I had held off doing a Monica page. I frankly don't think the President's sex life does matter, but lying under oath is an issue, as is obstruction of justice.
Certainly compared to Clinton's drug use Monica and Linda are small issues, but since this seems to be the means used by official Washington to eject the first nose, here are some of the relevent items.
Clinton wearing the tie Monica Lewinsky gave him.
Click for movie of Clinton responding to his subpoena.
This is a portion of the sheet of paper handed by Monica Lewinsky to Linda Tripp, with the statement,"This is what the President wats you to say." Note the comment about Linda showing her affidavit to Bennett before signing it.
Click here Ken Starr's report on the Lewinsky affair.
Click here for RealAudio of Bill's admission of the
"Inappropriate relationship".
Issued from the courthouse steps on her last day of testimony.
Excerpt from Clinton's deposition.
Q: Now, do you know a woman named Monica
Lewinsky?
A: I do.
Q: How do you know her?
A: She worked in the White House for a while,
first as an intern, and then in, as the, in
the legislative affairs office.
Q: She began -- excuse me.
A: So that's how I know her.
Q: Excuse me for interrupting you, sir. Did
she begin to work as an intern in the White
House in the summer of 1995?
A: I don't know when she started working at
the White House.
Q: Do you recall when you met her for the
first time?
A: It would be sometime, I'd think, in later
1995.
Q She began to work in the White House office
of legislative affairs around December of
1995, correct?
A: I have no idea.
Q: Do you know how she obtained that job?
A: No.
Q: Did you ever talk to anyone about finding a
job for Monica Lewinsky?
A: When she got the job in the legislative
affairs office? No.
Q: Before she got that job.
A: No.
Q: Did you ever talk to anyone about the
possibility of her obtaining a job in the
White House?
A: She, she came there as an intern, and as
several of them have, she applied for some job
there apparently and got the job. I was not
involved in her moving from being an intern to
being a full-time employee. I had no
involvement in it whatever.
Q: And you never talked to anyone about that?
A: No, I did not.
Q: In April of 1996 she was offered and she
accepted a job as assistant to the assistant
secretary for public affairs at the U.S.
Department of Defense; is that correct?
A: I don't know when she went over there.
Q: Is it correct that she did accept that job
at some point?
A: I don't know what her specific job was. I
know that she moved over to the Department of
Defense.
Q: And worked at the Pentagon, correct?
A: Well, she worked for the Department of
Defense. I think that's where all their
offices are in Washington.
Q: Is it true that when she worked at the
White House she met with you several times?
A: I don't know about several times. There was
a period when the, when the Republican
Congress shut the government down that the
whole White House was being run by interns,
and she was assigned to work back in the Chief
of Staff's office, and we were all working
there, and so I saw her on two or, three
occasions then, and then when she worked at
the White House, I think there was one or two
other times when she brought some documents to
me.
Q: Well, you also saw her at a number of
social functions at the White House, didn't
you?
A: Could you be specific? I'm not sure. I mean
when we had, when we had like big staff things
for, if I had a, like in the summertime, if I
had a birthday party and the whole White House
staff came, then she must have been there. If
we had a Christmas party and the whole White
House staff was invited, she must have been
there. I don't remember any specific social
occasions at the White House, but people who
work there when they're invited to these
things normally come. It's a -- they work long
hours, it's hard work, and it's one of the
nice things about being able to work there, so
I assume she was there, but I don't have any
specific recollection of any social events.
JUDGE WRIGHT: I want to interrupt because I
want a break. I also wanted to ask about the
luncheon break. We're not, we're not too far
from twelve. I personally don't care when we
take it, but has Skadden lawyers arranged for
lunch to be brought up to us?
MR. BENNETT: I've arranged for lunch, Your
Honor. We can have it -- I don't know if it's
there right now. We were thinking
twelve-thirty, but whatever -
JUDGE WRIGHT: That's great. That's perfect.
MR. BENNETT: And we have a room set aside for
you and your law clerk where you can eat
privately, and we have a separate room for
their side of the table, and our side.
JUDGE WRIGHT: All right, let's take a ten
minute break.
(Short recess.)
JUDGE WRIGHT: All right, Mr. Fisher, you may
resume.
MR. FISHER: Thank you, Your Honor.
Q: Mr. President, before the break, we were
talking about Monica Lewinsky. At any time
were you and Monica Lewinsky together alone in
the Oval Office?
A: I don't recall, but as I said, when she
worked at the legislative affairs office, they
always had somebody there on the weekends. I
typically worked some on the weekends.
Sometimes they'd bring me things on the
weekends. She - it seems to me she brought
things to me once or twice on the weekends. In
that case, whatever time she would be in
there, drop it off, exchange a few words and
go, she was there. I don't have any specific
recollections of what the issues were, what
was going on, but when the Congress is there,
we're working all the time, and typically I
would do some work on one of the days of the
weekends in the afternoon.
Q: So I understand, your testimony is that it
was possible, then, that you were alone with
her, but you have no specific recollection of
that ever happening?
A Yes. that's correct. It's possible that she,
in, while she was working there, brought
something to me and that at the time she
brought it to me, she was the only person
there. That's possible.
Q: Did it ever happen that you and she went
down the hallway from the Oval Office to the
private kitchen?
[Legal discussion]
Q: Do you recall ever walking with Lewinsky
down the hallway from the Oval Office to your
private kitchen there in the White House?
A: Well, let me try to describe the facts
first, because you keep talking about this
private kitchen. The private kitchen is
staffed by two naval aides. They have total,
unrestricted access to my dining room, to that
hallway, to coming into the Oval Office. The
people who are in the outer office of the Oval
Office can also enter at any time.
I was, after I went through a presidential
campaign in which the far right tried to
convince the American people I had committed
murder, run drugs, slept in my mother's bed
with four prostitutes, and done numerous other
things, I had a high level of paranoia.
There are no curtains on the Oval Office,
there are no curtains on my private office,
there are no curtains or blinds that can close
the windows in my private dining room. The
naval aides come and go at will. There is a
peephole on the office that George
Stephanopoulos first and then Rahm Emanuel
occupied that looks back down that corridor.
I have done everything I could to avoid the
kind of questions you are asking me here
today, so to talk about this kitchen as if it
is a private kitchen, it's a little cubbyhole,
and these guys keep the door open. They come
and go at will. Now that's the factual
background here.
Now, to go back to your question, my
recollection is that, that at some point
during the government shutdown, when Ms.
Lewinsky was still an intern but was working
the chief staff's office because all the
employees had to go home, that she was back
there with a pizza that she brought to me and
to others. I do not believe she was there
alone, however. I don't think she was. And my
recollection is that on a couple of occasions
after that she was there but my secretary
Betty Currie was there with her. She and Betty
are friends. That's my, that's my
recollection. And I have no other recollection
of that.
MR. FISHER: While I appreciate all of that
information, for the record I'm going to
object. It's nonresponsive as to the entire
answer up to the point where the deponent,
said, "Now back to your question."
Q: At any time were you and Monica Lewinsky
alone in the hallway between the Oval Office
and this kitchen area?
A: I don't believe so, unless we were walking
back to the back dining room with the pizza I
just, I don't remember. I don't believe we
were alone in the hallway, no.
Q: Are there doors at both ends of the
hallway?
A: They are, and they're always open.
Q: At any time have you and Monica Lewinsky
ever been alone together in any room in the
White House?
A: I think I testified to that earlier. I
think that there is a, it is -- I have no
specific recollection, but it seems to me that
she was on duty on a couple of occasions
working for the legislative affairs office and
brought me some things to sign, something on
the weekend. That's -- I have a general memory
of that.
Q: Do you remember anything that was said in
any of those meetings?
A: No. You know, we just have conversation, I
don't remember.
Q: How long has Betty Currie been your
secretary?
A: Since I've been President.
Q: Did she also work with you in Arkansas?
A: Not when I was Governor. She worked in the
transition. She worked for Warren Christopher
in the transition, and then she came to work
for me.
Q: How is her work schedule arranged? Does she
have a certain shift that she works, or do you
ask her to work certain hours the following
day? Please explain how her schedule is
determined.
A: She works, she comes to work early in the
morning and normally stays there until I leave
at night. She works very long hours, and then
when I come in on the weekend, or on Saturday,
if I work on Saturday, she's there, and
nominally if I'm, if I'm working on Sunday and
I'm having a schedule of meetings, either she
or [head of Oval Office operations] Nancy
Hernreich will be there. One of them is always
there on the weekend. Sometimes if I come over
just with paperwork and work for a couple of
hours, she's not there , but otherwise she's
always there when I'm there.
Q: Are there any other individuals who are
specifically assigned to be your secretary?
A: No, just Betty. Betty and Nancy Hernreich
basically runs the outer office for me. They
are my two major assistants, and of course,
and there are a couple of other people who
work with them, Janice Kearney who keeps my,
in effect, diary now of what's going on, whose
been -- she's been doing that maybe a A: I
don't know.
Q: Have you ever met with Monica Lewinsky in
the White House between the hours of midnight
and six a.m.?
A: I certainly don't think so.
Q: Have you ever met -
A: Now, let me just say, when she was working
there, during, there may have been a time when
we were all -- we were up working late. There
are lots of, on any given night, when the
Congress is in session, there are always
several people around until late in the night,
but I don't have any memory of that. I just
can't say that there could have been a time
when that occurred, I just -- but I don't
remember it.
Q: Certainly if it happened, nothing
remarkable would have occurred?
A: No, nothing remarkable. I don't remember
it.
Q: It would be extraordinary, wouldn't it, for
Betty Currie to be in the White House between
midnight and six a.m., wouldn't it?
A: I don't know what the facts were. I mean I
don't know. She's an extraordinary woman.
Q: Does that happen all the time sir, or
rarely?
A: Well, I don't know, because normally I'm
not there between midnight and six, so I
wouldn't know how many times she's there.
Those are questions you'd have to ask her. I
just can't say.
Q: Has it ever happened that a White House
record was created that showed that Monica
Lewinsky was meeting with Betty Currie when in
fact Monica Lewinsky was meeting with you?
MR. BENNETT: No, Your Honor, I'm going to
certainly let the President answer that, but I
object to the form of the question because it
assumes facts not in evidence, and I again
question their good faith in this line of
questioning.
JUDGE WRIGHT: I overrule the objection. I will
permit it. The nature of many of the responses
has been he doesn't recall or he doesn't know,
and so he has not outright denied it. This is
discovery and I'll permit the question. Go
ahead.
A: Would you repeat the question?
Q: Yes, sir. Has it ever happened that a White
House record was created that reflected that
Betty Currie was meeting with Monica Lewinsky
when in fact you were meeting with Monica
Lewinsky? A: Not to my knowledge.
Q: Are there records created of your meetings
with people in the White House?
A: I believe we have a record of the people
that, that see me. We have -- I think there's
a record of everybody that comes in and out of
the White House. Of course the people who work
there and have permission mission to be there
can come in and out and move in and out of the
offices, and I don't know if there are records
of all those meetings or not. For example
there are several of my staff people I see
many times a day, and I have no idea whether
there's a record of every time I see those
people.
Q All right, sir, and I appreciate that, but
just to be precise, I'm not just asking about
records of everyone coming into the White
House, but I'm asking specifically about
records of meetings with you.
A: The answer to that is I don't know. I mean
I, Rahm Emanuel comes through that back door
into the kitchen and the hallway you talked
about three or four times a day, unannounced,
unscheduled, sometimes at night, sometimes in
the daytime. I have no idea if there's a
record of every time he comes to see me. I
have no idea if there's a record of every time
John Podesta comes down the hall and sticks
his head in and talks to me about something. I
simply don't know. I don't know the answer to
your question.
Q: You suspect, don't you, that there are at
least some meetings that you have for which
there's no written record made, correct?
A: I don't know the answer to that. They keep
a pretty good record of everything I do, I
think.
Q: When was the last time you spoke with
Monica Lewinsky?
A: I'm trying to remember. Probably sometime
before Christmas. She came by to see Betty
sometime before Christmas. And she was there
talking to her, and I stuck my head out, said
hello to her.
Q: Stuck your head out of the Oval Office?
A: Uh-huh, Betty said she was coming by and
talked to her, and I said hello to her.
Q: Was that shortly before Christmas or -
A: I'm sorry, I don't remember. Been sometime
in December I think, and I believe -- that may
not be the last time. I think she came to one
of the, one of the Christmas parties.
Q: Did she tell you she had been served with a
subpoena in this case?
A: No. I don't know if she had been.
Q: Did anyone other than your attorneys ever
tell you that Monica Lewinsky had been¥n
served with a subpoena in this case?
A: I don't think so.
Q: Did you ever talk with Monica Lewinsky
about the possibility that she might be asked
to testify in this case?
A: Bruce Lindsey, I think Bruce Lindsey told
me that she was, I think maybe that's the
first person told me she was. I want to be as
accurate as I can.
MR. BENNETT: Keep your voice up, Mr.
President.
THE WITNESS: okay.
A: But he may not have. I don't have a
specific memory, but I talked with him about
the case on more than one occasion, so he
might have said that.
Q: Did he tell you that on the phone or in
person?
A: I don't know. I talk to him and see him
several times a day, so I don't know. I would
have no way of remembering that.
Q: Did you talk to Mr. Lindsey about what
action, if any, should be taken as a result of
her being served with a subpoena?
A: No.
Q: I believe I was starting to ask you a
question a moment ago and we got sidetracked.
Have you ever talked to Monica Lewinsky about
the possibility that she might be asked to
testify in this lawsuit?
A: I'm not sure, and let me tell you why I'm
not sure. It seems to me the, the, the -- I
want to be as accurate as I can here. Seems to
me the last time she was there to see Betty
before Christmas we were joking about how
you-all, with the help of the Rutherford
Institute, were going to call every woman I'd
ever talked to and I said, you know -
MR. BENNETT: We can't hear you, Mr. President.
A: And I said that you-all might call every
woman I ever talked to and ask them that, and
so I said you would qualify, or something like
that. I don't, I don't think we ever had more
of a conversation than that about it, but I
might have mentioned something to her about
it, because when I saw how long the witness
list was, or I heard about it, before I saw,
but actually by the time I saw it her name was
on it, but I think that was after all this had
happened. I might have said something like
that, so I don't want to say for sure I
didn't, because I might have said something
like that.
Q: Was anyone else present when you said
something like that?
A: Betty, Betty was present, for sure.
Somebody else might have been there, too, but
I said that to a lot of people. I mean that
was just something I said.
Q: What, if anything, did Monica Lewinsky say
in response?
A: Nothing that I remember. Whatever she said,
I don't remember. Probably just some
predictable thing.
Q: Recently you took a trip that included a
visit to Bosnia, correct?
A: That's correct.
Q: While you were on that trip, did you talk
to Monica Lewinsky?
A: I don't believe she was on that trip.
Q: Did you talk to her on the telephone?
A: No.
Q: While you were on that trip, did you ask
anyone to talk to her?
A: I don't believe so, no. Can you be more
specific? I don't have any idea. I don't think
so.
Q: While you were on that trip, did you ask
anyone to meet with her?
A: Not to my knowledge.
Q: Excluding conversations that you may have
had with Mr. Bennett or any of your attorneys
in this case, within the past two weeks has
anyone reported to you that they had had a
conversation with Monica Lewinsky concerning
this lawsuit?
A: I don't believe so. I'm sorry, 1 just don't
believe so.
Q: You know a man named Vernon Jordan?
A: 1 know him well.
Q: You've known him for a long time?
A: A long time.
Q: Has it ever been reported to you that he
met with Monica Lewinsky and talked about this
case?
A: I knew that he met with her. I think Betty
suggested that he meet with her. Anyway, he
met with her. I thought that he talked to her
about something else. I didn't know that -- I
thought he had given her some advice about her
move to New York. Seems like that's what Betty
said.
Q: So Betty, Betty Currie suggested that
Vernon Jordan meet with Monica Lewinsky? A: I
don't know that.
Q: I thought you just said that. I'm sorry.
A: No, I think, I think, I think Betty told me
that Vernon talked to her, but I, my
impression was that Vernon was talking to her
about her moving to New York. I think that's
what Betty said to me.
Q: What do you know about her moving to New
York?
A: Just that.
Q: Is she going to move to New York?
A: I don't know. She may have already moved to
New York. I don't know. My understanding was
that her mother moved to New York and that she
was going to move to New York and that she was
looking for some advice about what she should
do when she got there.
Q: Is it your understanding that she was
offered a job at the U.N.?
A: I know that she interviewed for one. I
don't know if she was offered one or not.
Q: Have you ever talked to Bill Richardson
about Monica Lewinsky?
A: No.
Q: What is his title?
A: He's the Ambassador to the U.N.
Q: Have you ever asked anyone to talk to Bill
Richardson about Monica Lewinsky?
A: I believe that, I believe that Monica, what
I know about that is I believe Monica asked
Betty Currie to ask someone to talk to him,
and she, and she talked to him and went to an
interview with him. That's what I believe
happened.
Q: And the source of that information is who?
A: Betty. I think that's what Betty -- } think
Betty did that. I think Monica talked to Betty
about moving to New York, and I, my
recollection is that that was the chain of
events.
Q: Did you say or do anything whatsoever to
create a possibility of Monica Lewinsky
getting a job at the U.N.?
A: To my knowledge, no, although I must say I
wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong
with it. You know, she was a -- she had worked
in the White House, she had worked in the
Defense Department' and she was moving to New
York. She was a friend of Betty. I certainly
wouldn't have been opposed to it, based on
anything I knew, anyway.
Q: Well, have you ever given any gifts to
Monica Lewinsky?
A: I don't recall. Do you know what they were?
Q: A hat pin?
A: I don't, I don't remember. But I certainly,
I could have.
Q: A book about Walt Whitman?
A: I give -- let me just say, I give people a
lot of gifts, and when people are around I
give a lot of things I have at the White House
away, so I could have given her a gift, but I
don't remember a specific gift.
Q: Do you remember giving her a gold broach?
A: No.
Q: Do you remember giving her an item that had
been purchased from The Black Dog store at
Martha's Vineyard?
A: I do remember that, because when I went on
vacation, Betty said that, asked me if I was
going to bring some stuff back from The Black
Dog, and she said Monica loved, liked that
stuff and would like to have a a piece of it,
and I did a lot of Christmas shopping from The
Black Dog, and I bought a lot of things for a
lot of people, and I gave Betty a couple of
the pieces, and she gave I think something to
Monica and something to some of the other
girls who worked in the office. I remember
that because Betty mentioned it to me.
Q: What in particular was given to Monica?
A: I don't remember. I got a whole bag full of
things that I bought at The Black Dog. I went
there, they gave me some things, and I went
and purchased a lot at heir store, and when I
came back I gave a, a big block of it to
Betty, and I don't know what she did with it
all or who got what.
Q: But while you were in the store you did
pick out something for Monica, correct?
A: While I was in the store -- first of all,
The Black Dog sent me a selection of things.
Then I went to the store and I bought some
other things, t-shirts, sweatshirts, shirts.
Then when I got back home, I took out a thing
or two that I wanted to keep, and I took out a
thing or two I wanted to give to some other
people, and I gave the rest of it to Betty and
she distributed it. That's what I remember
doing.
Q: Has Monica Lewinsky ever given you any
gifts? A: Once or twice. I think she's given
me a book or two.
Q: Did she give you a silver cigar box?
A: No.
Q Did she give you a tie?
A: Yes, she has given me a tie before. I
believe that's right. Now, as I said, let me
remind you, normally when I get these ties, I
get ties, you know, together, and then they're
given to me later, but I believe that she has
given me a tie.
Q: Well, Mr. President, it's my understanding
that Monica Lewinsky has made statements to
people, and I'd like for you -
MR. BRISTOW: object, object to the form of the
question. Counsel shouldn't testify, and when
you start out like that, it's obviously
counsel testifying. I don't think that's
proper.
MR. BENNETT: Let me add to that, Your Honor
wouldn't permit me to make reference to this
affidavit, and I respect your ruling.
JUDGE WRIGHT: Let me, let me just make my
ruling. It is not appropriate for Counsel to
make comments about, about these things. I
don't know whether he was trying to do this to
establish a good faith basis for the next
question or not, but it is inappropriate for
counsel to comment, so I will sustain the
objection.
MR FISHER: I understand.
Q: Did you have an extramarital sexual affair
with Monica Lewinsky?
A: No
Q: If she told someone that she had a sexual
affair with you beginning in November of 1995,
would that be a lie?
A: It's certainly not the truth. It would not
be the truth.
Q: I think I used the term "sexual affair."
And so the record is completely clear, have
you ever had sexual relationship with Monica
Lewinsky, as that term is defined in
Deposition Exhibit 1, as modified by the
Court?
MR. BENNETT: I object because I don't know
that he can remember -
JUDGE WRIGHT: Well, it's real short. He can -
I will permit the question and you may show
the witness definition number one.
A: I have never had sexual relations with
Monica Lewinsky. I've never had an affair with
her.
Q Have you ever had a conversation with Vernon
Jordan in which Monica Lewinsky was mentioned?
A: I have. He told me that he called -- he
mentioned in passing to me that he had talked
to her, and she had come to him for advice
about moving to New York.
Q: She had come to him for advice?
A: Uh-huh. She'd come to him for advice about
moving to New York);. She had called him and
asked if she could come see him. and Betty I
think had maybe said something to him about
talking to her, and he had given her some
advice about; moving to New York. That's all I
know about that.
Q: Where were you when you had this
conversation with Vernon Jordan.
A: I don't have any idea. I talk to Yernon
Jordan a lot.
Q: Do you recall whether it was as on the
phone or in person?
A: No.
Q: What did he say that she had said to him in
response?
A: He just said she seemed like a bright,
energetic young woman and she had certain
interests and he made some suggestions to her
and suggested where she ought to go for
interviews. That's all I know about that.
Q: Did you express any approval or disapproval
of anything Mr. Jordan had done?
MR BENNETT I object. I don't know what that
means, Your Honor. That's awfully vague and
ambiguous. Could you be ;more specific?
MR. FISHER: Sure.
Q: At the time you talked to Vernon Jordan
about his conversation with Monica Lewinsky
concerning her possible move to New York, did
you express any approval or disapproval?
A: I don't remember. I think he was just
reporting on the meeting to me. There'd be no
reason that I would have disapproved. I cants
think of any reason I would have disapproved
it. She was a young woman who'd worked in the
White House and had gone to work in the
Defense Department and was moving to New York.
I would not have thought there was anything
wrong with that, with us trying to help her.
Q: Is it your testimony that you had nothing
whatsoever to do with causing that
conversation to take place between Monica
Lewinsky and Vernon Jordan?
MR BENNETT: I object. That, that misstates the
testimony. MR. FISHER: I'm asking what his
testimony...
MR. BENNETT: Anything to do, I think he's
testified, Your Honor. If he wants to ask more
questions, that's all right, but -
JUDGE WRIGHT: I will -- you might rephrase the
question and ask whether he ever intended to
facilitate the conversation or took any action
to help Ms. Lewinsky gain access to Vernon
Jordan for this purpose, or for any purpose.
You might ask that. The President has
testified on this matter that he doesn't think
it would be improper if he had, so go ahead,
you can ask.
Q: Did you do anything, sir, to prompt this
conversation to take place between Vernon
Jordan and Monica Lewinsky?
A: I can tell you what my memory is. My memory
is that Vernon said something to me about her
coming in, Betty had called and asked if he
would see her and he said she would, he said
he would, and then she called him and then he
said something to me about it. I'm sure if he
said something to me about it I said something
positive about it. I wouldn't have said
anything negative about it. I didn't have any
negative knowledge. I mean there would be no
reason for me to be negative about it. Vernon
liked to help people. He was always trying to
help people.
Q: My question, though, is focused on the time
before the conversation occurred, and the
question is whether you did anything to cause
the conversation to occur.
A: I think in the mean -- I'm Dot sure how you
mean the question. I think the way you mean
the question, the answer to that is no, I've
already testified. What my memory of this is,
if you're asking did I set the meeting up, I
do not believe that I did. I believe that
Betty did that, and she may have mentionedm
asked me. if I thought it was all right if she
did it, and if she did ask me I would have
said yes, and so if that happened, then I did
something to cause the conversation to occur.
If that's what you mean, yes. I didn't think
there was anything wrong with it. It seemed
like a natural thing to do to me. But I don't
believe that I . actually was the
precipitating force. I think that she and
Betty were close, and I think Betty did it.
That's my memory of it.
Q: Have you ever had a conversation with
Vernon Jordan in which Paula Jones was
mentioned?
A: I'm sure I have. I don't remember what it
would have been, but I'm sure I have. I mean
after all this time, I'm sure I have.
MR. BRISTOW: Your Honor, I just think we
should note for the record that it is now
almost twelve-thirty, and to my knowledge this
is the first moment in the deposition that the
word "Paula Jones" has been mentioned.
JUDGE WRIGHT: Are you suggesting we take a
break?
MR. BRISTOW: I think it's a good time for a
break, but I'm also thinking of the fact that
we do have some time constraints and -- but
anyway, I just thought it was an appropriate
thing to note.
MR. BENNETT: Your Honor, I hope the sandwiches
are there, but I'm happy to break now, but I'd
like to get some guidance from the Court on
something. If at the completion of, as he has
apparently just completed Miss Lewinsky.
MR. FISHER: No, I haven't, but go ahead.
MR. BENNETT: Oh, I'm sorry, well, I'll wait
until you finish with Miss Lcwinsky.
MR. FISHER: I have just a couple of other
things.
MR. BENNETT: I can ask my generic question.
Hypothetically, Your Honor, if I have
affidavits of women that he's questioning the
President about and Your Honor does not want
me to emphasize that or even mention it for
fear of the witness, when they are, when he is
finished at the end of the day, may I read to
the President certain relevant portions of
those affidavits that we have and they have
and ask the President if that's, as far as he
knows, a true and accurate statement?
JUDGE WRIGHT: You may, because this is that
type of deposition.
MR. BENNETT: Thank you.
JUDGE WRIGHT: And I realize that you want to
make your record because you're fearful about
what might take place.
MR. BENNETT: Thank you, Your Honor, thank you,
Your Honor.
JUDGE WRIGHT: Would you like to finish these
questions now before we break?
MR. FISHER: I have just a couple more on this
particular subject.
JUDGE WRIGHT: All right, all right, let's
proceed then.
Q: Mr. President, have you ever paid any money
to Monica Lewinsky?
A: No, sir.
Q: Have you ever caused money to be paid to
her?
A: Absolutely not.
Q: Have you ever caused a debt that she owed
to some other person to be repaid?
A: No, sir.
Linda Tripp's public statement
STATEMENT BY LINDA TRIPP FOLLOWING HER TESTIMONY BEFORE THE GRAND JURY THE
COURTHOUSE WASHINGTON, D.C.
Federal News Service
JULY 29, 1998, WEDNESDAY - 18:30 Eastern Time
PHILIP COUGHTER (Spokesman for Linda Tripp's legal team): Good evening,
everyone. A great deal has happened since we first met here on June 30th
for Linda's initial day of testimony. To the men and women of the media,
through this lengthy process you've shown great professionalism, and for
the most part, admiral restraint. On behalf of Linda, her children, Zack,
Joe, and myself, I'd like to say how much we appreciate the many courtesies
that you have shown us. Thank you, folks. We understand that there is some
interest in hearing from Linda today. As I've said on many occasions, she
has never enjoyed being in the limelight, and as such, she hopes you'll
understand that she would not be comfortable taking any of your questions
today. She has, however, agreed to make a few brief remarks.
MS. TRIPP: Good afternoon. I'm not a public speaker. I'm going to have to
refer to my notes. Please bear with me.
I've just completed my testimony before the federal grand jury. This has
been a lengthy process and as I'm sure you can imagine, a very difficult
one. While I am relieved that the testimony has come to an end, I'm glad to
have fulfilled my legal obligation to the grand jury by testifying
truthfully and completely. I hope -- I sincerely hope that all remaining
witnesses will do the same.
I am encouraged that it appears from press reports that Monica has decided
to cooperate with the independent counsel. The facts will show that time
after time I urged her to tell the truth right up until the end. I
understand that there has been a great deal of speculation about just who I
am and how I got here. Well, the answer is simple. I'm you. I'm just like
you. I'm an average American who found herself in a situation not of her
own making. I'm a suburban mom who was a military wife for 20 years, and a
faithful government employee for 18 years. I never, ever asked to be placed
in this position.
Because I am just like you, I ask you to imagine how you would feel if
someone you thought was a friend urged you to commit a felony that could
jeopardize your job, potentially put you in jail, and endanger the
well-being of your children. Imagine how you would feel if your boss's
attorney called you a liar in front of the whole country, and imagine if
that boss was the president of the United States. Imagine how you would
feel if your employer illegally released your confidential records to the
media, then demoted you and cast you aside for daring to tell the truth.
Imagine how it would feel to see the pain in your children's eyes when they
hear a seemingly endless barrage of lies about their mother, a mother who
is not going out to defend herself. As a ====>> result of simply trying to
earn a living, I became aware between 1993 ====>> and 1997 of actions by
high government officials that may have been ====>> against the law. For
that period of nearly five years, the things I ====>> witnessed concerning
several different subjects, made me increasingly ====>> fearful that this
information was dangerous, very dangerous to possess.
On January 12th, 1998, the day I approached the Office of the Independent
Counsel, I decided that fear would no longer be my master. This
investigation has never been, quote, "just about sex", it has been about
telling the truth, the truth matters. For example, it matters that you know
now that I have testified to the fact that I had nothing -- let me repeat
-- nothing to do with preparing the so-called "talking points." Allegations
to the effect that I contributed to, or assisted in any way with the
creation of the talking points are as illogical as they are patently false.
I have been vilified through taking the path of truth. I've been maligned
by people who have chosen not to tell the truth and who know that they are
not telling the truth. That's a pretty frightening thing. To cast me in the
role of the villain they have enlisted legions of paid prevaricators. Not
surprisingly, many in the entertainment industry have chosen to ridicule me
as well, going so far as to even make fun of my appearance in a manner so
mean and so cruel that I pray none of you is ever subjected to it.
Despite all of that, I bear no malice toward anyone in this case. I have
never had any political agenda. I still don't. I have been honored to serve
presidents of both parties.
I want to say a word about the people who have supported me throughout this
ordeal. I don't believe they're Washington insiders, I don't think that
they're the politically connected, but they have made a noticeable effort
to have their voice heard and to support me and my family. It has meant a
great deal to us. So for all of that, I thank each and every one of them.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the men standing with me
today for their unfailing support and superb counsel -- Anthony Zaccagnini,
Joe Murtha, and Philip Coughter.
I certainly could not have gotten through this without the love and support
of my children, Ryan and Allyson (sp), who are here with me today, and a
very strong extended family.
I believe in our country. As I said, I'm no different than any of you. I
believe you have the right to tell the truth under oath and I believe you
have the right to do so without fear of retribution or worse. I hope that
when all the facts are revealed you'll understand that it is a right all of
us should be fighting for.
Thank you.
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