Starr is probing the probe

On another front, Lewinsky’s lawyer, William Ginsburg, suggested he may sue his client’s co-worker, Linda Tripp, for secretly taping conversations she and Lewinsky had about the allegedaffair and Clinton’s attempts to hush it up. Lewinsky has denied having sex with Clinton in a sworn deposition but Tripp turned the audio tapes over to Starr, who then opened his investigation on January 21.

Clinton has also denied the affair in a sworn statement for the sexual harassment suit filed by Paula Jones, whose legal team is attempting to establish a pattern of sexual misconduct by the President. On Wednesday, attorneys for Jones claimed the Clinton camp made another attempt recently to settle the suit, which is scheduled to go to trial on May 27.

An assistant to Clinton’s lawyer called the statement issued on Thursday by Donovan Campbell “erroneous and misleading,” and said he did not make the offer on Clinton’s behalf and had no authority to do so. The denial left unclear what was discussed between the two camps.

Jones, who accuses Clinton of crudely propositioning her when he was Arkansas governor in 1991 and she a State employee, is demanding $2 million in damages and an apology.

Herattorneys said an attorney from Clinton’s camp, Martin Ettinger, approached them on January 30 and offered $700,000 — the amount Jones originally sought — and was ready to draft “acceptable apology language”.

Jones’ team said they made a $900,000 counter-offer on February 6 but Clinton’s lead lawyer, Bob Bennett, nixed the deal saying Clinton would not consider even a $700,000 settlement or “any apology language”.

Another legal battle is looming as Clinton considers whether to claim executive privilege and limit testimony from his closest advisor, Bruce Lindsey.

Lindsey was called to testify before the grand jury last week but refused to answer some questions. The White House argues that some conversations between Clinton and his aides are protected because they are confidential.

Vernon Jordan, a close friend and advisor to President Bill Clinton, is also set to appear next week before the federal panel looking into charges against Clinton, NBC television said on Thursday. Jordan, a prominentWashington attorney, would testify on Tuesday, the network said. At a press conference last month, Jordan said he helped Monica Lewinsky — the former White House intern at the centre of the firestorm — look for work in New York City shortly before the charges surfaced.

But he said that Lewinsky told him “in no uncertain terms that she did not have a sexual relationship with the President” and that “at no time did I say, suggest, or intimate to her that she should lie”.

Agence France Presse