Clinton Aide Appears Before Grand Jury

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Feb. 26) -- White House senior communications aide Sidney Blumenthal testified before the Monica Lewinsky grand jury Thursday. Prosecutors questioned him about any role he may have played in spreading negative information about investigators in Independent Counsel Ken Starr's office.

Blumenthal, a former reporter, was indignant on leaving the courthouse. "I never imagined that in America I would be hauled before a federal grand jury to answer questions about my conversations with members of the media," he said. "But today I was forced to answer questions about my conversations as part of my job with The New York Times, CNN, CBS, TIME magazine, U.S. News, the New York Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Observer, and there may have been a few others I don't remember right now."

Also in this story:
Democrats upset over Starr tactics
Networks, newspapers file motion on executive privilege discussions
Other grand jury appearances
Group offers seed money to Lewinsky legal fund

Starr has expressed anger over what he calls "an avalanche of lies" about his staff and is investigating if the White House has tried to obstruct his inquiry into the sex-and-perjury allegations against President Bill Clinton.

"Ken Starr's prosecutors demanded to know what I had told reporters and what reporters had told me about Ken Starr's prosecutors," Blumenthal said. "If they think they have intimidated me they have failed. And if any journalist here or elsewhere wants to talk to me, I'll be glad to talk to you."

The grand jury is looking into reports that Clinton had a sexual relationship with Lewinsky, a former White House intern, and encouraged her to lie about it under oath. Clinton has emphatically denied both accusations.

Blumenthal attorney Jo Marsh accused Starr's office of acting "outrageous" and "cowardly," saying the bulk of Thursday's questioning "was about the prosecutors, what's been said about them, what Mr. Blumenthal has heard about them."

"They asked him if the first lady or others at the White House, including the president, had directed him to take any actions or steps against the office of independent counsel. That answer ... was 'Absolutely not.'

"That is an outrageous suggestion. I find it cowardly and despicable," Marsh said.

Marsh said they also questioned him on what, if anything, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton or the president had said about the independent counsel.

"They even asked him if he had ever distributed any positive information about the office of independent counsel," Marsh said.

Meanwhile, 14 Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee have written Attorney General Janet Reno complaining about subpoenas issued by Starr.

The group, including Reps. John Conyers (Mich.), Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Barney Frank (Mass.) and Maxine Waters (Calif.), call Starr's subpoenas to public officials "as a means of preventing or intimidating them from criticizing him ... clearly outrageous and may be prohibited by law."

The members said Starr "is bound by the United States Constitution, which prohibits the attacks on freedom of speech and press in which he is now engaged."

The group cited Supreme Court rulings covering the press and grand juries and said grand juries are "not licensed to engage in arbitrary fishing expeditions, nor may they select targets of investigation out of malice or an intent to harass."

The group went on to ask Reno to enforce the rulings on Starr and "use your authority to require that he drop his campaign of intimidation of those who are engaged in legitimate criticism of his activities."

Networks, newspapers file motion on executive privilege discussions

As the First Amendment debate continues, three broadcast networks, The New York Times and The Washington Post have filed a motion in U.S. District Court, asking the court to open up any procedural discussions on the use of executive privilege in the independent counsel investigation and grand jury proceedings.

White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said the White House counsel's office was reviewing the filing, and he had no further comment on what arguments the White House might have for or against opening up the court proceedings on the subject.

Over the last two days, the White House has refused to say whether it has invoked executive privilege in these proceedings, particularly regarding the testimony of White House deputy counsel Bruce Lindsey. Citing the court seal, Lockhart has said they cannot confirm or deny reports the privilege was invoked, saying "The White House counsel is in ongoing discussions with the independent counsel concerning this issue."

The news organizations' arguments center on the fact the discussion over executive privilege is more of a procedural question and not one involving grand jury testimony per se.

Prosecutors questioned current and former presidential aides Wednesday to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the hiring of Lewinsky for a salaried White House job, as well as her subsequent transfer to the Pentagon.

The independent counsel sought clues to any connection between the former White House intern's job change and the alleged affair with Clinton and a coverup. Clinton has denied both allegations.

Appearing before the grand jury Wednesday were Nancy Hernreich, director of Oval Office operations, and former White House aides Timothy Keating and Patsy Thomasson.

Hernreich, who shares an office with Clinton secretary Betty Currie, returned for a second day of testimony Thursday.

Keating hired Lewinsky for a paying job in the Office of Legislative Affairs after her White House internship in late 1995, and transferred her to the Pentagon in April 1996.

"I made the decision to hire her because she had performed her assignments well as an intern," said Keating. "She was transferred because of dissatisfaction with her performance in the correspondence section.

"In neither situation did I take or recommend any personnel action because of any suggested relationship with the president. In fact I had and have no knowledge of any such relationship," Keating told reporters.

Thomasson was the deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of presidential personnel. She is now at the State Department. Thomasson was questioned about Lewinsky's time at the White House and the details of her transfer to the Pentagon. Thomasson said she didn't even know Lewinsky and had "nothing to offer" about any relationship between Lewinsky and the president.

In another development, a non-profit group that studies women in the workplace says it will contribute $10,000 as seed money for a Lewinsky legal defense fund.

"Having been ambushed by the legal system, she now finds herself pitted against a prosecutor with access to unlimited funds in a city that devours its young," said Rosalie Osias, president of the Osias Foundation.

Lewinsky attorney Bill Ginsburg welcomed the move, but said he is not associated with the undertaking and won't participate in any efforts to coordinate a legal defense fund.

Ginsburg said publicly over the weekend that a defense fund was needed because of Lewinsky's mounting legal bills.

Stung by public criticism following those remarks, Ginsburg is now keeping his distance from any efforts to raise money on Lewinsky's behalf.

In a phone interview with CNN, Ginsburg said his appeal for a defense fund was requested by Lewinsky and her father, Dr. Bernard Lewinsky.

"Whether or not I am paid on this case I will remain involved to the very end," Ginsburg said. "The constitutional issues, particularly the right to privacy and the right to be free from prosecutorial misconduct, are too important to my country for this to be a matter of money."

Thursday Feb. 26, 1998

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