Lewinsky, they heard plenty of salacious talk about her supposed intimacy with the president of the United States. But what riveted career prosecutors--and prompted independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr to seek an extraordinary expansion of his jurisdiction--was hearing that unofficial presidential advisor Vernon E. Jordan Jr. The intended beneficiaries have included a reputed former mistress, former bodyguards and an ex-law partner of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Clinton supporters have defended the job assistance as nothing more than reasonable help for friends in need--and not much different from the traditional patronage that has been part of American politics for more than years. As investigators looked at the pattern, however, it suggested the possibility of cover-up: Was the aid designed to encourage potential witnesses to remain silent or otherwise withhold cooperation? Such actions could amount to obstruction of justice, encouraging perjury or other serious crimes.
Clinton landed her a state job. This, despite the fact that on a merit test Flowers scored ninth out of the 11 applicants. Hubbell when he became a target in the original Whitewater investigation. Administration officials declined to comment.
But Lanny J. Davis, who until two weeks ago was a White House special counsel, defended Clinton. He said it is typical for the president to help friends and associates. A pattern of providing jobs for potentially harmful witnesses is another matter--and it is that possibility that is drawing intense scrutiny from a federal grand jury as it examines the Lewinsky matter for evidence of obstruction of justice.
Did Lewinsky receive a job offer in tacit exchange for silence? And if so, was it a component of a calculated scheme of witness tampering? There is also the related question of whether the beneficiaries were positioned to--in effect--demand jobs for silence from Clinton, according to political science professor Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia.
