Clinton Says He'll 'Never' Consider Resigning

White House fights back against 'intolerable' leaks

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Feb. 6) -- As White House officials steamed about news leaks, President Bill Clinton again denied asking anyone to lie about an alleged sexual affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

"I never asked anybody to do anything but tell the truth," Clinton told reporters Friday at a news conference with visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Clinton said little new about the controversy, despite reporters' attempts to get him to comment about news reports detailing what White House secretary Betty Currie has told Whitewater prosecutor Ken Starr's investigators.

Starr is looking into whether Clinton had a sexual relationship with Lewinsky and then tried to cover it up.

Currie has told the independent counsel's office she knows of several occasions on which Clinton and Lewinsky met alone, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

The source, however, refused to discuss Currie's testimony to the grand jury investigating Clinton, and declined comment when asked if Currie had offered any evidence of a sexual relationship between the two. Clinton has repeatedly denied having sexual relations with Lewinsky, or asking her to lie about it under oath.

At the news conference, Clinton was asked whether, because of the painful accusations against him, he would ever decide the personal price wasn't worth it and consider resigning.

"Never," Clinton said. "I would never walk away from the people of this country and the trust they've placed in me."

In avoiding more specific comments, Clinton said he was "honoring the rules of the investigation."

"And if someone else is leaking unlawfully out of the grand jury proceeding, that's a different story," Clinton said.

The White House was furious about articles in Friday's New York Times and Washington Post about Currie's statements to investigators. Clinton attorney David Kendall vowed to take Whitewater prosecutors to court, accusing them of leaking secret grand jury information.

In Little Rock, Ark., Starr said he was concerned about possible leaks, too, and was trying to find out what happened. "If there was an act of unprofessional activity, I am confident we will find it out," Starr said.

According to a source, Currie says that on several occasions when Lewinsky was at the White House to visit her or when she stopped by to say hello, Lewinsky and Clinton spent some time together alone.

A senior advisor to Clinton confirmed to CNN that Clinton called Currie to a White House meeting to discuss his recollection of Lewinsky after the president gave his deposition in the Paula Jones case last month.

The source vehemently objected to any characterization of the discussion as Clinton pressuring Currie to hide anything or to lie. The source said Clinton said his own memory was hazy, and he wanted to bounce his recollections off Currie to see if he was right.

The source said, "There is an innocent explanation for this. The president was seeking the truth, not asking her [Currie] to lie."

The source said Currie was always nearby when Lewinsky was in the West Wing with Clinton.

Currie's lawyer denied that Clinton coached her to coordinate her memory with his in connection with Lewinsky's visits to the White House.

"I am shocked and dismayed by the numerous leaks regarding Mrs. Currie's grand jury testimony," says Lawrence Wechsler, the lawyer. "I want to be absolutely clear: to the extent there is any implication or the slightest suggestion that Mrs. Currie believed that the president or anyone else tried to influence her recollection, that is absolutely false and a mischaracterization of the facts."

The New York Times, quoting lawyers familiar with Currie's account, also reported that Currie retrieved several gifts -- a dress, a brooch and a hat pin -- that the president had given Lewinsky.

More wrangling over immunity

In their continuing battle over immunity, Lewinsky's lawyer insists that he has a binding agreement with Starr which grants Lewinksy full immunity in exchange for her cooperation with the investigation.

Attorney Bill Ginsburg told CNN that Lewinsky will be made available for a face-to-face interview and polygraph only after Starr acknowledges the immunity agreement. Starr denies there is any such agreement.

"Judge Starr has made an agreement to grant Monica Lewinsky complete immunity and sent Ms. Lewinsky a letter confirming the grant of immunity," Ginsburg said. "Under that agreement Judge Starr has the right to meet face to face with Ms. Lewinsky at any time and for as long as he wishes to meet.

"His continued insistence that he cannot have a face-to-face talk with Ms. Lewinsky has no basis in fact," Ginsburg said. "Under the immunity agreement, Mr. Starr has the right to polygraph tests and other forensic mechanisms to test the truth and veracity of Ms. Lewinsky."

Asked about a possible deal, Starr said Friday, "We must know that the witness is telling the truth. Give us transparency. Give us the facts."

Starr has said there was a noon deadline Friday for Lewinsky to agree to an interview next week. Said Ginsburg, "We're perfectly happy to make her available once they live up to the deal they made."

Ginsburg blasted Starr's tactics, saying he has engaged "in the same pattern of abuse" that he has committed against others in the investigation. Ginsburg said Starr's office was engaged in an "orchestrated campaign to pressure Ms. Lewinsky into statements that are not true."

Ginsburg also said he would be "moving appropriately" to force Starr to live up to the agreement. Asked if that meant he would go to court, Ginsburg said, "That would be an excellent thought. That's where you would enforce it."

FBI questions Lewinsky's brother

Meanwhile, FBI agents assigned to Starr's investigation showed up Friday at the fraternity house of Monica Lewinsky's younger brother, CNN has learned.

Michael Lewinsky is a student at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Sources close to the Lewinsky family say the agents questioned the 19-year-old brother about his sister, and angrily insisted the questioning was designed to increase the pressure on Lewinsky to cooperate with Starr.

Lewinsky mobbed in L.A.

Meanwhile, Lewinsky had dinner out at a Los Angeles restaurant Thursday night and was mobbed by reporters.

Accompanied by Ginsburg, her father and stepmother, Lewinsky left the L.A. Farm restaurant amid a crush of media. While struggling to get to his car, Ginsburg refused to comment on any developments regarding his client.(1.4M QuickTime movie, or 3.2M larger screen QuickTime movie).

Later at his home, Ginsburg said, "I have no comments, the situation has to be analyzed and reviewed ... I don't know what the developments were today, I am very confused right now ... I have to look at them."

Another subpoena for Jones' attorneys

Paula Jones' attorneys confirmed to CNN they have received a second subpoena from Starr asking for any depositions or other legal documents relating to ex-White House aide Kathleen Willey, Lewinsky or other "Jane Does" who might have come up in their investigation.

"We will attempt to comply," a Jones' attorney told CNN.

Meanwhile, sources said U.S. District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright held a conference call Thursday night to consider the motion by Clinton's attorney Bob Bennett to move the date up of the Paula Jones trial. Jones' attorneys have filed their own motions opposing the motion.

Sources tell CNN that the judge came to no decision during the confidential conference call.

Begala: investigate the leaks

Meanwhile, White House advisor Paul Begala also condemned news leaks fueling the controversy.

"I've known Betty Currie for a long time," Begala said. "I just adore her. I love her, and she would never, never mislead you. And her attorney is saying there's no unethical, no improper behavior here. And I think that's the real news here, that there are these leaks, which themselves are illegal, and they ought to be investigated. A lot of thoughtful people are calling for that now.

"Mrs. Currie's attorney has issued a statement saying Mrs. Currie is not aware of any illegal, improper, unethical activity here. And yet these leaks continue. The leaks themselves, I think, are highly unethical. They might be illegal, if they're coming out of information that's before the grand jury.

"In our system, grand juries take every charge, every lie, and they try to sort the truth from the lies, and then they move forward into the system. And that's how the system ought to work. We should respect the secrecy of the grand jury so they can sort through what's true and what's not. And someone is leaking, and if they are leaking from the grand jury investigation, then that's a violation of the law," Begala said.

CNN's John King and Bob Franken and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Friday February 6, 1998

• Clinton Says He'll Never Consider Resigning
• With Grand Jury News Leaking, Is Starr's Office Out Of Control?
• Clinton's 'Hunker-Down' Strategy Holds
• White House Scandal At A Glance
• Romer Acknowledges Extramarital Relationship

Poll:
• Military Force Should Be Used In Iraq

Profile:
• Who Is Betty Currie?

Transcripts:
• Clinton, Blair Joint News Conference