Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Attorney Says Tripp's Label Unfair > > WASHINGTON (AP) -- An attorney for Linda Tripp, whose > secret tape recordings triggered the investigation into > Monica Lewinsky's alleged affair with President > Clinton, said Sunday that his client has been unfairly > labeled a ``betrayer'' and now fears being fired from > her job at the Pentagon. > > ``Linda has chosen to tell the truth. That has put her > in a tremendously tough situation and she is now the > subject of vilification by all the supporters of the > president,'' the lawyer, Anthony Zaccagnini, said on > ABC's ``This Week.'' > > Former White House deputy chief of staff Harold Ickes > issued a quick rebuttal. > > ``I don't think the White House has been vilifying > her,'' Ickes said a shortly thereafter on CNN's ``Late > Edition.'' > > Tripp has worked from her suburban Maryland home since > the Lewinsky controversy erupted in January. Zaccagnini > said she twice has asked to return to her former > position at the Pentagon, but that the department has > refused. > > Lt. Commander Anthony Cooper, a Pentagon spokesman, > declined to comment Sunday on Tripp's request but he > said she remains as a Pentagon public affairs > specialist. Tripp, a Clinton political appointee who > earns $88,000 annually, no longer directs the Joint > Civilian Orientation Conference, but is drafting an > operating manual for the program, which raises public > understanding of defense issues. > > ``She's preparing a booklet that tells them how to run > the program she used to run,'' Zaccagnini said. > > Does she believe she's going to be fired? > > ``Absolutely,'' Zaccagnini said. > > Zaccagnini said Tripp likely would be called within > weeks to testify as a grand jury witness in the > independent counsel's investigation of the affair that > Lewinsky, a former White House intern, allegedly had > with Clinton. > > Lewinsky allegedly confided to Tripp during secretly > recorded telephone conversations that she had a sexual > relationship with Clinton and was encouraged to cover > it up. But, in an affidavit filed in Paula Jones' > sexual harassment lawsuit against the president, > Lewinsky denied having a such a relationship. > > Zaccagnini also said Tripp did not write a mysterious > three-page ``talking points memo'' and does not know > who did. > > Prosecutors are trying to determine who wrote the > document urging Tripp to file an affidavit in the Jones > case that backs away from her account of another > woman's story that she'd been fondled by Clinton. The > document also urges Tripp to say that Lewinsky is lying > about her alleged affair with Clinton. > > Attorneys for Jones, meanwhile, said they are seeking > support from national women's groups for her case in > which she alleges that Clinton exposed himself to her > in a hotel room in 1991 when he was governor of > Arkansas. > > A federal judge dismissed the suit April 1. Jones plans > to appeal. > > Feminist groups largely have been silent on the matter. > Patricia Ireland, president of the National > Organization for Women, has said feminists initially > made a political decision not to get involved. > > But Jones' attorneys and John Whitehead, president of > the Rutherford Institute, which is funding her defense, > now say some of those organizations are reconsidering. > > Whitehead said a NOW attorney has denounced the > dismissal of Jones' case on grounds that the decision > basically says ``you have to have rape or criminal > assault to have sexual harassment in the work place.'' > > NOW officials could not be reached Sunday for comment. > Telephone messages left at home and the office were not > returned. > > House Speaker Newt Gingrich, meanwhile, said the > ongoing investigation into Clinton's personal life is > demeaning to the nation. > > ``There is something, I think, horrifyingly decadent > about the level of detail we've gone through,'' > Gingrich said during a weekend interview on CNBC's > ``Tim Russert'' show. ``People ... they wish it would > end. They're sick of hearing about it, particularly the > sex parts.'' > -- 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
