1. President Clinton's Testimony in His Deposition
In the President's civil deposition, he was asked about any
discussions he might have had with Monica Lewinsky about the
Jones case:
Q: Have you ever talked to Monica Lewinsky about the
possibility that she might be asked to testify in this
lawsuit?
[videotape indicates an approximately 14-second
pause before answer]
WJC: I'm not sure, and let me tell you why I'm not sure. It
seems to me the, the, the -- I want to be as accurate
as I can here. Seems to me the last time she was there
to see Betty before Christmas we were joking about how
you-all [Ms. Jones's attorneys], with the help of the
Rutherford Institute, were going to call every woman
I'd ever talked to . . . and ask them that, and so I
said you [Ms. Lewinsky] would qualify, or something
like that. I don't, I don't think we ever had more of
a conversation than that about it, but I might have
mentioned something to her about it, because when I saw
how long the witness list was, or I heard about it,
before I saw, but actually by the time I saw it her
name was on it, but I think that was after all this had
happened. I might have said something like that, so I
don't want to say for sure I didn't, because I might
have said something like that.
106. Id. at 93.
107. Id. at 110 (emphasis added).
108. Id. at 95-96 (emphasis added).
109. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 69.
110. MSL-55-DC-0094; MSL-55-DC-0124.
111. Lewinsky 8/20/98 GJ at 54.
112. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 26 ("If the predicates are met,
we have no objection to detail").
113. See, e.g., Ungvari 3/19/98 GJ at 18, 22-24; Erbland
2/12/98 GJ at 23-25.
114. V006-DC-00003737-3744.
115. 827-DC-00000008; 1222-DC-00000156, 1222-DC-0000083-85.
116. Lewinsky 7/30/98 Int. at 6; Lewinsky 8/24/98 Int. at 5.
117. The President contended that he had only one encounter
in 1997 with Ms. Lewinsky, whereas she says that there were two.
The motive for making a false statement on that issue is less
clear, except that perhaps the President wanted to portray the
1997 relationship as an isolated incident.
118. Ms. Jones's attorneys had earlier served President
Clinton with a document request that sought documents reflecting
"any communications, meetings or visits involving" President
Clinton and Ms. Lewinsky. 1414-DC-00001534-46.
119. Throughout the Jones case, Judge Susan Webber Wright
ruled that Ms. Jones was entitled to discover information
regarding the nature of President Clinton's relationship with
government employees, including Monica Lewinsky, a federal
employee at the time. See, e.g., 921-DC-00000459-66; 920-DC-00000517-25; 1414-DC-00001006-14; 921-DC-00000736-44; 921-DC-00000751-52; 1414-DC-00001188-92.
120. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 52-53 (emphasis added).
121. Ms. Lewinsky testified that many of her sexual
encounters with the President occurred in this windowless
hallway. Lewinsky 8/6/96 GJ at 34-36.
122. The President had earlier testified that during the
government shutdown in November 1995, Ms. Lewinsky was working as
an intern in the Chief of Staff's Office, and had brought the
President and others some pizza. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 58.
123. Id. at 58-59 (emphasis added).
124. Id. at 59(emphasis added).
125. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 20, 52.
126. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 22; Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 52-53.
127. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 76.
128. Id. at 52-53.
129. Id. at 35.
130. Id. at 34-36.
131. Id. at 20.
132. Currie 1/27/98 GJ at 32-33. See also Currie 5/6/98 GJ
at 98. The Oval Office area includes the study, dining room,
kitchen, bathroom, and hallway connecting the area. See Appendix,
Exhibit D (diagram of Oval Office area).
133. Currie 1/27/98 GJ at 34-35 (recalling that after the
President's radio address, the President told Ms. Lewinsky he
wanted to show her his collection of political buttons and took
her into the Oval Office study for 15 to 20 minutes while
Ms. Currie waited nearby, in the pantry or the dining room).
134. Currie 1/27/98 GJ at 36-38 (testifying that Ms. Lewinsky
came to the White House and met with the President alone for 15
or 20 minutes). See also Currie 5/14/98 GJ at 116.
135. Currie 1/27/98 GJ at 35-36 (testifying that Ms. Lewinsky
and the President were in the Oval Office for "[p]erhaps 30
minutes."). Again, Ms. Currie testified that she believes no one
else was present. See also Currie 5/6/98 GJ at 103-105.
136. Ferguson 7/17/98 GJ at 23-35 (alone for approximately 45
minutes); Ferguson 7/23/98 GJ at 18-24.(137)
137. Ferguson GJ, July 23, 1998 at 31-32 (testifying that he
would have been notified if the President had left the Oval
Office area, and he received no such notice).
138. Fox 2/17/98 GJ at 30-38 (alone for approximately 40
minutes).
139. Bordley 8/13/98 GJ at 19-30 (alone for approximately 30
to 35 minutes).
140. Garabito 7/30/98 GJ at 25-32.
141. Byrne 7/30/98 GJ at 7-12, 29-32 (alone for 15 to 25
minutes).
142. Muskett 7/21/98 GJ at 9-13, 22-32 (alone on Easter
Sunday 1996).
143. The last date that White House records reflect a visit
by Ms. Lewinsky is Sunday, December 28, 1997. 827-DC-00000018;
V006-DC-00000009.
144. Maes 4/8/98 GJ at 84-89.
145. Clinton 8/17/98 GJ at 9-10 (emphasis added).
146. Id. at 30-33.
147. Id. at 34.
148. Id. at 54.
149. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 58-59.
150. See id. at 52-53, 59.
151. Clinton 8/17/98 GJ at 118; Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 53-55.
152. In criminal law, a feigned lack of memory is sufficient
for a perjury conviction. See, e.g., United States v. Chapin,
515 F.2d 1274 (D.C. Cir. 1975); Behrle v. United States, 100 F.2d
174 (D.C. Cir. 1938).
153. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 75 (emphasis added).
154. Clinton 8/17/98 GJ at 36.
155. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27-28, 150-51; GJ Exhibit ML-7.
156. FBI Receipt for Property received, 7/29/98.
157. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 26-28; GJ Exhibit ML-7.
158. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 151. Ms. Lewinsky's subpoena
directed in part: "Please produce each and every gift including,
but not limited to, any and all dresses, accessories, and
jewelry, and/or hat pins given to you by, or on behalf of,
Defendant Clinton." 902-DC-00000135-38.
159. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 33, 152. See also Lewinsky 2/1/98
Statement at 7. In fact, Ms. Lewinsky had told Ms. Tripp about
it. Ms. Lewinsky had also discussed the hat pin and the
subpoena's request for the hat pin with Mr. Jordan. Lewinsky
8/6/98 GJ at 132, 140.
160. Currie 5/6/98 GJ at 142 (relating incident where the
President asks Ms. Currie about the hat pin he gave to
Ms. Lewinsky). After this criminal investigation started,
Ms. Currie turned over a box of items -- including a hat pin --
that had been given to her by Ms. Lewinsky. Ms. Currie
understood from Ms. Lewinsky that the box did contain gifts from
the President.(161)
161. Ms. Currie confirms the transfer of gifts from Ms.
Lewinsky to her. See>Currie GJ testimony, May 6, 1998, at 105-115.
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162. Ms. Lewinsky testified that the President had given her
a gold brooch, and she made near-contemporaneous statements to
Ms. Erbland, Ms. Raines, Ms. Ungvari, and Ms. Tripp regarding the
gift. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 26-28; GJ Exhibit ML-7; Erbland
2/12/98 GJ at 41; Raines 1/29/98 GJ at 53-55; Ungvari 3/19/98 GJ
at 44; Tripp 7/29/98 GJ at 105.
163. Ms. Lewinsky testified that Leaves of Grass was "the
most sentimental gift he had given me."(164)
164. Lewinsky GJ, Aug. 6, 1998, at 156.
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(165)
165. Davis GJ 30-31; Erbland GJ 40-41; Finerman depo 15-16;
Marcia Lewis GJ 2/10/98 at 51-52; Lewis GJ 2/11/98 at 10 ("[S]he
liked the book of poetry very much."). Raines GJ 53-55. At the deposition,
the President was asked if he had given Ms. Lewinsky a book about
Walt Whitman rather than by him. WJC depo at 75-76.
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- -
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166. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27; GJ Exhibit ML-7.
167. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 15-16; Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at
27; GJ Exhibit ML-7; Finerman Depo. 3/18/98 at 13-17; Ungvari
3/19/98 GJ at 43-44.
168. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 76-77 (emphasis added). (169)
169. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 76-77.
170. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27-28, GJ Exhibit ML-7; Lewinsky
7/27/98 Int. at 12-14.
171. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 235-36.
172. Id. at 27, 150; GJ Exhibit ML-7.
173. V002-DC-00000475 (Letter to OIC, 3/16/98).
174. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27; GJ Exhibit ML-7. See also
Lewinsky 7/27/98 Int. at 14.
175. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 185.
176. Letter from David Kendall to OIC, August 3, 1998.
177. V002-DC-00000471. Ms. Lewinsky testified that she
bought and gave the President that book in early January 1998,
and that when she talked to him on January 5, 1998, he
acknowledged that he had received the book.(178)
178. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 189-192.
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179. V002-DC-0000003.
180. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27-28, 109; GJ Exhibit ML-7.
181. Id.; Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 26-28; Lewinsky 7/27/98 Int.
at 13. The President did not turn over this antique book in
response to a subpoena.
182. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27-28; GJ Exhibit ML-7. The
President did not produce The Notebook in response to a subpoena.
183. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27-28, 182-183; GJ Exhibit ML-7.
Ms. Lewinsky saw a copy of the book in the President's study in
November 1997. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 183. White House records
list Oy Vey and Vox on an October 10, 1997, catalog of books in
the West Wing.(184)
184. 1361-DC-00000002 (Catalog of Books in the West Wing
Presidential Study as of 10 October 1997). --
185. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27-28, 183-84; Lewinsky 7/27/98
Int. at 13; GJ Exhibit ML-7. Ms. Lewinsky testified that she had
seen the book in the President's study in November 1997.(186)
186. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 183-84.
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187. Id. at 27-28, 183-84; Lewinsky 7/27/98 Int. at 12-13; GJ
Exhibit ML-7.
188. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 26-28; GJ Exhibit ML-7.
189. These included a Sherlock Holmes game sometime after
Christmas 1996; a golf ball and tees on February 28, 1997; after
the President injured his leg in March 1997, a care package
filled with whimsical gifts, such as a magnet with the
Presidential seal for his metal crutches, a license plate with
"Bill" for his wheelchair, and knee pads with the Presidential
seal; a Banana Republic casual shirt and a puzzle on golf
mysteries on May 24, 1997; the card game "Royalty" in mid-August
1997; shortly before Halloween of 1997, a package filled with
Halloween-related items, such as a pumpkin lapel pin, a wooden
letter opener with a frog on the handle, and a plastic pumpkin
filled with candy; and on December 6, 1997, a Starbucks Santa
Monica mug and a Hugs and Kisses box. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 27-28; GJ Exhibit ML-7; Lewinsky 7/27/97 Int. at 12-15.
190. Clinton 8/17/98 GJ at 47.
191. Id. at 34-36.
192. Id. at 173 (emphasis added). The President testified
that "to his knowledge" he has turned over all the gifts that
Ms. Lewinsky gave him. Id. at 154-155.
193. Id. at 172-173.
194. Currie 5/6/98 GJ at 88-89; see also id. at 184; Currie
5/14/98 GJ at 78. Courier receipts show that Ms. Lewinsky sent
nine packages to Ms. Currie. See 0837-DC-00000001 to 0837-DC-00000027.
195. T1 at 63-64.
196. Currie GJ 5/6/98 at 88-89; see also Currie GJ 5/14/98 at
78.
197. Currie 5/6/98 GJ at 129.
198. Currie 5/14/98 GJ at 145.
199. In his grand jury testimony, the President said that
this question at his civil deposition confused him and that he
thought that the questioner was asking whether he could list
specific gifts he had given her rather than whether he had ever
given Ms. Lewinsky a gift. Clinton 8/17/98 GJ at 51-52. Even if
that explanation were credited, the President's answer to the hat
pin question is inaccurate, particularly because he had discussed
it with Ms. Lewinsky on December 28, according to her testimony.
200. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 75.
201. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 167.
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