White House Takes Aim At Willey's Credibility

Clinton attorney attacks Willey's motives

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 17) -- In an attempt to undercut the credibility of President Bill Clinton's latest accuser, the White House Monday released a friendly exchange of letters between the president and Kathleen Willey, in which the former White House volunteer calls herself Clinton's "No. 1 fan" and tells the president "you've been on my mind so often this week."

Willey made the comments in letters dated after the alleged sexual advances by Clinton. On Sunday, the soft-spoken former Democratic fund-raiser told CBS' "60 Minutes" the president groped her during a private 1993 meeting in the White House.

In the interview, Willey alleged that Clinton kissed her, touched her breast and put her hand on his genitals.

Clinton forcefully denied the allegations Monday, saying he was "mystified and disappointed" by Willey's description of his behavior during the meeting. "Nothing improper happened," Clinton told reporters.

Aides: Letters cast doubt on Willey

White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said the White House made public the letters to put Willey's allegations "in context," not to attack her.

"I think that there was an effort to put factual material out so that Americans could place this story in context," McCurry said Tuesday. "Obviously we hope that context is more favorable to the president. But it is not done with any sense of animosity towards Ms. Willey." Willey has not commented on her correspondence with the president.

White House aides said the president was surprised by Willey's allegations because of how she has behaved toward him since the Nov. 29, 1993, meeting.

They said a series of letters and phone calls from Willey to Clinton and his Oval Office administrator, Nancy Hernreich, cast doubt on her statement that she was left angry, distraught and feeling betrayed by Clinton after their meeting.

In a letter from Willey to the president on Nov. 11, 1994, she wrote: "You've been on my mind so often this week. ... Take heart in knowing that your No. 1 fan thanks you every day for your help in saving her wonderful state."

In other letters after the meeting, Willey requested high-powered jobs, sought a position on Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign, and asked for an ambassadorship.

"I have invested almost three years with your campaign and administration and am not very willing to depart yet," she wrote on October 18, 1994. "I would like to be considered for an ambassadorship or a position in an embassy overseas."

She added: "I don't need to remind you of my willingness to help you in any way that I can."

The president did not reply to that letter.

Clinton replied to others, however, with warm, personal and frequent responses. In one reply, he said he had a picture she sent him framed and placed in the Oval Office. He also sent a handwritten note thanking her for a tie.

With one note, she asked for a spot on an environmental committee. Clinton jotted a note on it to his staff: "Is this what Sheila Lawrence did?" Lawrence is another Democratic fund-raiser and longtime Clinton friend.

President Clinton meets Kathy Willey at Williamsburg airport in October 1992
	2.16MB/23 sec./320x240 894KB/23 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie

McCurry denied the White House was "going after" Willey or trying to undermine her credibility. McCurry said the release was designed to "put factual information" before the public.

White House aides have declined to release letters and logs of phone calls from former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, saying the two cases were different. "In the other matter, there is a charge; in this one there's been rumor and innuendo but no public charge," said White House Counsel James Kennedy.

A grand jury is examining whether Clinton had sexual relations with Lewinsky and urged her to lie about it under oath. Clinton has denied those charges.

Anita Hill: 'Not unheard of ... to continue working relationships'

Anita Hill, who accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in 1991, said Tuesday she could understand how Willey could continue a cordial relationship with Clinton even after the alleged incident.

Hill, appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America," said Willey might have been able to separate her feelings about him as president from what she says happened.

"I'm not sure even what happened between her and the president, but it's not unheard of for individuals who have had these kinds of sexual encounters to continue relationships or to continue working relationships with the individuals who have done these things to them," Hill said.

Willey called White House 11 times

As she was seeking employment opportunities from Clinton and maintaining the letter-writing relationship, Willey left 11 telephone messages for Clinton, White House memos show.

Six of those calls came in the three months after the disputed meeting. "Kathleen Willey is coming in Friday and wants to see you," read a typical memo.

The White House arranged for her to go to two international conferences, and in a note scrawled to an aide about Willey, the president asked, "Can we do this for her?"

The release of the letters and phone logs came as congressional leaders in Washington and Americans across the country debated whether Willey was telling the truth in the "60 Minutes" interview.

House Speaker Newt Gingrich described Willey as a "credible witness."

"I found everything we've seen about Mrs. Willey's testimony ... to be very troubling," Gingrich said. (384K wav sound)

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle said he believed the president is telling the truth: "I believe him, period."

And on CNN's "Larry King Live" Monday night, Clinton lawyer Bob Bennett acknowledged Willey seemed "impressive" on "60 Minutes."

"There's no question that Mrs. Willey was impressive on that show," he said. "But you just can't go by appearances. What you've got to do is wait for all of the facts to be out." (224K wav sound)

Bennett also said Willey offered her autobiography to a Los Angeles publisher a month ago. Bennett said Willey's attorney Daniel Gecker was in discussions with New Millennium publisher Michael Viner, best known for his spate of sensational O.J. Simpson books, as late as last Thursday.

He said Gecker had told the publisher the upcoming "60 Minutes" interview would help market Willey's proposed book.

Viner told The Associated Press that Willey was seeking a $300,000 book deal for her autobiography before the "60 Minutes" interview.

Viner said Willey's lawyer contacted him six or seven weeks ago offering a book about her life that would include the alleged encounter with Clinton, her ordeal over her husband's suicide and her views of political life in Washington.

Clinton: 'I told the truth'

Willey, 51, is a potentially critical witness for independent counsel Ken Starr, who is investigating whether Clinton had an affair with Lewinsky and encouraged her to lie about it under oath.

Both the president and Willey provided sworn testimony in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case; one of them apparently did not tell the truth.

"I can just tell you I have done everything I could do to clarify the situation and I have a very clear memory of the meeting and I told the truth," Clinton said Monday. "I certainly stand by the deposition."

Willey came to the Oval Office in November 1993 with severe financial problems and a request for a full-time job. In his deposition, Clinton told lawyers he might have kissed Willey on the forehead to console her.

Willey sought Clinton's help after learning that her husband's finances were failing. Ed Willey, who was under investigation for alleged financial wrongdoing, killed himself the day of the disputed meeting; neither Clinton nor Willey knew about the suicide at the time they met.

Clinton advisers suggest shock from the suicide, her ongoing money pressures or even anger over not getting a big-time job may have led to her accusations. Bennett told CNN's Larry King that the White House is trying to determine whether Willey has sold her story to book publishers or tabloids. Bennett said Willey has debts totaling more than $100,000.

CNN'sWolf Blitzer, Eileen O'Connor and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tuesday March 17, 1998

• White House Takes Aim At Willey's Credibility
• Lewinsky Friend, Presidential Diarist Testify
• Gingrich's Impeachment Committee Idea Runs Into Opposition
• HIV/AIDS Council Rebukes Clinton Administration
• Kennedy Memorabilia Collector Returns Some Disputed Items
• White House Scandal At A Glance

Documents:
• The Willey-Clinton Letters

Players:
• Willey Liked To Hobnob With Politicians