ELLICOTT CITY, Maryland (AllPolitics, November 12) -- The grand jury investigating the secret tape recordings made by Linda Tripp of her onetime friend Monica Lewinsky heard testimony Thursday from Lucianne Goldberg, a New York literary agent and friend of Tripp.

Goldberg arrived at court armed with her own tapes -- recordings she secretly made of her phone conversations with Tripp.

Lucianne Goldberg, outside a Maryland courthouse to testify in the Linda Tripp grand jury
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Literary agent Luciane Goldberg testifies before the Tripp grand jury
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Following her testimony, Goldberg told reporters that the grand jury questioning revolved around when Tripp became aware of the wiretap law in Maryland, that makes it illegal to record phone calls without the consent of the other party.

Insisting that she takes "all the blame," Goldberg said a friend told her that under federal law it was legal to tape someone, information she then passed along to Tripp: "On the second tape I tell her that I checked it out and it is legal and I ... had somebody go to the Internet and get the federal law. I didn't ask about state, so -- silly me."

Tripp has admitted recording her conversations with Lewinsky and others, but the challenge for prosecutors is proving Tripp knew it was against the law.

Tripp testified before a federal grand jury last summer that she was aware the recordings violated state law. However since the statements were made under condition of immunity from Independent Counsel Ken Starr, they can't be used against her in the Maryland investigation.

The maximum penalty for breaking the law is five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Jonah Goldberg said he testified for about a half-hour regarding a meeting that took place in his Washington apartment involving his mother, Tripp, and a Newsweek reporter.

Goldberg also said she turned over four tapes which had been subpoenaed by the state prosecutor. Two were conversations she taped between herself and Tripp, the other two were copies of Tripp-Lewinsky tapes.

But Goldberg didn't break any laws because she made her tapes in New York, where it is legal.

"What we will hear on the tapes?" Goldberg said. "You're gonna hear a lot pain, a lot of anguish, a lot of shopping."

Illegally recorded or not, the public will soon hear the conversations of Lewinsky and Tripp. The House Judiciary Committee is set to release the tapes, possibly as soon as next week.

In a related development, sources have told USA Today that Tripp plans to file suit against the Defense Department this week, alleging that the release of her confidential personnel files was a violation of her privacy.

CNN's Jonathan Karl and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Thursday, November 12, 1998

• Newsweek columnist takes home D.C. funniest celebrity prize
• Judge throws out three of 12 embezzlement charges against McDougal
• Literary agent Goldberg testifies before Tripp grand jury
• Secret Service director to resign to run security for Cleveland Browns
• Gore questioned on campaign finances
• Court weighing Jones' appeal looking for evidence of possible perjury by Clinton
• Study finds 'logistical hurdles' in privatizing Social Security
• Gephardt weighs presidential bid; some Democrats say aim for speaker
• Aide: Espy worried brother's debts would tarnish family name
• Ousted Republican regrets 'Twinkle, twinkle, Kenneth Starr'
• Al Gore courts new Iowa governor
• Lewinsky weighs interview offers

Election briefs
• Democrat squeaks by in Nevada Senate review
• New York attorney race still too close to call
• Kerrey to decide on presidential bid by end of year

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