Tripp Denies Tricking Lewinsky
Woman Who Taped Ex-Intern Eager To Appear Before Grand Jury
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Tripp (center) arrives at the courthouse Tuesday
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WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, June 30) -- Linda Tripp, the one-time friend and co-worker of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, emerged from seclusion Tuesday morning anxious to "tell the truth" to Independent Counsel Ken Starr and a federal grand jury.
It was Tripp who secretly recorded her phone conversations with Lewinsky, for 20 hours in all, about Lewinsky's alleged relationship with President Bill Clinton.
More than six months after she turned those tapes over to Starr, Tripp arrived at the federal courthouse to tell her story to his grand jury for the first time. Sources tell CNN that she expects to spend several days before the panel, explaining the talk on those tapes.
In an interview reported in The Washington Post Tuesday, Tripp said she had been vilified unfairly. "I am so anxious to go before the grand jury and tell the truth," she told the newspaper.
'Monica is a very worldly person. She educated me'
Tripp, 48, dismissed allegations that she had betrayed Lewinsky and had cynically tried to use their friendship as Pentagon co-workers against Clinton. "I did not cultivate Monica -- she cultivated me," Tripp told the Post. "Monica is a very worldly person. She educated me."
During a 20-minute telephone interview Sunday, Tripp refused to discuss Starr's investigation, her taping of Lewinsky or what she will tell the grand jury, the Post said.
"Linda Tripp ... believes the public will have a better understanding of the events that led to this investigation when all of the facts are revealed," said her lawyers, Anthony Zaccagnini and Joe Murtha.
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Tripp and Lewinsky
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The grand jury is investigating allegations that Clinton had a sexual relationship with Lewinsky and asked her to lie about it. In a deposition in the Paula Jones case, and publicly, Clinton has denied the charges.
Clinton is in China and Lewinsky is in California as the investigation takes this dramatic turn.
The president's supporters question Tripp's credibility, and her motives.
Former White House special counsel Lanny Davis said, "Fact number one is that she secretly taped a young woman who considered her a friend. Fact number two is that she secretly contacted and debriefed the Paula Jones attorneys the night before the president was deposed essentially setting up a trap for the president of the United States. Fact number three is that Lucianne Goldberg, her literary agent, said that she advised Ms. Tripp to do the taping in order to enhance the prospects of a book contract."
Tripp said the taping began only after Lewinsky asked her to lie in the Jones sexual harassment case and deny Lewinsky told her of a sexual relationship with the president.
Tripp's testimony raises the stakes for Lewinsky and her lawyers. When asked on Monday if Tripp's appearance puts pressure on his client, attorney Plato Cacheris answered, "No, no pressure at all."
But sources tell CNN immunity talks with Starr's office are going nowhere, and say that Lewinsky's lawyers believe that if a deal isn't struck soon, that Starr will indict the former White House intern.
Correspondent John King contributed to this report.
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Tripp denies tricking Lewinsky, in RealVideo 
