WASHINGTON. Oct 9: Members of the House Judiciary Committee, authorised to begin an impeachment inquiry against President Bill Clinton, say they may seek to publicly Suestion three key figures in te Independent Counsel's allegations: Monica Lewinsky. Linda Tripp and Vernon Jordan. reports AP.
None of the three has made extensive comments on the matter outside the grand jury room, and Lewinsky has not spoken a word in public on her affair with Clinton. The hearings would feature members of Congress questioning the three on live television about the presidential affair.
Lockhart did not address whether Clinton would testify in the investigation, and Rep. Henry Hyde, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said it is unlikely that Clinton would be subpoenaed to testify.
White House press secretary Joe Lockhart, asked whether Clinton would stipulate to any facts in the investigation of his affair which Lewinsky, said today the president's representatives would discuss the subject with congressional committee staff next week.
The White House team spoke
with chief Republican investigator David Schippers on Thursday to "begin tne process of working out the committee Elans to move forward." Lockart said.
Among those who could be called before televised hearings after the Nov. 3 elections are Lewinsky: Tripp, whose trap recordings of Lewinsky led to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation of the affair; and Betty Currie and Vernon Jordan, who were investigated to determine whether they tried to win Lewinsky's silence as the affair was about to become public in January.
Hyde, who will control the impeachment inquiry, said. "We don't want to be accused of politicising this. But we will be doing a lot of planning and interviewing and whatever's necessary to get ready to have hearings after the electlolfi'.''
As committee aides completed their subpoena list, fights loomed over which witnesses to go after. Hyde, for example. has not agreed to call Ms. Lewinsky. He also slapped down a Democratic suggestion to call Starr.
Hyde held tight the evolving list and said top aides to his panel would immediately begin "intense strategising... to see in what direction we want to move, what evidence we need to acquire, what subpoenas we need to issue and how fast we can do it."
Republicans said they wanted the committee to question White House Deputy Counsel Bruce Lindsey, though Democrats were expected to object pending the Supreme Court appeal of his executive privilege
"I think Bruce Lindsey is a key player in this," said Rep. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
"He may have some information that is relevant to this investigation," agreed Rep. Charles Canady, a Florida Republican.
At the White House. Clinton said he would continue his work during the impeachment process, which now was "in the hands of Congress and the people of this country — ultimately in the hands of God. There is nothing I can do."
The Judiciary constitutional subcommittee will kick things off Oct. 22 with a hearing on defining impeachable crimes. The full committee will hold hearings between the Nov. 3 congressional elections and the end of the year. Hyde said Thursday.
He spoke minutes after the House voted 258-176 to trigger a presidential impeachment inquiry for Just the third time in US history.
Thirty-one Democrats Joined unanimous Republicans to vote in favour of the GOP im-peachmeht resolution, which called for an open-ended probe. Prior to that decision, Democrats proposed that the inquiry be wrapped up by Dec. 31 and limited just to the Lewinsky matter, but that proposal was defeated 236-198.
If the House ultimately decides to impeach Clinton, the case would move to the Senate for a trial, where a two-thirds vote would be required to remove the president.