WASHINGTON -- Responding to 81 questions from the congressional impeachment committee, President Clinton has again denied that he lied under oath when he testified about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
The president's written responses were sent yesterday to Rep. Henry J. Hyde, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, whose staff is preparing possible articles of impeachment against Clinton. The articles could include charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power.
The full House may vote on the matter as early as the middle of next month.
In a statement, Clinton said he hoped that his answers "will contribute to a speedy and fair resolution of this matter." But there was little fresh information, and outright evasion on several points, in the 24-page response released yesterday afternoon by the White House.
Many of the written answers simply repeat the statements he gave in the now-settled Paula Corbin Jones sexual misconduct lawsuit in January and again before a federal grand jury in August. Clinton's critics, including independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr, have accused him of lying under oath in both those appearances.
As in earlier testimony, Clinton repeatedly answers that he cannot recall such facts as what he told his secretary, Betty Currie, when he summoned her to the White House on the day after he gave a deposition in the Jones case and appeared to have been coaching her about the Lewinsky matter.
"I do not remember exactly what I said," Clinton responded, when asked to "admit or deny" that he led Currie through a series of statements that seemed designed to help him conceal the Lewinsky relationship.
Hyde said three weeks ago, at the time he submitted the questions, that the Judiciary Committee was hoping to speed the impeachment inquiry by having Clinton agree to certain facts.
In preparing the response, Clinton and his lawyers walked a fine line. They had to avoid saying anything which might irritate the general public, which wants the issue resolved and clearly favors keeping him in office -- but which also believes he deserves some form of punishment for misleading the country.
At the same time, Clinton had to be careful not to make any new admission that might increase the likelihood that charges would be brought against him, either by the House of Representatives or after he leaves office.
'Conduct was wrong'
In his response to Hyde, Clinton tried to straddle that line, as he has before. Reiterating that "my conduct was wrong," Clinton said he had also been "wrong to mislead people about what happened, and I deeply regret that."
"For me, this long ago ceased to be primarily a legal or political issue and became instead a painful personal one, demanding atonement and daily work toward reconciliation and restoration of trust with my family, my friends, my administration and the American people."
Clinton confirmed that his friend Harry Thomason, a Hollywood producer, had encouraged him to "state my denial forcefully" after the Lewinsky story broke. And, the president admitted, he "misled people about the relationship" when he stated that he "did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."
But in answer to specific questions about the statements made under oath, he firmly refused to admit having given false and misleading testimony. Instead, he stuck to the narrow, often legalistic, responses that he has given on other occasions.
The president defended his testimony in the Jones case, when, in response to the question, "Has Monica Lewinsky ever given you any gifts?" he responded, "Once or twice."
"My testimony was not false and misleading," said Clinton, who recalled at the Jan. 17 deposition receiving "a book or two" and a tie from her. "At the time, those were the gifts I recalled."
Unable to recall
Asked by Hyde about 13 specific gifts to Lewinsky, including an Annie Lennox compact disc and some Davidoff cigars, Clinton said he did not remember giving most of them, "although I might have."
In response to many of the questions, Clinton often said he could not recall the details of conversations that he had with Lewinsky.
He did say, as he has before, that he never asked or encouraged Lewinsky to lie "as Ms. Lewinsky herself has confirmed." Clinton's lawyers and his defenders in Congress have repeatedly accused Starr of downplaying Lewinsky's statement that the president never asked her to lie -- a claim that could help defend Clinton if obstruction of justice charges are brought against him.
Clinton's lawyers, in a letter accompanying the president's submission, said they planned to give the Judiciary Committee a further memorandum "in the near future" defending Clinton against possible charges of perjury, suborning perjury, witness tampering, obstruction of justice and abuse of power.
David E. Kendall, the president's private lawyer, said Clinton had responded in "good faith" to the House inquiry.
The president was evasive in response to some of the questions, including whether private investigators and his former aide Betsey Wright had sought damaging information about potential witnesses against Clinton.
ZTC Clinton said only that they had performed "legal and appropriate tasks" on "a variety of matters" and "a wide range of matters." Similarly, Clinton responded indirectly when asked about details his relationship with Lewinsky, including whether they had a plan in which she would pretend to bring him work-related papers or say that her visits to the Oval Office were to see Betty Currie, in order to conceal their relationship.
Responses reiterated
Clinton reiterated an answer he gave the grand jury -- that he had had "no specific memory" of such conversations. "That continues to be my recollection today -- that is, any such conversation was not in connection with her status as a witness in the Jones v. Clinton case," he added.
Last night, Clinton returned to the White House after spending Thanksgiving at Camp David with his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and daughter, Chelsea. He was to sign the responses at that time.
White House aides, apparently eager to make the answers public in the middle of a holiday weekend, when many Americans are focusing their attention elsewhere, had released them several hours earlier.
In a statement, Hyde said the Judiciary Committee would carefully review the responses. The Illinois Republican had become impatient with the lack of a response and warned that he would issue a subpoena, forcing the president to reply, if he did not respond by Monday.
Hyde has said he wants his panel to meet a self-imposed deadline of finishing the impeachment inquiry by the end of the year.
With its investigation entering its final phase, the Judiciary Committee staff has begun drafting one or more proposed articles of impeachment. The articles, which closely track the outlines of Starr's referral to Congress, center on allegations of perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power, according to a committee official.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed that the articles of impeachment now being drawn up are preliminary. They are among various options the committee is likely to consider when it debates proposed articles of impeachment the week of Dec. 7. The committee, which the Republicans dominate, appears to have enough votes to approve such articles.
The full House could take up the matter the following week. It is unclear whether there would be enough votes to approve at least one article of impeachment.
A measure censuring Clinton for his behavior is another option, one that is generally supported by most Americans, according to public opinion polls. The idea of removing Clinton from office lacks support in the Congress and among the public.
Clinton could still face criminal indictment for perjury or other alleged misdeeds once he leaves office. Starr won't say whether he would seek an indictment, but he has also declined to rule it out.
Pub Date: 11/28/98