Monica Lewinsky's Secret Tapes Revealed, Clinton Denies Sexual Relations

Monica Lewinsky is set to make a public statement today, refuting allegations of having sex with President Clinton. The House Judiciary Committee is releasing secretly recorded tapes of Lewinsky discussing her relationship with Clinton, casting doubt on her previous testimony in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit. The tapes, made by Linda Tripp, a Maryland resident who befriended Lewinsky at the Pentagon, reveal a candid conversation between the two women about their relationship and what constitutes "sex".

Key Takeaways:

• Monica Lewinsky denies having sex with President Clinton, stating that "we didn't have sex. ... We fooled around" and that oral sex was not considered "sex" according to her definition.
• The secretly recorded tapes, made by Linda Tripp, were obtained by the House Judiciary Committee and are being released publicly.
• The tapes were made as part of an effort by Lewinsky and Clinton to have Tripp testify in a way that would be helpful to them in the Paula Jones lawsuit.
• Linda Tripp has been investigated by a Maryland grand jury for possibly breaking state wiretapping law by secretly recording Lewinsky without her knowledge.
• The tapes have led to an investigation into Clinton for obstruction of justice and perjury, as Clinton initially denied having sexual relations with Lewinsky.
• Clinton has defended his previous testimony, stating that his answers were "legally accurate" and that oral sex was not considered sex under the deposition's definition.
• It has been confirmed that Andrew Morton, a biographer who wrote Diana's life story, is set to write Monica Lewinsky's life story.

Statistics:

• Monica Lewinsky and President Clinton had a relationship that was secretly recorded by Linda Tripp on 37 separate tapes.
• Lewinsky made it clear on the tapes that she did not consider oral sex to be "sex", stating "having sex means having intercourse".
• A Maryland grand jury is currently investigating Linda Tripp for possibly breaking state wiretapping law by secretly recording Lewinsky.
• The Paula Jones lawsuit was a key factor in the release of the secretly recorded tapes, as Lewinsky and Clinton sought to use them to have Tripp testify in their favor.
• The House Judiciary Committee obtained the secretly recorded tapes as part of their investigation into Clinton.

Sources:

• The New York Times, February [no date mentioned]
• The Washington Post, February [no date mentioned]