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Judiciary Democrats plan to play hardball with Starr

By John King/CNN

WASHINGTON (November 16) -- House Judiciary Committee Democrats demanded reams of new documents from Ken Starr Monday and served notice they want to question the independent counsel and his deputies about their tactics in the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky investigations.

The Republican Judiciary Committee chairman, meanwhile, offered White House lawyers 30 minutes to cross-examine Starr when he testifies later this week. Democratic congressional sources said the White House had indicated it would accept the offer, but White House officials said no final decision had been made.

Starr, Hyde, Conyers

In letters to Starr and Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, ranking Democrat Rep. John Conyers demanded that several key Starr deputies attend the Thursday hearing prepared to answer questions. Conyers asked Hyde to issue subpoenas for the Starr deputies.

Also, the Democrats asked Starr for any correspondence detailing contacts with Linda Tripp, Paula Jones and her attorneys and a host of conservatives who have emerged from time to time as characters in the Lewinsky saga, including Starr law partner Richard Porter, conservative lawyer George Conway and conservative attorney and commentator Ann Coulter.

The Democratic letter also requested any depositions or grand jury testimony from Tripp and her friend Lucianne Goldberg taken since Starr's referral to Congress, as well as any FBI or other investigative notes in Starr's possession that deal with suggestions Tripp's infamous tapes of Lewinsky might have been duplicated or altered.

Conyers also asked for any ethics opinions issued by Starr ethics adviser Sam Dash or any other ethics or advisory board, and for any notes or summaries of conversations between Starr's office and Arkansas state troopers.

Starr responded to some of the requests later Monday. In a letter to Hyde, Starr indicated he would make documents relating to his jurisdiction over the Lewinsky matter available, except for two documents "responsive to this request which may interfere with an unrelated, ongoing criminal investigation by the Department of Justice." It did not identify the subject of that investigation.

The independent counsel also agreed to provide additional material about Tripp, including investigative documents and additional audio tapes. But Starr said he would not turn over FBI interview notes because of their "confidential, work-product nature of the notes."

Starr's letter did not address the idea of whether he would bring his deputies along and make them available for questioning.

Democrats have served notice they plan to question Starr's credibility and tactics, beginning with whether Starr misled attorney general Janet Reno about how he first came to learn of the president's then-alleged relationship with Lewinsky.


Investigating the President

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Monday, November 16, 1998

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