Linda Tripp at courthouse with her daughter. (AP Photo)

This is an archive of Washington Post news and feature stories from July 1998 about the accusations against President Clinton. Links to coverage from other months are on the News Archive page.

From Friday, July 31

FBI to Test Dress
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr asked the FBI to test a dress owned by Monica S. Lewinsky for identifying DNA material that might be linked to President Clinton as part of an effort to corroborate her promised testimony that the two had a sexual relationship.

Clinton Flees Spotlight For Sunshine
Taking flight from the political heat of Washington, President Clinton arrived in the summer swelter of North Carolina and found the temperature entirely to his liking.

From Thursday, July 30

Clinton Agrees to Testify on Videotape
President Clinton agreed to provide testimony on videotape from the White House for Kenneth Starr's grand jury. As part of Monica Lewinsky's immunity deal, sources say, she agreed to give Starr a dress she allegedly wore with Clinton that could be tested for identifying DNA material.

Analysis: A Risky Move for Clinton
President Clinton's risky decision to provide videotaped grand jury testimony prompted a new round of speculation about what he would would say about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

White House in Crisis Mode Again
There is a palpable mood of uncertainty at the White House as aides acknowledge that they do not know what new dramas the coming days will bring.

Tripp Emerges, Denies Political Motive
Linda R. Tripp spoke out for the first time to depict herself as an "average American" without political motive who has been "vilified for taking the path of truth."

From Style:

Media Circus Goes Wild
News of Lewinsky's immunity deal with Kenneth Starr has plunged the media world back into an all-out, vacuum-cleaner, this-just-in mode.

Local Legal Scholar Becomes TV Star
Jonathan Turley, a 37-year-old George Washington University legal scholar, has suddenly become the Lewinsky investigation talking head of the moment

Online Extras:

• Full Text of Tripp Statement
• Post Media Critic Howard Kurtz Live Chat

From Wednesday, July 29

Lewinsky Gets Immunity, Will Testify
Monica Lewinsky struck a deal with independent counsel Kenneth Starr giving her full immunity from prosecution. The former intern agreed to testify that she had a sexual relationship with President Clinton and that they discussed ways of keeping it secret, but Lewinsky would not say that Clinton ever asked her to lie and said she was the author of the "talking points" for Linda Tripp.

Political Implications Debated
It is not clear how the Lewinsky immunity deal will affect President Clinton or reshape the political landscape.

For Lewinsky, a Huge Legal Umbrella
Monica Lewinsky's immunity agreement shields Lewinsky from any possible prosecution involving her relationship with President Clinton.

From Style:

Places, Everyone! 'Intern Story,' Act 3, Scene 2
The regular characters all had their familiar roles to play. And they did so, once again, with hymns and chants, vestments, pomp and, as usual, a great deal of mystery.

Lewinsky Is Questioned by Starr Team
In her first talks with prosecutors in six months, sources say, Lewinsky essentially repeated the information contained in her original written proposed testimony given to Starr -- that she had a sexual relationship with the president but not that he asked her to lie under oath about it in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit.

Court Rejects Privilege Claim
A federal appeals court rejected the White House's argument that President Clinton's conversations with White House lawyers are shielded from disclosure by attorney-client privilege, clearing the way for independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr to question deputy counsel Bruce R. Lindsey, one of Clinton's closest confidants.

White House Counsel Irks Political Aides
White House counsel Charles F. C. Ruff has become one of the few White House advisers in possession of information about the Monica S. Lewinsky matter that could be critical to the Clinton presidency.

Online Extra:

• Full Text of Appeals Court Ruling on Attorney-Client Privilege

From Monday, July 27

GOP Leaders: Clinton Should Testify
Congressional Republicans called on President Clinton to comply with a subpoena for his testimony in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation, and one influential senator called for independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr to promptly advise Congress of his plans for an impeachment report.

From Sunday, July 26

President Has Been Served Subpoena
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr has served a subpoena on President Clinton that requires his testimony in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation as early as this week, marking the first time a sitting president has been summoned to appear before a grand jury.

From Saturday, July 25

Clinton May 'Provide Information' to Starr
Under threat of subpoena for his testimony, President Clinton's lawyers are negotiating with independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr on how he can "provide information" to the grand jury now nearing the end of its inquiry into the Monica S. Lewinsky matter.

From Friday, July 24

Two Juries Hear Testimony in Lewinsky Matter
In one of the busiest days at the federal courthouse here since the investigation of the Monica S. Lewinsky matter began, two grand juries took testimony from a parade of witnesses, including the head of President Clinton's security detail, at least four other Secret Service officers and former White House deputy chief of staff Harold M. Ickes.

From Thursday, July 23

Grand Jury Hears Currie
President Clinton's personal secretary, Betty Currie, made what her lawyer said is a final grand jury appearance at the federal courthouse.

Jones Drops Opposition to Lifting Gag Order
Paula Jones's lawyers dropped their opposition to lifting the gag order in her now-dismissed case and asked a federal judge to give her unfettered access to the videotape of President Clinton's deposition.

From Wednesday, July 22

Starr Fights Defense Involvement in Leak Probe
Independent counsel Kenneth Starr asked an appeals panel to overturn Judge Norma Holloway Johnson's ruling that defense lawyers be allowed to participate in her investigation of whether his office illegally leaked grand jury evidence.

From Monday, July 20

Foster Suicide Still Impacts White House
Five years ago, the man who grew up with President Clinton and practiced law with Hillary Rodham Clinton drove across the Potomac River, shot himself at Fort Marcy Park and ultimately altered the course of a presidency.

From Sunday, July 19

Clinton Trust in Secret Service Evolves
President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton initially distrusted the Secret Service, but over time the agents won their confidence. And despite the start of testimony by agents in the Monica Lewinsky investigation, Clinton is not pushing those agents away, according to aides.

From Saturday, July 18

Three Secret Service Agents Testify
After an unprecedented battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court, two uniformed Secret Service officers and a retired plainclothes agent were questioned before a grand jury, marking the first time that active White House guards have testified in a criminal investigation of the president they protect.

• Text of Rehnquist Opinion

From Friday, July 17

Last-Ditch Appeal Goes to High Court
With a new deadline looming at noon, the Justice Department made a last-ditch emergency appeal to the Supreme Court Thursday to stop prosecutors from questioning President Clinton's bodyguards about what they know of his relationship with Monica S. Lewinsky.

Text of Appeals Court Order and Statement
Text of the order issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals on July 16 refusing to block Secret Service testimony. Also included is a statement by Circuit Judge Laurence Silberman.

Justice Dept. in the Line of Fire
In the battle over whether Secret Service agents should be forced to testify about their dealings with President Clinton, the Justice Department finds itself in the line of fire.

'Today' Show Report Spins Into Controversy
By the evening news cycle, NBC's big story – that Starr is investigating whether Secret Service agents "facilitated" President Clinton's alleged fling with Monica Lewinsky – had evaporated into a fog of vague sources and apparently shaky substance.

From Thursday, July 16

Secret Service Motion Spurned
A federal judge refused to prevent the head of President Clinton's security detail from being forced to testify about Monica S. Lewinsky, leaving administration lawyers scrambling overnight for a last-minute reprieve.

Reno Grilled at Senate Hearing
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Attorney General Janet Reno deflected pointed questions from frustrated Republicans about the inquiry into 1996 campaign finance abuses.

From Wednesday, July 15

Starr Subpoenas Top Clinton Agent
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr subpoenaed the head of President Clinton's security detail and six more Secret Service officers to testify about what they know of Clinton's relationship with Monica S. Lewinsky.

From Tuesday, July 14

Justice Dept. Will Appeal Secret Service Ruling
Despite doubts about the chance of success, the Justice Department will appeal a ruling that Secret Service officers must testify in the Monica Lewinsky investigation.

Judge Delays McDougal Trial
The trial of Whitewater figure Susan McDougal on charges that she embezzled $150,000 from the wife of conductor Zubin Mehta was postponed for 11 days.

From Monday, July 13

Hatch Warns Clinton on Testimony
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch said that any refusal by President Clinton to testify about his ties with Monica S. Lewinsky could constitute an impeachable offense.

From Saturday, July 11

Judge Orders Computer Seized in Probe
A federal judge ordered the Defense Department to seize and examine the computer of a Pentagon official who has admitted releasing sensitive information contained on Linda R. Tripp's security clearance form.

From Friday, July 10

Reno, Rubin Discuss Appeal
Attorney General Janet Reno and Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin met to discuss whether to appeal a new court ruling rejecting the Secret Service's attempt to block testimony.

From Thursday, July 9

Md. Prosecutors Defend Tripp Probe
Maryland state prosecutors denied that partisan politics played a role in prompting their investigation of whether Linda R. Tripp broke the state's wiretapping law, as Republicans have asserted.

From Wednesday, July 8

Appeals Court: Secret Service Must Testify
A federal appeals court rejected efforts by the Secret Service to prevent its officers from testifying in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation, dismissing as "vague fears" the agency's claims that such testimony could endanger the life of the president.

Maryland Jury to Probe Tripp's Taping
A Maryland prosecutor has begun a grand jury probe into whether Tripp's secret tape-recordings of her Pentagon colleague violated the state's wiretap law.

Democrat Named to Court on Independent Counsels
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has named a federal appeals court judge with an active background in Democratic politics to serve on the special court that oversees independent counsels.

From Monday, July 6

Starr Will Not Submit Interim Report
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr has decided against giving Congress an interim report on his investigation of President Clinton, regardless of whether the probe is finished before lawmakers go home to campaign this fall.

Going Weak in the Knees for Clinton
A former White House correspondent says she was "quite willing to let myself be ravished" by President Clinton after she felt he had admired her legs on Air Force One.

From Sunday, July 5

Advisers Lean Against Clinton Testifying
President Clinton has rebuffed about a half-dozen invitations from independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr to explain his dealings with Monica S. Lewinsky under oath, and his advisers seem unified around a strategy of refusing to testify altogether.

From Friday, July 3

Tripp Is 'Encouraged' by Grand Jury Questions
Linda R. Tripp completed her second day of testimony before a federal grand jury investigating the Monica S. Lewinsky matter, and her lawyer said she was encouraged by the "quality and content" of the questions put to her.

From Thursday, July 2

Judge Dismisses Hubbell Tax Case
A federal judge dismissed the tax evasion indictment of Webster L. Hubbell, ruling that independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr exceeded his authority in going after Hubbell and that the case was improperly based on documents the former Justice Department official turned over under a grant of immunity.

From Wednesday, July 1

Starr Grand Jury Hears Tripp Story
Pentagon employee Linda R. Tripp made her long-anticipated debut before a grand jury in the investigation she set in motion five months ago.

Paula Jones Case Gag Order Lifted
A federal judge in Little Rock lifted the gag order she had imposed in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit, allowing attorneys to disclose any remaining secret information from the dismissed case and opening for public inspection still-sealed documents.