US District Judge Susan Webber wright put off opening the case file after Clinton's lawyers yesterday asked her to maintain a secrecy order intended to prevent the release of potentially embarrassing information gathered while the lawsuit was alive.

If the judge ultimately decides to open the file, the president could ask an appeals court to stop her. Wright, who said on June 30 that the secrecy order would expire on Friday, pushed back the effective date of her order until Monday. Even then, she said, no documents would be released until she rules again. Wright believes there is no reason to keep most documents in the case under seal, citing various leaks. She gave both sides until Friday to raise objections. No objection has been raised by lawyers for Jones, whose lawsuit was dismissed on April 1.