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Transcripts from video deposition of Lewinsky, Jordan, and BlumenthalJump to the start of individual depositions: Lewinsky, Jordan, Blumenthal [Previous Page][Page S1226][Next Page]
reading from my direct testimony, but--because you said--your first statement was from everything the President had told you. So I don't know if that was--if those were my words or not, but I--no, I was--I--it--I was concerned about the gifts. I was worried someone might break into my house or concerned that they actually existed, but I wasn't concerned about turning them over because I knew I wasn't going to, for the reason that you stated. Q. But the pattern that you had had with the President to conceal this relationship, it was never a question that, for instance, that given day that he gave you gifts that you were not going to surrender those to the Jones attorneys because that would-- A. In my mind, there was never a question, no. Q. I'm just actually looking at your deposition on page-- no, I'm sorry--your grand jury proceedings of August the 6th, just to be clear, since you raised that question. 1004 in the book, appendices. You indicate that in response to a question, "What do you think the President is thinking when he is giving you gifts when there is a subpoena covering gifts. I mean, does he think in any way, shape or form that you're going to be turning these gifts over?" And your answer is, "You know, I can't answer what he was thinking, but, to me, it was--there was never a question in my mind, and I--from everything he said to me, I never questioned him that we were ever going to do anything but keep this private. So that meant deny it, and that meant do whatever appropriate--take whatever appropriate steps needed to be taken, you know, for that to happen, meaning that if--if I had to turn over every gift--if I had turned over every gift he had given me--first of all, the point of the affidavit and the point of everything was to try to avoid a deposition. So where I'd have to sort of--you know, I wouldn't have to lie as much as I would necessarily in an affidavit how I saw it," and you continue on, just one short paragraph. A. Right. Q. "So, by turning over all of these gifts, it would at best prompt him to want to question me about what kind of friendship I had with the President, and they would want to speculate and they'd leak it, and my name would be trashed and he would be in trouble." So you recall giving that testimony? A. Yes. I accept--I accept what's said here. Q. Okay. A. It's a little different from what you said, but very close. Q. Thank you. Did the President ever tell you to turn over the gifts? A. Not that I remember. Q. Now, is that--does that bring us to the end of this conversation with the President, or did other things occur? A. I think that the aspect of where this case is related, yes. Q. Okay. And then you left, and where did you go when you left the White House? A. I think I went home. Q. This is at--at your apartment? A. My mother's apartment. Q. Mother's apartment. Did you later that day receive a call from Betty Currie? A. Yes, I did. Q. Tell us about that. A. I received a call from--from Betty, and to the best of my memory, she said something like I understand you have something for me or I know--I know I've testified to saying that--that I remember her saying either I know you have something for me or the President said you have something for me. And to me, it's a--she said--I mean, this is not a direct quote, but the gist of the conversation was that she was going to go visit her mom in the hospital and she'd stop by and get whatever it was. Q. Did you question Ms. Currie or ask her, what are you talking about or what do you mean? A. No. Q. Why didn't you? A. Because I assumed that it meant the gifts. Q. Did--did you have other telephone calls with her that day? A. Yes. Q. Okay. What was the purpose of those conversations? A. I believe I spoke with her a little later to find out when she was coming, and I think that I might have spoken with her again when she was either leaving her house or outside or right there, to let me know to come out. Q. Do--at that time, did you have the caller identification-- A. Yes, I did. Q. --on your telephone? A. Yes. Q. And did you at least on one occasion see her cell phone number on your caller-ID that day? A. Yes, I did. Q. Now, Ms. Currie has given different versions of what happened there, but I recall one that she mentioned about Michael Isikoff, that you had called her and said Michael Isikoff is calling around or called me-- A. Mm-hmm. Q. --about some gifts. Did Mr. Isikoff ever call you about the gifts? A. No. Q. Okay. Would there have been--would there have been any reason for you not to have carried the gifts to Ms. Currie had you wanted her--had you called her, would you have had her come over to get them from you, or does that-- A. Probably not. Q. I mean, is there--is there any doubt in your mind that she called you to come pick up the gifts? A. I don't think there is any doubt in my mind. Q. Okay. Let me ask was--I think you did something special for her, as I recall, too, or her mother. Did you prepare a plant or something for her to pick up? A. Um, no. I just-- Q. To take to her mother? A. I bought a small plant and a balloon. Q. Okay. What was your understanding about her mother, and was-- A. Oh, I--I knew her mom was in--was in the hospital and was sick, and I think this was her second trip to the hospital in several months, and it had been a tough year. Q. And was she--was Mrs. Currie coming by your place on her way to visit her mother in the hospital? Do you know that? A. That's what I remember her saying. Q. So you prepared--and you bought a gift for her mother? A. Correct. Q. Okay. Do you know what kind of time frame this covered? First of all, it was the same day, December the 28th, 1997? A. Seven, yes. Q. Do you know what kind of time frame it covered? A. I think it was afternoon. I know I've testified to around 2 o'clock. Q. Could it have been later? A. Sure. Q. So, when Betty Currie came, what--what did you have prepared for her? A. I had a box from the Gap with some of the presents the President had given me, taped up in it. Q. What happened when she arrived? A. Uh, I think I walked out to the car and asked her to hold onto this, and I think we talked about her mom for a few minutes. Um-- Q. Did she call you right before she arrived, or did you just go wait for her in the building? A. I think she called me right before she--at some point, I think, before she--either when she was leaving or she was outside. Q. Do you know--did you have any indication from Ms. Currie what she was going to do with that box of gifts? A. Um, I know I've testified to this. I don't--I don't remember. I think maybe she said something about putting it in a closet, but whatever I--I stand by whatever I've said in my testimony about it. Q. But she was supposed to keep these for you? A. Well, I had asked her to. Q. Okay. Did Ms. Currie ask you at any time about what was in the box? A. No, or not that I recall, I guess I should say. Q. What was the--in your mind, what was the purpose of having Ms. Currie retain these gifts as opposed to another friend of yours? A. Hmm, I know I've testified to this, and I can't--can I look at my grand jury--I mean, I don't really remember sitting here right now, but if I could look at my grand jury testimony, I--or I'd just stand by it. Q. We will pass that to you. A. Okay. Thank you. [Witness handed documents.] BY MR. BRYANT: Q. The answer I'm looking for is--if this refreshes your recollection is that turning these over was a reassurance to the President that everything was okay. Is that-- A. Can I read it in context, please? Q. Sure, sure. A. Thank you. [Witness perusing document.] THE WITNESS: I--I--I stand by this testimony. I mean, I'd just note that it--what I'm saying here about giving it to the President or the assurance to the President is how I saw it at that point, not necessarily how I felt then. So I think you asked me what--why I didn't at that point, and I'm just-- that's what's a little more clear there, just to be precise. I'm sorry. BY MR. BRYANT: Q. Okay. Did you have any later conversations with either Ms. Currie or the President about these gifts in the box? A. No. Q. Let me direct your attention to your meeting with Vernon Jordan on December the 31st of 1997. Was that to go back and talk about the job again? A. Little bit, but the--the--for me, the point of that meeting was I had gotten to a point where Linda Tripp wasn't returning my phone calls, and so I felt that I needed to devise some way, that somehow--to kind of cushion the shock of what would happen if Linda Tripp testified all the facts about my relationship, since I had never disclosed that to the President. So that was sort of my intention in meeting with Mr. Jordan, was hoping that I could give a little information and that would get passed on. Q. This was at a meeting for breakfast at the Park Hyatt Hotel? A. Yes. Q. Were just the two of you present? A. Yes. Q. Did you discuss other things, other than Linda Tripp and your job search? A. I think we talked about what each of us were doing New Year's Eve. Q. Specifically about some notes that you had at your apartment? A. Oh, yes. I'm sorry. [[Page S1226]]
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