The American Spectator

Print Email

Text Size

TAS Live

(Page 12 of 14)

"And at the time you had this what's-been-going-on call with Ambassador Richardson, you were specifically dealing that day with things related to Monica Lewinsky, correct?"

"We did not talk about Monica Lewinsky, counsel."

According to phone records subpoenaed by Starr, there was another call between Jordan and Richardson's office a week and a half later, on December 22. By that time, Lewinsky had been subpoenaed as a witness in the Paula Jones case; on the 22nd, Lewinsky again met with Jordan, who took her to meet an attorney, Francis Carter, who had been retained by Jordan to represent Lewinsky.

The records show that at 4:59 in the afternoon, Jordan's office called the White House operator, a call that lasted a little more than two minutes. At 5:03, the office dialed Monica Lewinsky's office at the Pentagon, a call that lasted just 18 seconds. And then at 5:04, Jordan's secretary called Richardson's office. Both Richardson and Jordan testified the call was just to arrange an upcoming meeting -- another "catch up" session between Jordan and Richardson. Both men denied that the call had anything to do with Lewinsky.

Richardson went even further when Bienert asked, "Are you absolutely one hundred percent sure in your testimony that at no time did Vernon Jordan ever, whether it was a call, a written communication, or anything in person, communicate anything to you that related to Monica Lewinsky or the Paula Jones case?"

"I am a hundred percent, absolutely sure," Richardson answered.

"The Ambassador Is Adamant"
During all this time, Richardson was keeping the U.N. job open for Lewinsky -- despite Sutphen's telling him in late November that Monica likely was not going to accept the offer. Nearly two months had passed since the interview, but, according to an internal U.N. e-mail obtained by Starr's prosecutors, Lewinsky remained a specific priority for Richardson.

The e-mail was dated Tuesday, December 23. It was from Wayne Logsdon, head of administration at the United States mission to the U.N., to Lynn Martindale, the office's personal manager. The subject was the job slot that had been held open for Lewinsky. It was officially known as a Schedule C secretarial position, meaning it was reserved for political appointees and not career staffers. Rebecca Cooper, Richardson's chief of staff, apparently believing that Lewinsky was no longer interested, had told Logsdon to start the paperwork to change it to a career Foreign Service position. Logsdon complied. But on the 23rd, he emphatically reversed course:

"I have just been instructed by Ambassador Richardson personally not/not to change the secretarial position to Foreign Service. I know that the paperwork has gone through already and that we are scouring the landscape for someone in the Foreign Service to fill the slot. I explained that Ms. Cooper asked us to do this and do it quickly. However, he is adamant about keeping it a Schedule C-type position."

Just to make sure the personnel department knew exactly what he was talking about, Logsdon sent another e-mail just 15 minutes later. It was titled "Re: Monica Lewinsky."

"If this name pops up on your screen, it is the one the Ambassador has in mind of bringing on board as a secretary, I believe. More to come as I know it."

Starr's prosecutors wanted to know why Richardson had such a strong opinion about a single Schedule C secretarial position. "It is possible," Bienert asked, "that this e-mail was prompted by some comment from you to Mr. Logsdon on the 22nd or 23rd of December?"

"Yeah, it could be," Richardson answered. "I mean, I talk to him a lot about personnel. I mean, it could be that I said, yeah, Wayne, you know, what's going on here; I want to shift this from here to there. It could be that I mentioned it to Wayne, too."

At the same time he took decisive steps to keep the position open for Lewinsky, Richardson made inquiries about what she intended to do. He told prosecutors that at some point in late December he told Sutphen to get in touch with Lewinsky, that it was time for Monica to "fish or cut bait." Sutphen testified that Richardson "called me and said, you know, what's the story with Monica Lewinsky. He said he had been having a conversation with Rebecca Cooper about what we were going to do in terms of restructuring the office with her public affairs component. And he said, 'Well, you know, we have to find out what the story is, because you know, it's been a long time and she has to make her decision....Call her and find out, you know, she can't have any more time, she has to let us know what she's going to do.'"