WASHINGTON, January 23: Special prosecutor Kenneth Starr, who is pursuing United States President Bill Clinton's alleged affair with a former White House aide, sought her help to secretly tape-record private comments by President and Vernon Jordan and their advice to her to lie, CNN reported today.The independent counsel tried to persuade Monica Lewinsky to secretly tape-record private comments by the President and his friend Vernon Jordon on the alleged affair, the CNN said. Monica is at the centre of the bombshell allegations whose shocking charges could cost Clinton his Presidency.
Clinton, meanwhile, has again issued a sweeping denial that he had an affair with Lewinsky, or that he or Jordan asked her to lie about the alleged affair that would have begun in 1995 when she was 21. "The allegations are false, and I would never ask anybody to do anything other than tell the truth," Clinton said.
Clinton confidant Vernon Jordan, emerging from his seclusion, has also denied that he told the intern to lieabout the alleged affair with Clinton. Lewinsky was scheduled to give a deposition today in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case against the President, but US district judge Susan Wright postponed it indefinitely late yesterday. Meanwhile, White House aides and Clinton's attorneys were scrambling to answer a subpoena issued by Starr for information about Lewinsky, reports said. A CBS television news item said that Clinton's secretary has been called to testify in the case. The White House, however, declined to comment on the report that secretary Betty Currie had been subpoenaed by Starr.
For the second day running, White House Press Secretary Mike Mccurry was grilled at great length by mediapersons. Mccurry was asked whether the White House staff was demoralised by the alleged affair, to which he replied that the staff had confidence in Clinton.
The President's credibility has however been undermined by his reported admission during deposition in the Paula Jones case that he had an affair with anotherwoman, Gennifer Flowers, who had claimed a 12-year sexual relationship with Clinton.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
