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 For Immediate Release
Jan 15, 1999 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172


Tripp Testimony in Filegate Used by Clinton Lawyers for Impeachment Defenses

Some Media Have Not Reported Testimony As Likely Favor to White House


It is ironic that while the President's and First Lady's lawyers at Williams & Connolly have used their ability to question Linda Tripp in Judicial Watch's Filegate lawsuit as a means to gather information which obviously they will attempt to use in defense of the impeachment proceedings, many major media have chosen not to report on her damaging testimony during this volatile and unpredictable period for the White House.

Tripp's testimony of December 14, 1998, January 5, 1999 has been reported in one Associated Press article, and by Fox News, the "Washington Whispers" column of U.S. News and World Report, The Washington Times and Insight Magazine. Insight, has summarized the testimony in its recent issue. See www.Insightmag.com.

Last Tuesday, Tripp was deposed again, and all three transcripts are available on Judicial Watch's internet site at www.judicialwatch.org.

In approximately 10 hours of videotaped testimony thus far, Tripp, who will be deposed again on Friday, January 22, 1999, has exposed widespread misuse of FBI files in The White House Counsel's Office, revealed that she saw the infamous Rose Law Firm billing records in Vince Foster's safe, as well as an order by Hillary Clinton to fire the Travel Office employees, and that The Washington Post, through its senior editor Leonard Downie, routinely gave "heads up" to The White House on Clinton scandal stories. Finally, she revealed that Ken Starr has never attempted to question her substantively about Filegate or Travelgate, despite his statements before the House Judiciary Committee that he has thoroughly investigated these scandals and found nothing.

During about 1½ hours of hostile examination on Tuesday, January 5, 1999, Clintons’ lawyers did find Tripp's testimony important. Contrary to a court order -- which they violated -- they probed into details about Tripp's actions in the Lewinsky sex scandal, for obvious use during the impeachment trial. "Isn’t is interesting how some major media and Ken Starr don't find Tripp's Filegate testimony to be worth their time, but Williams & Connolly -- the Clintons' lawyers -- do," observed Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman.


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