Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Starr Launches Counter-Offensive > WASHINGTON (AP) -- Launching an unusually blunt public > counteroffensive, Whitewater prosecutors accused > President Clinton's private attorneys Thursday of > filing reckless accusations in court and threatened to > request punishment by the chief U.S. district judge. > > Jackie M. Bennett Jr., second-in-command to Independent > Counsel Kenneth Starr, reacted harshly in response to > accusations from the Clinton lawyers that prosecutors > leaked a ruling rejecting executive privilege invoked > by the president. The Clinton lawyers had filed a court > motion asking prosecutors to show why they should not > be held in contempt for revealing a secret ruling. > > ``Although we owe you no courtesy after yesterday's > abusive filing, we demand that you withdraw your motion > by noon on Friday, May 8, 1998,'' Bennett wrote four > private lawyers representing Clinton on executive > privilege matters, and two presidential aides. > ``Otherwise we will seek appropriate relief from the > court, including sanctions against each of the persons > under whose names the motion was submitted.'' > > The White House has gone to court before, accusing > Starr's office of leaking sealed grand jury material to > the news media. That matter also was kept secret by > Chief U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson. > > In ratcheting up the feud, Bennett separately wrote > private Clinton lawyer David Kendall that the court > motion was filed even though ``you now have perfect > knowledge of the source of the reports.'' > > In a separate letter to the four attorneys, who joined > the Kendall motion, Bennett wrote that ``the > allegations are reckless, irresponsible and false'' -- > adding that Kendall knew ``these reports (on the > executive privilege ruling) emanated from the White > House.'' > > House Democrats and the White House, meanwhile, tried > to prolong Republican embarrassment over the handling > of a campaign fund-raising investigation. They pounced > on Speaker Newt Gingrich for telling Republicans to > ``focus on crimes'' at the White House. > > The Democrats tried to make Gingrich the villain, > contending he prejudged the probe's findings, a day > after directing the brunt of their criticism toward > Rep. Dan Burton, head of a House committee > investigation. Next week, the Democrats plan to offer a > resolution calling for Burton, R-Ind., to step down as > head of the probe by the House Government Reform and > Oversight Committee. > > House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt, in a letter to > Gingrich, asked the speaker to have no role in the > investigation. > > In response, Gingrich spokeswoman Christina Martin > said, ``Mr. Gephardt hopes the media will focus on the > wallpaper and ignore the hippo standing in the middle > of the room. This letter is just another hollow prop to > distract attention from the Democrats' inexcusable > stonewalling and obstruction.'' > > Two dozen Democrats in New Hampshire Legislature walked > out of a speech by Gingrich Thursday, when he > criticized Clinton for doing too little in the face of > wrongdoing in his administration. > > ``If a crime has been committed, the American people > have a right to know,'' he told the GOP-dominated > Legislature. Gingrich added that Clinton should take an > active role in uncovering any wrongdoing in his > administration. > > ``It's not enough to be passive,'' he said. > > As the first of 20 to 30 Democrats in the 400-member > House headed up the aisles, Gingrich said, ``People can > walk out, but what I'm saying is a fact about a > crime.'' Republicans responded with a long and > sustained applause. > > Presidential press secretary Mike McCurry responded, > ``If he's got evidence of crimes, I think that would > probably be news to Mr. Starr, and he probably should > go see Mr. Starr. He has not done so, so that would > indicate to me that this is hollow rhetoric rather than > factual information.'' > > While the political fallout continued on Capitol Hill > over the Burton committee's selective release of > Webster Hubbell's recorded prison conversations, > Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie, testified for a > second consecutive day to a federal grand jury. > > Mrs. Currie declined to talk to reporters as she left > the courthouse Thursday, but her lawyer, Lawrence > Wechsler, said she would be returning to testify > further. He didn't say when. > > A White House steward, Glen Maes, followed Mrs. Currie > as a grand jury witness. The stewards work close to the > president, often operating out of a pantry near the > Oval Office. -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
