Lewinsky’s Dad Criticizes White House Stance

Monica S. Lewinsky’s father said Monday he is concerned that President Clinton’s decision to invoke executive privilege will only prolong his daughter’s isolation. “The longer this delays, the more difficult it becomes,” Dr. Bernard Lewinsky said.

Clinton has invoked executive privilege to block some testimony of senior White House advisors Bruce Lindsey and Sidney Blumenthal.

Lewinsky declined to discuss court proceedings in which his daughter’s lawyers are trying to force independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr to give her full immunity from prosecution in exchange for her testimony.

“This is an issue of politics in which Monica has been drawn into a battle between the office of the independent counsel and whoever is fueling him versus the president of the United States,” he said.

He also said he believes his daughter got a paid White House job after her internship because she won accolades for volunteering to answer phones for then-Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta during the 1995 government shutdown, not because of any relationship with the president.

Prosecutors want to know whether Monica Lewinsky lied in her affidavit denying a sexual relationship with Clinton and whether she was encouraged to do so by the president and his friend, Vernon E. Jordan Jr., in exchange for help finding a job.

The Los Angeles doctor also appeared Monday on NBC’s “Today” show in hopes of generating enthusiasm for a defense fund established to defray his daughter’s legal bills. Thus far, it has collected about $12,000 and her unpaid legal bills are approaching $250,000, he said.

Meanwhile, Kathleen E. Willey turned down an invitation by CBS-TV to return to “60 Minutes” to talk about the friendly letters she sent to Clinton after the incident in which she accused him of making an unwanted sexual advance.

“60 Minutes” on Sunday added a short postscript to its March 15 Willey interview to mention the letters and Willey’s efforts to sell her story to a book publisher.