WASHINGTON - The White House revealed yesterday that Enron Corp., an energy firm closely tied to President Bush, sought the administration's help shortly before collapsing with the life savings of many workers. In a separate disclosure, the company's auditors said they had destroyed many Enron documents.

In the rapid swirl of events, each one raising questions about potential conflicts of interest, Attorney General John Ashcroft disqualified himself from the criminal inquiry into Enron's conduct. The company donated thousands of dollars to Ashcroft's Senate campaign in 2000.

Bush, whose own political career has benefited from Enron contributions, pledged to aggressively pursue the investigation into whether the Texas-based firm defrauded investors, including 401k plan investors, by concealing vital information about its finances.

"Ken Lay is a supporter," the president said of Enron chairman Kenneth L. Lay. "But what anybody's going to find is that this administration will fully investigate issues, such as the Enron bankruptcy, to make sure we can learn from the past and make sure that workers are protected."

Enron's bankruptcy, already the subject of criminal, civil and congressional investigations, threatens to pull the White House into a political quagmire even as Bush's approval ratings reach near-record levels because of the war against terrorism.

"It is now clear the White House had knowledge that Enron was likely to collapse but did nothing to try to protect innocent employees and shareholders who ultimately lost their life savings," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.

Firing back, Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer urged Democrats to avoid "partisan witch hunts, endless investigations or fishing expeditions." Democrats hope to make a political issue out of the administration's many ties to Enron.

The bankruptcy has forced White House officials to face questions once posed to the scandal-tainted Clinton White House.

Would Bush support naming a special prosecutor to investigate? Fleischer said no. He also said he did not know any White House aides who had hired lawyers.

And there was a development reminiscent of Clinton's Whitewater: missing documents.

The firm that audited Enron's books, Arthur Andersen LLP, notified investigators that it had destroyed a "significant but undetermined" number of documents related to the company.

As for the company's contacts last fall, administration officials said Commerce Secretary Donald Evans and Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill received calls from Lay seeking help for his company. Lay told Evans he would welcome any support in helping the company deal with a bond-rating firm that was considering downgrading Enron, administration officials said.

In the conversation with O'Neill, Lay discussed a past example in which the Federal Reserve pressured several large financial institutions to bail out a Connecticut hedge fund.

Administration officials said O'Neill and Evans took no action to help Enron.

On two other occasions, Lay called to discuss an Enron energy project in India and did not mention Enron's financial troubles, officials said.

The calls came after investors and the general public learned of the extent of Enron's problems, when the company posted major losses Oct. 16.

Enron filed for bankruptcy Dec. 2, after months of speculation about its finances.

Administration officials dismissed suggestions that Evans or O'Neill should have disclosed Enron's troubles as soon as they were brought to their attention last fall. That might have given more notice to investors about to lose their savings.

"This is not the first bankruptcy and will not be the last bankruptcy" in America, Fleischer said.

Other aides said Enron's problems were well known at the time of the telephone calls, and the administration's duty was to make sure troubles at Enron didn't have a broader economic impact.

Bush raised nearly $114,000 in political action committee money and individual donations from Enron during the presidential campaign, making the company one of his biggest financial supporters. In addition, Enron gave tens of thousands of dollars to Bush's two gubernatorial campaigns in Texas.

Independent analysts show that Enron employee donated nearly $800,000 from 1999 to 2001 to Bush, members of Congress and both parties. The bulk went to GOP causes.

With criticism mounting, Bush summoned economic advisers to the Oval Office and announced a review of federal rules on pension security and financial disclosure by companies.

"There have been a wave of bankruptcies that have caused many workers to lose their pensions and that's deeply troubling to me," Bush said.

Bush offered the broad outlines of his six-year relationship with Lay, saying he had seen the businessman twice this year.

"I have never discussed with Mr. Lay the financial problems of the company," Bush said. Fleischer said he knew of no White House aides who had.

Lay met with Vice President Dick Cheney or his aides six times last year before the release of the administration's energy plan.

Senior adviser Karl Rove owned Enron stock at the beginning of Bush's term but sold it under federal ethics rules.