Peripheral Figure Feels Heat of Starr's Inquiry nytimes.com
To go with the previous piece, here's an old one on Starr and a bit of his collateral damage. Got to love the guy, if you're into truth, justice and the American Way. Administered in an objective, professional, non-partisan fashion, of course.
Ms. Steele's more defiant posture did little to dampen Starr's interest in her. "They were now out to discredit her," said Ms. Luque, who was concerned that Ms. Steele might be charged with perjury if any of her answers during her second grand-jury appearance conflicted with her earlier testimony.
Ms. Luque insisted that her client cite her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, advice that Ms. Steele said she followed. On Sept. 23, she agreed to take a lie-detector test, which both Ms. Luque and Ms. Steele said she passed.
Since Ms. Steele's second grand-jury appearance, her brother, daughter and former lawyer were subpoenaed. On Thursday, her daughter, Liza Steele, was questioned for six hours before the grand jury.
It remains unclear whether Starr will charge Ms. Steele, but he has collected evidence that she told at least one other person that Ms. Willey had told her she was groped by the president. Bill Poveromo, a one-time friend of Ms. Steele, said in an interview that at dinner in 1997, Ms. Steele told him that Ms. Willey was "flattered" by the pass.
Poveromo was subpoenaed and testified before the grand jury in Alexandria in July. Last week, a representative from Starr's office questioned Poveromo's boss at a Richmond television station. Ms. Luque said Ms. Steele did not recall discussing the matter with Poveromo.
Ms. Steele's version of events is only one of several accounts of the Willey matter. There is Ms. Willey's accusation of a pass and the president's absolute denial. There are the accounts of two friends of Ms. Willey, Linda Tripp and Harolyn Cardozo, who have both said that Ms. Willey was happy about a pass she described from the president.
As for their one-time close friendship, Ms. Steele and Ms. Willey no longer speak. Months ago, they had an angry encounter at a market in Richmond. Of all her mistakes, Ms. Steele said, believing that Ms. Willey was her friend was the biggest.
Think Papal Knight Hyde will try to make Willey into an impeachable offense too? |
