WASHINGTON, January 22: Most Americans believe President Bill Clinton had a sexual affair with a young White House intern, but only 39 per cent believe he told her to lie about it, a poll by CNN/USA Today gallup showed today.The poll of 676 adults showed that 49 per cent believed Clinton had lied under oath about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, the 24-year old intern at the centre of the storm that took Washington by surprise yesterday. In radio, television and print interviews yesterday, the President, who is 51, denied that he had an affair with Lewinsky, when she worked as a White House intern and a junior aide in 1995 and 1996.
He also denied charges he and Vernon Jordon, the powerful Washington attorney who is his close friend, urged the woman to lie about the alleged affair under oath to lawyers for Paula Jones, an Arkansas woman suing Clinton for sexual harassment.
A poll of 523 adults conducted by ABC news showed that nearly half of those surveyed had no opinion on whether Clinton had anaffair with Lewinsky. Even if he did, 60 per cent said Clinton should remain in office.
Forty five per cent of the people polled by CNN/USA Today gallup, said the latest sexual allegations about Clinton were relevant, compared to 52 per cent who felt they were not likely to be true.
An overwhelming 76 per cent of those polled by ABC said they viewed the allegations that Clinton told the intern to lie about the tryst as a very serious matter, compared to 21 per cent who did not.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
