Jump to the start of individual depositions: Lewinsky, Jordan, Blumenthal

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Um, well, I mean, that really was in relation to discussing Linda Tripp. So--

Q. And the Jones lawyers, too. Was that right?

A. Um, I--I don't know that I discussed the Jones lawyers. If I've testified that I discussed the Jones lawyers, then I did, but--

Q. Okay. Well, tell us about the notes.

A. Well, the--sort of the--I don't know what to call it, but the story that I gave to Mr. Jordan was that I was trying to sort of alert to him that, gee, maybe Linda Tripp might be saying these things about me having a relationship with the President, and right now, I'm explaining this to you. These aren't the words that I used or how I said it to him, and that, you know, maybe she had seen drafts of notes, trying to obviously give an excuse as to how Linda Tripp could possibly know about my relationship with the President without me having been the one to have told her. So that's what I said to him.

Q. And what was his response?

A. I think it was something like go home and make sure--oh, something about a--I think he asked me if they were notes from the President to me, and I said no. I know I've testified to this. I stand by that testimony, and I'm just recalling it, that I said no, they were draft notes or notes that I sent to the President, and then I believe he said something like, well, go home and make sure they're not there.

Q. And what did you do when you went home?

A. I went home and I searched through some of my papers, and--and the drafts of notes I found, I sort of--I got rid of some of the notes that day.

Q. So you threw them away?

A. Mm-hmm.

THE REPORTER: Is that a "yes"?

THE WITNESS: Yes. Sorry.

BY MR. BRYANT:

Q. On your way home, you were with Mr. Jordan? I mean, he carried--did he carry you someplace or take you home, drop you off?

A. Yes, he dropped me off.

Q. Okay. On the way home--

A. It wasn't on the way to my home, but--

Q. Okay. Did he--did you tell him that you had had an affair with the President?

A. Yes.

Q. What was his response?

A. No response.

Q. When was the next time--well, let me direct your attention to Monday, January the 5th, 1998. You had an occasion to meet with your lawyer, Mr. Carter, about your case, possible depositions, and so forth. Did you have some concern at that point about those depositions and how you might answer questions in the Paula Jones case?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you reach any sort of determination or resolution of those concerns by talking to Mr. Carter?

A. No.

Q. What's the status of the affidavit at this point? Is there one?

A. No.

Q. Do you recall any other concerns or questions that either you or Mr. Carter may have presented to each other during that meeting?

A. I think I--I think it was in that meeting I brought up the notion of having my family present, if I had to do a deposition, and he went through what--I believe we discussed--at this point, I think I probably knew at this point I was going to sign an affidavit, but it wasn't created yet, and I believe we discussed what--if the affidavit wasn't, I guess, successful--I don't know how you'd say legally--say that legally--but what a deposition would be like, sitting at a table.

Q. I'll bet he never told you it would be like this, did he?

A. No.

Q. Did you try to contact the President after you left the meeting with Mr. Carter?

A. Yes.

Q. And you reached Betty Currie?

A. Yes.

Q. And you told her to pass along to the President that you wanted--it was important to talk with him?

A. Yes.

Q. You may have mentioned to her something about signing something?

A. Right; I might have.

Q. What response did you get from that telephone call?

A. Uh, Betty called me back, maybe an hour or two later, and put the President through.

Q. And what was that conversation?

A. I know I've testified to this, and it was sort of two- fold. On the one hand, I was, uh, upset, so I was sort of in a pissy mood and a little bit contentious. Uh, but more related to the case, uh, I had concerns that from questions Mr. Carter had asked me about how I got my job at the Pentagon and transferred and, and, uh, I was concerned as to how to answer those questions because those questions involved naming other people who I thought didn't like me at the White House, and I was worried that those people might try and--just to get me in trouble because they didn't like me--so that if they were then--I mean, I had no concept of what exactly happens in these legal proceedings, and I thought, well, maybe if I say Joe Schmo helped me get my job, then they'd go interview Joe Schmo, and so, if Joe Schmo said, "No, that's not true," because he didn't like me, then I didn't want to get in trouble. So--

Q. Did there appear to be a question possibly about how you--how you got the job at the Pentagon? Did you fear for some questions there?

A. Yes. I think I tend to be sort of a detail-oriented person, and so I think it was, uh, my focusing on the details and thinking everything had to be a very detailed answer and not being able to kind of step back and look at how I could say it more generally. So that's what concerned me.

Q. Mm-hmm. This--

A. Because clearly, I mean, I would have had to say, "Gee, I was transferred from the Pentagon because I had this relationship that I'm not telling you about with the President." So there was--there was that concern for me there.

Q. And what did the President tell you that you could say instead of saying something like that?

A. That the people in Legislative Affairs helped me get the job--and that was true.

Q. Okay, but it was also true, to be complete, that they moved you out into the Pentagon because of the relationship with the President?

A. Right.

Q. Did--did the subject of the affidavit come up with the President?

A. Yes, towards the end of the conversation.

Q. And how did--tell us how that occurred.

A. I believe I asked him if he wanted to see a copy of it, and he said no.

Q. Well, I mean, how did you introduce that into the subject--into the conversation?

A. I don't really remember.

Q. Did he ask you, well, how's the affidavit coming or--

A. No, I don't think so.

Q. But you told him that you had one being prepared, or something?

A. I think I said--I think I said, you know, I'm going to sign an affidavit, or something like that.

Q. Did he ask you what are you going to say?

A. No.

Q. And this is the time when he said something about 15 other affidavits?

A. Correct.

Q. And tell us as best as you can recall what--how that-- how that part of the conversation went.

A. I think that was the--sort of the other half of his sentence as, No, you know, I don't want to see it. I don't need to--or, I've seen 15 others. It was a little flippant.

Q. In his answer to this proceeding in the Senate, he has indicated that he thought he had--might have had a way that he could have you--get you to file a--basically a true affidavit, but yet still skirt these issues enough that you wouldn't be called as a witness. Did he offer you any of these suggestions at this time?

A. He didn't discuss the content of my affidavit with me at all, ever.

Q. But, I mean, he didn't make an offer that, you know, here's what you can do, or let me send you over something that can maybe keep you from committing perjury?

A. No. We never discussed perjury.

Q. On--well, how did that conversation end? Did you talk about anything else?

A. I said goodbye very abruptly.

Q. The next day--well, on January the 6th--I'm not sure exactly what day we are--1998, did you pick up a draft of the affidavit from Mr. Carter?

A. Yes, I did.

Q. What did you do with that draft?

A. I read it and went through it.

Q. How did it look?

A. I don't really remember my reaction to it. I know I had some changes. I know there's a copy of this draft affidavit that's part of the record, but--

Q. Were portions of it false?

A. Incomplete and misleading.

Q. Did you take that affidavit to Mr. Jordan?

A. I dropped off a copy in his office.

Q. Did you have any conversation with him at that point or some later point about that affidavit?

A. Yes, I did.

Q. And tell us about that.

A. I had gone through and had, I think, as it's marked--can I maybe see? Isn't there a copy of the draft? [Witness handed document.] [Witness perusing document.] The WITNESS: Thank you.

SENATOR DeWINE: Mr. Bryant, can you reference for the record at this point?

MR. BRYANT: Okay.

SENATOR DeWINE: If you can.

MR. BRYANT: It would be-- MR. SCHIPPERS: 1229.

SENATOR DeWINE: 1229? MR. SCHIPPERS: Yes.

SENATOR DeWINE: All right. Thank you.

BY MR. BRYANT:

Q. Okay. Have you had an opportunity to review the draft of your affidavit?

A. I--yes.

Q. Okay. What--do you have any comment or response?

A. I received it. I made the suggested changes, and I believe I spoke with Mr. Jordan about the changes I wanted to make.

Q. Did he have any comment on your proposed changes?

A. I think he said the part about Lewis & Clark College was irrelevant. I'd have to see the--I don't believe it's in the final copy in the affidavit, so--but I could be mistaken.

Q. At this point, of course, you had a lawyer, Mr. Carter, who was representing your interest. Mr. Jordan was--I'm not sure if he--how you would characterize him, but would it-- would it be that you view Mr. Jordan as, in many ways, Mr.-- the President--if

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Friday, February 5, 1999

• Defense, prosecution plot best use of videotapes
• Transcript highlights from the witness depositions
• Bipartisan group moves to open Senate deliberations
• Straw poll focuses attention on potential women candidates
• Secret Service concerned over Chelsea Clinton cover story
• GOP told to develop post-impeachment message
• Starr lawyers discuss impeachment
• President to establish race relations office
• Is Chelsea Clinton a valid journalistic subject?

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