Mystery Tape Is Authentic

George W. Bush's campaign said Thursday that a videotape mysteriously mailed to an Al Gore confidant appeared to be an authentic copy of the Texas governor's debate rehearsal.

The FBI is investigating how the tape and other material may have reached the Washington office of former Rep. Tom Downey, who had been helping Gore prepare for debates. The Gore campaign immediately turned the mystery package over to the FBI after getting it Wednesday.

"It appears that whoever obtained that tape did so in some sort of unethical way," Bush spokeswoman Karen Hughes told reporters. "The only people who would have had authorized access to that tape were the most senior members of our campaign."

Hughes refused to speculate on whether the tape may have been stolen or how it may have been obtained. Bush officials said there was no evidence of a break-in, although the FBI will investigate the possibility.

The tape showed Bush rehearsing with Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who played Gore in rehearsals at Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, about a month ago, Hughes said.

The package, which was postmarked Austin, Texas, where the Bush campaign is headquartered, also included a stack of documents that appeared to be debate preparation materials.

Hughes said she didn't know whether the documents were authentic.

"It's less clear about that," she said. "They appear to be Xerox copies of legitimate documents from the campaign."

Hughes said that those who had legitimate access to the tapes included herself, campaign manager Joe Allbaugh and top advisers Karl Rove and Mark McKinnon, Bush's ad man. None of these people would have sent the material to the Gore campaign, she said. Whoever obtained the tapes, she said, is "someone outside of our campaign."

An attorney for Bush, Ben Ginsberg, reviewed the tape Thursday and concluded it was authentic, Hughes said.

Asked if the campaign was compromised, Hughes said: "I certainly hope not. Mr. Downey appears to have handled it in an appropriate fashion."

Downey, who said he didn't view much of the tape, said he will no longer work with Gore on his debate preparation.

Gore, appearing Thursday on the Late Show with David Letterman, made his first public comments on the mystery, but did not bite at the talk show host's suggestion it was "a dirty trick" setup by the Bush camp.

Downey "did exactly the right thing, and I'm proud of him," Gore said.