(2/1/99)
Monica Lewinsky spent about four hours answering questions under oath
today as part of President Clinton's impeachment trial.
The session was videotaped so Senators can view it privately and decide if it
should be shown in public.
Charles Sherrill reports from our Washington Bureau.
We're told the President's lawyers offered Lewinsky his apology for all the
problems the impeachment investigation has caused her.
But we don't know much about the questions she was asked because the whole
session was secret.
Lewinsky's lawyers revealed nothing to the swarm assembled outside
the posh Mayflower hotel where the ex-intern was interrogated.
House prosecutors who did most, perhaps all, of the questioning also emerged
without a word.
Senators who were present as arbiters and observers, said everyone's under a
gag order. Senator Mike DeWine, (R) of Ohio explained, "The deposition video
will be available for senators to begin reviewing at 8:00 tomorrow morning. We
are under a prohibition from the United States Senate not to talk any further
about this."
White House lawyers left the deposition with lips sealed though
earlier today David Kendall unloaded
on special prosecutor Kenneth Starr.
"We're filing today in the United States District Court for the District of
Columbia a motion to show cause why independent Starr and members of his staff
should not be held in contempt for improper violations of grand jury secrecy."
A story in yesterday's New York Times said
Starr has told close associates he
has authority to seek a grand jury indictment of the President before he leaves
the White House. Utah's Senator Orrin Hatch says, "Apparently they just are
stating what the believe the law to be. There's nothing secret about that."
Senator Hatch says he too thinks
a sitting President could be indictment. "The question is, is it wise to indict
a sitting president? And my answer to that is, unless it involves murder or
treason or a clear case of bribery or something like that, I think it would be
very unwise to do so."
A deposition will be taken Tuesday from the President's friend Vernon Jordan
and another on Wednesday from White House aide Sydney Blumenthal. When the
trial resumes on Thursday Senators will decide who, if anyone, should testify
in person.
