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The President on Trial: Sifting Through the Evidence
Article II, Charge 4: Escape to New York
(4) Beginning on or about December 7, 1997, and continuing through and including January 14, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton intensified and succeeded in an effort to secure job assistance to a witness in a Federal civil rights action brought against him in order to corruptly prevent the truthful testimony of that witness in that proceeding at a time when the truthful testimony of that witness would have been harmful to him.
At 10:00 a.m. on January 7, 1998 Monica Lewinsky signed her false affidavit in
the Paula Jones case at the offices of her lawyer, Frank Carter. Carter said he told her he planned to hold on to it until he could show it to Clinton's
lawyers.
That same day, Lewinsky went to the offices of presidential friend Vernon
Jordan and showed him the signed false affidavit. Jordan said he told the
president that Lewinsky signed the affidavit and that he was continuing to
help Lewinsky find a job in New York. It would be a "reasonable assumption," Jordan told grand jurors, that Clinton knew the affidavit denied a sexual relationship.
Among other favors, Jordan arranged a second interview for Lewinsky at
MacAndrews & Forbes, Revlon's parent company, when her first didn't go
well. She received a job offer from M & F on January 9, 1998, two days after she signed her false affidavit in the Jones case.
Jordan spoke to Clinton that evening. "Monica Lewinsky's going to work
for Revlon," Jordan recalled he told Clinton. "His response was, 'Thank
you very much.'"
During his grand jury testimony, Clinton could not remember anything
specific about those conversations.
Then MacAndrews & Forbes asked for references. Clinton asked then-Chief of
Staff Erskine Bowles to get White House staffer John Hilley to write
Lewinsky a recommendation.
House Republicans insist it is "logical to infer" from the "chain of events" that Clinton tried to maneuver a job-for-silence deal.
But there's scant direct evidence to make the individual links connect to form a solid chain. Jordan helped Lewinsky in her job search and in arranging for her affidavit. Jordan was apparently in communication with the president about both issues. Clinton presumably asked his aides to get Lewinsky a recommendation.
There could be a sinister motive on Clinton's part, but the two actions in question — the job help and the affidavit help — don't really link up. For instance, Jordan's job search for Lewinsky began before Lewinsky filed her Jones affidavit.
Undoubtedly, Jordan's role in l'affaire Lewinsky is murky. But there's no solid proof of collusion between Jordan and Clinton in a job-for-testimony deal. The closest piece of evidence is Lewinsky's claim to Starr's investigators that, during her December 28, 1997 conversation with Clinton, he suggested that "if Lewinsky was in New York the Jones lawyers might not call." But she never discussed this point with the grand jury.
There is also a December 22 car ride during which Lewinsky and Jordan
discussed both the Jones case and her job search. But none of the testimony regarding this car ride illuminates much.
Jordan would be a likely witness to be called by senators, presumably to
elaborate on his — and the president's — involvement in
Lewinsky's affidavit and job search. Lewinsky might also be called to shed
some light on the car ride with Jordan and her knowledge of Clinton's
involvement in either matter.
Introduction
Article I
Charges 1 & 2: What is Sex? | Charge 3: Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil? | Charge 4: A Man of Influence? | In Sum...A Man of Honor?
Article II
Charges 1 & 2: Greasing the Wheels? | Charge 3: The Trail of the Gift Horse | Charge 4: Escape to New York | Charge 5: Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil? (Part II) | Charge 6: The Four Questions | Charge 7: An Influential Man (Pt. II) | In Sum...All or Nothing?
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