Webster Hubbell, with his wife Suzanna. (AP)

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

From Saturday, May 30

Clinton Given Deadline on Response to Starr
The Supreme Court ordered President Clinton to decide over the weekend whether he will agree to an expedited review of his executive privilege dispute in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation.

Pursuing Clinton Suits Him Just Fine
Larry Klayman, founder of Judicial Watch, is right where he's always wanted to be: in the middle of every Democratic scandal ricocheting through Washington.

From Friday, May 29

Starr Asks for Expedited Ruling on Privilege
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr asked the Supreme Court to intervene on an emergency basis to settle his fight with President Clinton over executive privilege.

Kramerbooks Vows to Stand Firm
U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson has ordered Kramerbooks to provide independent counsel Kenneth Starr with certain information about one or more purchases made by Monica Lewinsky.

Starr Busy At 3 Sites
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr's investigators took fingerprints and handwriting samples from Monica S. Lewinsky in Los Angeles. Starr's prosecutors also brought witnesses before grand juries in the District and, for the first time, in Alexandria.

In Legal Battle, a Tale of Two White Houses
President Clinton's legal battle with Kenneth W. Starr is an inconvenience that Clinton and his White House staff, by staying focused on public business, have managed to overcome.

Online Extras:

• Full Text of Starr's Petition to Supreme Court

From Thursday, May 28

Starr's Evidence Swayed Judge
The federal judge overseeing the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation agreed with President Clinton's legal argument invoking executive privilege but decided his right to confidentiality was outweighed after independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr privately presented secret grand jury evidence to her.

Analysis: Echoes of 1974 Nixon Tapes Case
In ordering two presidential aides to testify in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation, a federal judge followed a road map set out by the Supreme Court more than two decades ago in its historic decision ordering President Richard M. Nixon to turn over the Watergate tapes.

Ginsburg Urges Clinton To Fire Starr
In an open letter urging that President Clinton fire Kenneth Starr, Monica Lewinsky's attorney charged that the Whitewater prosecutor at most "may have succeeded in unmasking a sexual relationship between two consenting adults."

Online Extras:

• Full Text of Judge Johnson's Order
• Full Text of White House Argument on Privilege

From Wednesday, May 27

Starr's Team Trying to Confirm Lewinsky Tapes
Investigators for independent counsel Kenneth Starr have spent months methodically reconstructing the details of Monica Lewinsky's life as told to her friend Linda Tripp in secretely recorded conversations.

Jones's Lawyers Squabble Over Fees
While Paula Jones tries to persuade a federal appeals court to reinstate her sexual harassment suit against President Clinton, her past and present attorneys are squabbling over legal fees.

From Monday, May 25

Leader Weighs Secret Service Use
The Secret Service said a foreign government leader might reconsider how he interacts with agency bodyguards on visits to the United States in light of a judge's ruling that agents can be forced to testify in a grand jury investigation.

From Sunday, May 24

Ginsburg's Public Role Is Shrinking
The all-Ginsburg, all-the-time show has been canceled. Following widespread criticism that his ubiquitous – and sometimes contradictory – public pronouncements were hurting rather than helping his client, the Lewinsky camp has pulled the plug.

Burton Aide Who Quit Has Not Left Yet
David Bossie may be going, but he is going slowly.

From Outlook:

Appeal Will Decide Dead Man's Tale
Walter Pincus writes that Kenneth Starr is like the proverbial bull in a china shop – willing to attack a centuries-old privilege, without apparent regard for the broader implications.

From Saturday, May 23

Secret Service Agents Told To Testify on Clinton
A federal judge ordered Secret Service officers to reveal what they know about President Clinton's relationship with Monica S. Lewinsky, dismissing dire warnings that such testimony would jeopardize the safety of Presidents by destroying their trust in the agents who guard them.

Online Extra:

• Full Text of Judge Norma Holloway Johnson's Ruling

House Demands Clinton Release Executive Privilege Documents
The House demanded that President Clinton make public all legal papers involved in his fight to invoke executive privilege in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation, an assertion he has not even publicly acknowledged making.

Pentagon Official Sorry About Tripp Disclosure
The Pentagon's chief spokesman apologized for authorizing the release to a reporter of information contained in Linda R. Tripp's 1987 security clearance form.

From Wednesday, May 20

Clinton Refused to Order Secret Service to Talk
President Clinton last week refused a request by independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr to order Secret Service employees to testify in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation, saying it would damage the traditional confidentiality between presidents and their protectors.

Online Extras:

• Starr's Motion to Compel Secret Service Testimony
• Declaration of Secret Service Director Lewis Merletti
• May 11 White House Letter on Secret Service Privilege
• April 15 Letter from George Bush on Secret Service Privilege

From Tuesday, May 19

McDougal Book Takes Parting Shots at Clinton
Before he died in prison two months ago, James B. McDougal took a parting shot at his former Whitewater business partner. His new memoir accuses President Clinton of lying under oath during McDougal's 1996 bank fraud trial and says Clinton agreed to pardon Susan McDougal.

From Monday, May 18

Charles Bakaly: A New Star at the Independent Counsel's Office
Charles Bakaly doesn't seem like the sort of guy you'd catch partying with Kenneth Starr. But the 42-year-old California native and lawyer is now chief spokesman for the independent counsel's office.

From Sunday, May 17

Clinton Can Decide Fate of Independent Counsel Law
The 20-year-old independent counsel statute comes up for reauthorization next year. It has been the bane of President Clinton's existence, but it's unclear whether he'll dare to kill it.

Starr Accused of PR Offensive on Leaks
President Clinton's lawyer has accused independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr of launching an "energetic and shameless" public relations attack aimed at blaming the White House for improper leaks. Starr's spokesman said he's just responding to "misinformation."

From Outlook

David Brooks: Gingrich Should Target Democrats' Morality
President Clinton sits atop the most scandal-plagued Democratic administration of the century, giving Republicans the chance of a lifetime to strip away the Democrats' remaining moral prestige.

From Saturday, May 16

Appeals Court Rejects Lewinsky Immunity Claim
A federal appeals court has rejected Monica S. Lewinsky's claim that she has an immunity deal with prosecutors. She now must testify about relationship with President Clinton or face indictment.

From Friday, May 15

Starr Cites Danger in Silence of Secret Service
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr warned that allowing the Secret Service to refuse to testify before a grand jury would turn the agency into an imperious "Praetorian guard" around the president, leaving him free to engage in criminal activity.

Secret Service Dispute Pits Emotion Against Law
Should agents who guard President Clinton be forced to testify in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation? Some officials have raised concerns that it would compromise a president's safety, but neither law nor precedent blocks agents from providing evidence in a criminal probe.

McDougal Ready to Talk About Clinton Testimony
Susan McDougal will be prepared to tell 12 jurors what she wouldn't say to 23 grand jurors behind closed doors: whether President Clinton testified honestly at her 1996 Whitewater trial, her lawyer said.

From Thursday, May 14

Secret Service Cited Safety Concerns in Talks with Starr
The head of the Secret Service has privately warned prosecutors that forcing his agents to testify in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation will have a devastating effect on their ability to do their job and inevitably result in the death of a president.

Burton Panel Sputters as Immunity Vote Fails
The embattled House investigation of Democratic fund-raising abuses sputtered to a near dead-end Wednesday, as Democrats accused Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) of abusing his power and bad judgment in his committee's probes of the Clinton White House.

From Wednesday, May 13

Against Bitter Backdrop, Burton to Press Immunity Issue
The remarkable partisan bitterness that has defined the House probe of campaign finance abuses will come to a head as Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) tries for a second time to win immunity grants for four witnesses.

Bull Market Boosts Clintons' Assets
The first family's assets have made significant gains, thanks to the bull market on Wall Street. But another factor clouds the financial picture: The Clintons owe $3 million in legal bills, financial disclosure forms say.

Grand Jury Hears Oval Office Aide
Focusing on activities around the Oval Office, Whitewater prosecutors summoned a White House assistant before a federal grand jury in the Monica S. Lewinsky investigation.

From Tuesday, May 12

Style Showcase

Henry Hyde: Best Man for the Job
On this point Republicans and Democrats seem to agree: If somebody has to lead an impeachment inquiry against President Clinton, then Henry Hyde's the best man for the job. Maybe the only man.

From Monday, May 11

Pressure Stepped Up for Rep. Burton to Step Down
Two congressional Democrats on Sunday escalated their attempts to have Rep. Dan Burton relinquish the chairmanship of the House committee investigating 1996 campaign fund-raising.

Style Showcase

Some Reporters Heard Unedited Tapes
The actual story of the release of Webster Hubbell's prison tapes involved a backstage collaboration between Rep. Dan Burton's staff and more than a dozen journalists who were allowed to read complete transcripts and listen to the unexpurgated tapes before they were publicly released.

From Sunday, May 10

Gingrich Attacks Bring Energy, Concern to GOP
House Speaker Newt Gingrich has accused President Clinton and the Democrats of stonewalling and obstruction, energizing crucial GOP activists. But the criticism has made him the center of controversy once again – to the delight of Democrats.

Alabama Republicans Uneasy About Attacks
How is Newt Gingrich's attack on the president playing to the grass roots? None of the more than 15 Alabama Republicans interviewed at random over the last few days expressed elation.

From Saturday, May 9

Hubbells, Associates Enter Pleas of Not Guilty
Webster L. Hubbell, his wife, and two longtime associates pleaded not guilty yesterday to federal tax evasion and fraud charges.

From Friday, May 8

Gingrich Remarks Trigger a Walkout
In an address to the New Hampshire legislature, House Speaker Newt Gingrich continued his attacks on the president, prompting a walkout by about two dozen Democratic lawmakers.

DeLay Turns Up Heat on Clinton Claims
House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) accused President Clinton of taking "indecent liberties with the concept of executive privilege" and said that he will introduce a bill intended to impose new limits on the power.

From Thursday, May 7

Burton Apologizes to GOP Colleagues
Stung by missteps, Rep. Dan Burton apologized to GOP colleagues for the furor over his release of tapes of Webster L. Hubbell's prison conversations. His top investigator resigned.

Clinton Rejects Nixon Comparison
President Clinton rejected comparisons between his executive privilege claim in the Monica S. Lewinsky matter and Richard Nixon during Watergate.

Style Showcase

Legal Pair End TV Deal
The husband-and-wife legal team of Victoria Toensing and Joe diGenova said they have ended their television deal after criticism that it conflicted with their work as part-time House investigators.

Judge Rejects Clinton's Executive Privilege Claim
A federal judge has ruled that President Clinton cannot use the power of his office to block prosecutors from questioning senior aides, sources said.

Analysis: Privilege Clash May Evoke Watergate
The rejection of President Clinton's claim of executive privilege sets the stage for one of the most momentous clashes over presidential power since Richard M. Nixon was ordered to turn over the Watergate tapes.

Media Lose Bid to Open Lewinsky Proceedings
The news media do not have a First Amendment right to attend court hearings on issues arising from the probe of the Monica S. Lewinsky matter, a federal appeals court ruled.

Burton Delays Immunity Vote
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) canceled a meeting to vote on immunity for four witnesses in his probe of President Clinton's reelection campaign while House GOP leaders discussed the future of the inquiry.

Starr Argues Meineke's Appeal of Judgment
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr, working in a private capacity for Meineke Discount Muffler Shops Inc., urged a federal appeals court to overturn a $397 million judgment to Meineke franchisees, the largest class action award in the franchise industry.

Online Extra:

Appeals Court Ruling Barring Media from Hearings
May 5 ruling from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denying a motion brought by a consortium of news organizations including The Washington Post requesting media access to court hearings on legal issues arising from the Monica Lewinsky grand jury investigation.

From Tuesday, May 5

Susan McDougal Indicted for Silence on Whitewater
Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, the former Whitewater business partner of the Clintons who has refused to testify before a grand jury about the president’s financial dealings, was indicted on charges of criminal contempt and obstruction.

Starr Asked Clinton to Urge McDougal to Testify
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr privately asked President Clinton five times last year to encourage his former Whitewater business partner Susan McDougal to testify before a grand jury. The White House rejected the requests as improper.

Burton Releases Hubbell Tapes
Rep. Dan Burton told Democratic critics that their charges that he doctored transcripts of prison tapes of former associate attorney general Webster L. Hubbell were "rash" as he began releasing the tapes.

Style Showcase

Show Airs Clinton Accuser
Monday, "Inside Edition" aired charges by a former flight attendant that Bill Clinton groped her on a 1992 campaign flight.

Online Extra:

Indictment of Susan McDougal
Text of the indictments filed May 4 by independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr against Susan H. McDougal on charges of criminal contempt and obstructing his investigation.

From Monday, May 4

Democrats Hit Burton Over Tapes of Hubbell
The White House joined House Democrats in a furious assault on Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), accusing him of doctoring transcripts of former associate attorney general Webster L. Hubbell's prison phone calls to exclude declarations of innocence about matters still under investigation.

From Sunday, May 3

Lewinsky: Self-Conscious Sophisticate Who Never Fit In
Before she became the eye of a storm that threatens the presidency, Monica S. Lewinsky's uneasy life in Washington had begun to reprise behavior and personality patterns set during her Los Angeles girlhood and Oregon college years, according to two dozen people who knew her.

From The Post Magazine:

What's Bad Enough to Be Bad Enough?
The stunning dismissal of Jones v. Clinton answered, for the moment, the question of whether then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton sexually harassed then-state employee Paula Corbin Jones. But it left open infinitely larger questions about men and women and sex and workplace behavior.

From Saturday, May 2

Starr Compares Clinton's Case to Nixon's
The independent counsel implied his legal battle with President Clinton over executive privilege is similar to the case President Richard M. Nixon took to the Supreme Court in 1974 at the height of Watergate and lost.

From Friday, May 1

Clinton Dismisses Attacks on Reputation
President Clinton dismissed allegations about his character as the work of organized political foes, but said that years of attacks and investigations have diminished the personal respect he commands from the public.

Indictment Claims Hubbells Lived Lavishly
A new set of tax evasion and fraud charges have been brought against Webster L. Hubbell, a former top Justice Department official and close friend of the Clintons who has already served time for embezzlement.

Analysis: Has Clinton Reached His Pique?
At a news conference, President Clinton displayed two sides: a leader who has mastered the art of remaining above the fray and a president who is determined to settle scores with his accusers.

Analysis: Is Starr's Effort Stifled or Unproductive?
The probe of President Clinton has entangled vastly different people in a range of legal battles. Critics of the president say the cases show that he has tried to silence witnesses. Clinton supporters say the case show how little independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr has to show for his zealous efforts.

Jail Tapes Portray Hubbell as Clinton Loyalist
Even while jailed for embezzling, Webster Hubbell saw himself as a Clinton loyalist, according to tapes of his conversations with confidants. Selectively edited portions of the tapes were released by Republicans.

Group Subpoenas Reporter's Notes
A conservative group that is suing the Clinton administration subpoenaed a New Yorker magazine reporter, demanding her notes on at least 100 administration officials, allies, lawmakers, journalists and a prostitute.

Judge Declares Mistrial in Hale Case
A judge declared a mistrial in Arkansas's case against David Hale, saying the Whitewater figure's prolonged hospital stay was imposing an unreasonable burden on jurors.

Coroner Discounts Prozac Dose as Factor in McDougal's Death
Imprisoned Whitewater figure James B. McDougal died of natural causes, even though he had an abnormal amount of the antidepressant drug Prozac in his system, a medical examiner said.

From Style:

Brill Grills Starr About Other Reporters
Six weeks before the debut of his journalism magazine, Content, Steven Brill is already making journalists nervous, apparently trying to unmask the anonymous sources of the various White House sex scandal stories.

Bonior: DiGenova, Toensing Should Be Fired for NBC Deal
House Minority Whip David Bonior (D-Mich.) said that congressional investigators Victoria Toensing and husband Joe diGenova should be fired because they have signed on as part-time commentators for NBC News.

Online Extra:

Indictment of Webster Hubbell
Text of the federal tax evasion and fraud charges filed April 30 against former Justice Department official Webster L. Hubbell, his wife, Suzanna, his Little Rock lawyer and his accountant.