Clinton Team Charges Starr with Unlawful Leaks
1.19 p.m. ET (1820 GMT) March 2, 1998
WASHINGTON - Lawyers for President Clinton charged that leaks by the special prosecutor's office have harmed the president and others linked to the White House sex scandal, according to documents released Monday.
In a motion filed Feb. 9, Clinton's lawyers asked for a court order holding Kenneth Starr's office in contempt for violating grand jury secrecy rules by disclosing information prejudicial to Clinton and others.
They also asked Chief U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson for an order requiring Starr to preserve all evidence relevant to his office's contacts with the news media.
David Kendall, Clinton's lawyer, said in the 22-page filing that sufficient evidence exists on its face that Starr's office has unlawfully disclosed information in connection with the sex-and-perjury allegations involving Monica Lewinsky.
"The available evidence on this point is overwhelming. The trail of leaks leads to the (office of independent counsel) and demands an explanation,'' he said.
Starr is investigating whether Clinton had a sexual relationship with Lewinsky and whether he asked the former White House intern to lie about it under oath.
Clinton has denied both allegations.
Kendall cited 15 news media reports that reveal grand jury matters and that he said have been linked to Starr's office.
"They (the stories) publicly smear individuals with information purportedly gathered from witnesses, thereby wounding both the witnesses and the subjects of their alleged testimony,'' Kendall said.
"The grand jury process is made selectively and dangerously transparent by these stories at great prejudice to the individuals caught up in the investigation, including President Clinton,'' he said.
Starr's office has denied leaking grand jury information and has accused Clinton's lawyers of using the issue to distract the investigation.
Lewinsky's lawyers have filed a similar complaint with the Justice Department, demanding that Starr's prosecutors be given lie detector tests to determine if they have violated grand jury secrecy rules.
Kendall said the leaks have caused "immense'' harm to Clinton and others linked to the investigation.
"The deluge of leaked information undermines the fundamental and venerable principle that grand jury investigations must be conducted in secrecy and damages the institutions of justice, the integrity of the investigative process and the many individuals caught up in this investigation,'' he said.
Clinton's lawyers requested a hearing at which the burden will be shifted to Starr's office to show it has not been responsible for the leaks.
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