Clinton Lied Three Times
Filed at 4:22 a.m. EDT
By The Associated Press
In his report on possibly impeachable offenses, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr said Clinton
''lied under oath three times'' in his grand jury testimony. What the report said were false statements
and samples of Clinton's testimony on those subjects:
1) The Starr report says Clinton ''could not have believed that he was telling 'the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth' in denying a sexual relationship, sexual relations, or a sexual affair
with Monica Lewinsky.''
Clinton maintained that he had not lied to Paula Jones' attorneys because his interactions with Ms.
Lewinsky fell outside the attorneys' definition of ''sexual relations,'' which included contact with any
of a list of body parts.
Clinton testified: ''If the deponent is the person who has oral sex performed on him, then the contact
is with -- not with anything on that list, but with the lips of another person. It seems to be
self-evident that that's what it is. And I thought it was curious. Let me remind you, sir, I read this
carefully. And I thought about it.''
2) Starr said the president's testimony contradicts Ms. Lewinsky's testimony that he fondled her
breasts and other body parts. ''On this issue, either Monica Lewinsky lied to the grand jury, or
President Clinton lied to the grand jury. Under any rational view of the evidence, the president lied
to the grand jury,'' the report said.
Clinton agreed in his testimony that he would have engaged in ''sexual relations'' under the Jones
definition if he had touched Ms. Lewinsky's breasts or other designated body parts with intent to
arouse himself or her. But when asked whether he did, he reverted to his opening statement, which
admitted ''inappropriate'' contact with Ms. Lewinsky while avoiding details.
''You are free to infer that my testimony is that I did not have sexual relations, as I understood this
term to be defined,'' he said.
Q: ''Including touching her breast, kissing her breast, or touching her genitalia?''
A: ''That's correct.''
3) Clinton testified that his intimate contact with Ms. Lewinsky did not begin until 1996, when she
was a paid White House staffer. Ms. Lewinsky testified that it began Nov. 15, 1995, while she was
an intern, and the Starr report said statements she made to friends at the time corroborated her
account. ''The motive for the president to make a false statement'' appears to be to cover up an
encounter with ''a young 22-year old White House intern,'' the report said.
Clinton testified: ''When I was alone with Ms. Lewinsky on certain occasions in early 1996 and
once in early 1997, I engaged in conduct that was wrong. These encounters did not consist of
sexual intercourse. ... But they did involve inappropriate intimate contact.'' |
