Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Clinton May Face Grand Jury > > WASHINGTON (AP) -- Prosecutors have asked President > Clinton's lawyers if he would be willing to testify > before a federal grand jury investigating an alleged > affair with a former White House intern Monica Lewinsky > and subsequent coverup, a senior adviser to the > president said Tuesday. > > The overture was disclosed as another ex-White House > employee, Kathleen Willey, was questioned by the grand > jury about an encounter she reportedly had with the > president in 1993. > > The senior adviser, speaking on the condition of > anonymity, said Clinton's attorneys have not formally > responded to an overture made in the past few days, but > he acknowledged that discussions between them and > Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr's office have taken > place. > > Clinton will likely agree to testify, but only after Ms. > Lewinsky, 24, has appeared before the grand jury first, > the adviser said. Since the Lewinsky matter became > public in late January, Clinton has repeatedly denied > that his relationship with her was sexual. > > Ms. Lewinsky has reportedly said in secretly tape > recorded conversations with a friend that she and the > president carried on an 18-month affair. However, in an > affidavit in Paula Jones' sexual harassment suit against > Clinton, Ms. Lewinsky reportedly denied that her > relationship with the president was sexual. > > Clinton's political advisers have recommended for weeks > that he appear before the grand jury to show the public > he has nothing to hide. But his legal advisers, > according to aides, have feared that if he testified > before Ms. Lewinsky does, Starr might use her testimony > to undercut his. > > Clinton aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity, > said the discussions among his advisers have included > whether Clinton should make a videotape or travel to the > courthouse and make a dramatic gesture in appearing in > person before the grand jury. > > A big uncertainty is when Ms. Lewinksy will testify. Her > attorney and Starr have been in war of wills the past > month over whether and how much immunity would be > granted to her in exchange for her testimony. > > Starr's office has indicated a special interest in Mrs. > Willey, according to news reports, to determine whether > she was asked by someone with ties to the administration > to alter her account of her November 1993 meeting with > Clinton. president. > > A former White House volunteer, Mrs. Willey was likely > to be questioned about whether she was urged to deny > that Clinton made an unsolicited sexual advance during > their meeting. She was seeking a paid job at the time > because her family had desperate financial problems. Her > husband had committed suicide the day she met with > Clinton, although Mrs. Willey did not know about his > death at the time. > > Mrs. Willey was one of the few witnesses in the > seven-week grand jury investigation to show up at the > federal courthouse here in the company of Starr's > investigators rather than private attorneys. > > Her attorney, Dan Gecker, was not in Washington when his > client showed up Tuesday morning, according to his > office. Gecker, did not return repeated phone calls to > his office in Richmond, Va. > > Mrs. Willey declined to speak with reporters as she was > spirited into a car to be driven away after a full day > of testimony. > > ABC News and Newsweek have reported that Nathan Landow, > a Democratic fund raiser from Maryland, urged Mrs. > Willey to deny that Clinton made a sexual advance. > > Landow has denied he did so, contending that he knew > Mrs. Willey through his daughter, a White House > volunteer, and his son-in-law, Michael Cardozo -- a > trustee of the president's first legal defense fund. > > Lawyers for Mrs. Jones also have been interested in Mrs. > Willey's story. They're trying to show a pattern of > employment favors or harm, depending on the response of > women to Clinton's alleged sexual advances. > > Mrs. Willey did get a paid job in the White House > counsel's office, which lasted about 10 months and later > got a nonpaying position as a U.S. delegate to an > international summit in Denmark. > > Just what occurred around the Oval Office is not clear. > Linda Tripp, a former White House staffer, has told > Newsweek she encountered Mrs. Willey outside the Oval > Office -- with her makeup smeared and clothing > disheveled, but appearing happy. > > Clinton's lawyer in the Jones case, Robert S. Bennett, > later questioned Tripp's truthfulness. > > According to the Washington Post, which has reported > extensively on Clinton's deposition in the Jones case, > the president said he recalled the meeting with Mrs. > Willey because she was so upset about her financial > situation. > > Clinton denied that he groped Mrs. Willey, but said he > embraced her and may have kissed her on the forehead, > the Post reported. -- 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
