of ``a little selective treatment'' from federal regulators. But, Ashley said, ``He hasn't whined or complained about that.'' He said that Neil Bush was concerned that when the Office of Thrift Supervision ``decided to go public'' about the case, ``it only presented its side of the matter. A thousand pages. It didn't include Neil's defense.'' Ashley and Bush have remained close friends since they were both members of the secret society Skull and Bones while they were undergraduates at Yale University in the late 1940s.
Former Democratic Rep. Thomas Ashley , a close friend of President Bush 's since Yale and fellow Skull and Bones member , currently president of a bank lobbying group in Washington , has been advising Bush 's son Neil on future questioning by federal banking regulators about his role as a partner in the Sierra Nevada S&L. Neil said the asked Ashley to contact him but Ashley says he contacted Neil on his own after reading about his troubles . He 's been advising Neil on the possibility of various courses of action but Neil has made his own decisions . President Bush has been aware Ashley was counseling his son .