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 For Immediate Release
Mar 24, 1999 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172


STEPHANOPOULOS BOOK CONTRADICTS HIS SWORN TESTIMONY

Swears He Kept Only ‘Personal Notes’ in White House Book Reveals Notes and Tapes on Official White House Matters Former Clinton Spinmaster Walked Out of Filegate Deposition

(See Judicial Watch Reply to George Stephanopoulos' Opposition To Motion for Show Cause Order [for Contempt] at www.judicialwatch.org)

(Washington, March 24) George Stephanopoulos, a key figure in the Filegate scandal, gave sworn testimony that materially contradicts information he revealed in his recently published book. The facts about this are revealed in a Judicial Watch court pleading from its Filegate suit seeking to have the Court hold Stephanopoulos in contempt of court for, among other things, walking out of a Court-ordered deposition (see www.judicialwatch.org) on February 20, 1999. Judicial Watch also asks the Court to fine Stephanopoulos until he fully complies with the Court’s orders.

In his March 9, 1998 Filegate deposition, Stephanopoulos denied under oath keeping notes on official matters at the White House, saying only he kept "some personal notes" which were "all about my private life..." Yet in his book Stephanopoulos admits that, contrary to his sworn testimony, he kept or used detailed notes, chronologies of official events at the White House. He kept these notes at the suggestion of William Safire. At his deposition, Stephanopoulos also denied having and using materials such as tape recordings for his book, but he now incredibly admits in his book that he made tape recorded notes with the help of left-wing writer Eric Alterman. Stephanopoulos’ newly revealed White House recordations cover subjects ranging from Bosnia, to gays in the military, to campaign finance.

"Despite the his exhaustive note taking on numerous matters at the Clinton White House, Mr. Stephanopoulos did not produce one document in response to the Court’s subpoena," noted Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman.

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