Willey Appears Before Grand Jury

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 10) -- Former White House aide Kathleen Willey testified Tuesday before the grand jury investigating sex-and-perjury allegations against President Bill Clinton.

Willey gave a sworn statement in the Paula Jones civil rights suit, claiming to have had sexual contact with Clinton in 1993. Willey changed her sworn statement last week.

She had previously testified she talked with no one about her testimony in the Jones case. But in her revision, filed on the last possible day to avoid a perjury charge, she cites Democratic fund-raiser Nathan Landow as speaking to her several times.

Also in this story:

• Change in grand jury schedule
  
• GOP will push for a increased staff for the House Judiciary Committee

Independent Counsel Ken Starr is particularly interested in Landow's relationship to Willey and finding out whether the Democratic fund-raiser encouraged Willey to lie about the alleged encounter with Clinton.

Landow is quoted in news reports as acknowledging talking to Willey, but not about her testimony.

Willey is believed to be cooperating with Starr's investigation, arriving at the courthouse Tuesday morning without a lawyer and in the van used by the independent counsel's prosecutors.

Starr's Washington grand jury is looking into reports Clinton had a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and encouraged her to lie about it under oath. Clinton has emphatically denied the allegations.

Willey had served as a campaign volunteer and was later hired to work in the White House in the counsel's office and the social secretary's office.

In her sworn statement in the Jones lawsuit, Willey describes in detail how she came to the president to say she was "desperate" for a job, because she and her husband were having serious difficulties.

She also describes how she says Clinton took her to his small study off the Oval Office, tried to kiss her, groped her and how they were interrupted by an aide's knock on the door.

The claim of Clinton's behavior was first made by Linda Tripp, the same woman who secretly taped Lewinsky discussing an alleged affair with the president. Tripp says Willey told her about it, after Tripp saw her leaving a White House office disheveled and with smeared lipstick.

Sources say the list of "talking points" Lewinsky gave to Tripp suggested that Tripp say Willey had essentially made up the encounter.

Willey's account has been challenged. Sources say the president's lawyers have an affidavit from a friend of Willey's saying Willey tried to get her to lie and say Willey had told her of the incident on the day it happened, when she did not.

During his deposition in the Jones case, Clinton denied groping Willey.

There was a last-minute change in Starr's plans regarding the witness scheduled before the grand jury in Washington Tuesday, sources familiar with the investigation tells CNN.

Bayani Nelvis, a steward in the White House, will not be called Tuesday as previously planned. Instead, Nelvis is tentatively scheduled to appear Thursday with the president's secretary, Betty Currie. Currie is still likely to appear Wednesday as well.

Sources say Nelvis will be questioned "to tie up loose ends" regarding his vantage point during any meetings between Clinton and Lewinsky in the Oval Office. Currie will also be questioned again on that subject, among others.

It was Currie who called presidential friend Vernon Jordan and asked him to help Lewinsky get a job in the private sector. Jordan has told associates that he assumed Clinton asked Currie to place the call, and both Jordan and the president say that Jordan kept Clinton up to speed on his job search efforts.

The president said he may have met alone with Lewinsky a few times, but that there were always people like Currie nearby.

One of the sources said White House deputy counsel and presidential confidante Bruce Lindsey was also told to be on standby this week but that he has not received a firm notice of when he will be called to testify.

Lindsey's testimony would again raise the question of executive privilege, which sources tell CNN Clinton is prepared to invoke.

Meanwhile, Republicans say they intend to move quickly to increase the staff of the House committee which would handle any impeachment material submitted to Congress as a result of Starr's investigation.

Sources say Republicans are likely to approve nearly $1.5 million in additional funds for the House Judiciary Committee later this month.

Expected to oppose the move are House Democrats, even though they would receive one-third of the funds to hire their own staff, aides said Monday.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) requested $1.45 million in December for staff salaries. This would be enough to hire approximately 18 lawyers. The money was needed to allow for "vigorous Judiciary Committee oversite of the Justice Department" not related to impeachment, Hyde said in a letter to Speaker Newt Gingrich.

GOP sources say the lawyers hired for the Judiciary Committee could change direction if needed and focus their attention on impeachment materials submitted by Starr.

Tuesday March 10, 1998

• Willey Appears Before Grand Jury
• Reno Gets 60-Day Extension For Herman Probe
• Rep. McCollum Ripped For Ties To Banking Industry
• White House Scandal At A Glance
• Reporter Apologizes For Clinton Sex Article
• McDougal Collapsed While In Detention