‘I Would Have Said, “Stop, Stop. I Don’t Want to Hear Any More.” ’

These are excerpts of the testimony of Betty Currie, President Clinton’s personal secretary.

Question: OK. You told us, Mrs. Currie, over these last three days that we’ve interviewed you, that you always like to think the best of people, is that right?

Answer: Correct.

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Q: And that, with regard to the relationship between the president and Ms. Lewinsky, that you purposely wanted to believe there was no intimate relationship between them.

A: (Nods)

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Q: Is that correct?

A: Correct.

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Q: You also told us that you wanted to be able to say that you didn’t know anything about any relationship between the president and Ms. Lewinsky. Is that right?

A: True.

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Q: Tell us what, if anything, Ms. Lewinsky told you about what would happen if somebody had seen them before do something.

A: I don’t think we’ve ever talked about--we had a discussion about that.

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Q: Did Ms. Lewinsky ever tell you that, “As long as no one saw us--and no one did--then nothing happened.”

A: I don’t remember that conversation.

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Q: Let me repeat it for you.

A: OK.

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Q: Did Ms. Lewinsky ever tell you, “As long as no one saw us--and no one did--then nothing happened.” While she was speaking about the president?

Would you like me to repeat it?

A: I don’t remember that. Repeat it again.

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Q: OK. “As long as no one saw us--and no one did--then nothing happened.”

A: Sir, I don’t remember that.

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Q: Do you remember Ms. Lewinsky ever saying anything like that?

A: Can I step out for a moment?

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Q: Yes, you may.

(Witness is excused to confer with counsel.)

A: A conversation could have occurred where Monica would have said . . .

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Q: What I said?

A: Yes.

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Q: Would you like me to repeat it for you?

A: Please do.

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Q: “As long as no one saw us--and no one did--then nothing happened.”

A: My memory is a little better--but not much--that if that was said, I would have said, “Stop, stop. I don’t want to hear any more.”

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Q: And that’s because you didn’t want to hear anything about the relationship?

A: I didn’t want to know anything or be able to say I knew anything.

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Q: Let me just try one more time.

A: Yes, sir.

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Q: And that is what I believe you told us, that the circumstances under which Ms. Lewinsky told you this, was that she did sort of just blurt it out, and that, at the end, you said, “I don’t want to know anything about it.”

A: (Nods)

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Q: Does that refresh your recollection at all?

A: A little bit.

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Q: So are you able to say that you believe that Ms. Lewinsky did make this statement to you: “As long as no one saw us--and no one did--then nothing happened”?

A: And then you’re going to add my words after that? No? (Laughs)

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Q: We can add them after that. For right now, I’m just asking whether you remember, or whether you believe that Ms. Lewinsky told you that.

A: I believe Ms. Lewinsky said that.

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Q: OK. And then what did you say to Ms. Lewinsky after she said . . .

A: [I said:] “Don’t want to hear it. Don’t say any more. I don’t want to hear any more.”

Appearance of Impropriety

Q: OK. Are you saying that that’s not true; that the president never asked you to call Monica on his behalf?

A: The president did ask me to call Monica on his behalf.

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Q: OK. On those occasions, and this was more than once, correct?

A: I’d say more than once.

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Q: And you’ve heard about a couple of them on the tapes. I mean, we’ve played the tapes for you, and Monica refers to calling you.

A: She also refers to me not putting her calls through, too, more times than not.

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Q: OK. But there were certainly some times where the president asked you--well, you’ve just testified. The president asked you to call Monica on his behalf.

A: Right.

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Q: OK. On those occasions, why did you not go through the White House operator?

A: Either I felt it was faster for me to do it, or it was my call, or perhaps I didn’t want a record made of it, no.

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Q: And is it true that you would not want a record made so that there would be no evidence of a personal relationship between the president and Monica?

A: I can’t say yes to that. I don’t . . .

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Juror: Mrs. Currie, were you concerned that there might be an appearance of impropriety?

A: I was concerned about an appearance of impropriety, yes.

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Juror: In the president’s making calls to Monica Lewinsky.

A: Yes.

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Q: Was that also because you believed there was impropriety?

A: It was a guttal . . . I had a feeling, but I had nothing to base it on, other than a gut.

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Q: Well, you actually did, didn’t you? When I say that, I mean, you saw the packages from Monica. You knew that Monica visited the president on many occasions, and you knew that they were alone on many occasions. Is that correct?

A: Although that doesn’t add up to anything to me, sir.

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Q: It doesn’t? The fact that she addressed the president [as] “Handsome,” would that be another indication of something?

A: We call Mr. Emmick “Handsome.” [Mike Emmick, one of the prosecutors]

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Q: You do, Mrs. Currie?

A: Pardon? I know. I’m sorry.

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Q: Let me just rephrase it.

A: Could I answer his question as best I can?

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Q: Absolutely.

A: I find that it’s just a term. If they were to call him, “Ugly,” it would not . . .

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Juror: Mrs. Currie, did you ever share your concern or special concern about the possible appearance of impropriety with the president or with anyone else?

A: I had nothing to base it on except a guttal. It could be totally, as they have said, nothing happening.

A Crush on the President

Q: Now, you stated with respect to the statement, “Monica Lewinsky came on to me, and I never touched her, right?” that it was your understanding that the president was seeking either your agreement or disagreement on that statement, is that correct?

A: Correct.

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Q: Now, when you state that, did you have any reason to believe that Monica Lewinsky came on to him?

A: Now you’re going to ask--I can’t describe or tell you what “come on to you” means, but she’s aggressive. And I don’t know if that means “come on.” I don’t know.

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Q: OK. And how was she aggressive toward the president?

A: I think wanting to see him.

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Q: OK. And you believe she had a crush on him, is that right?

A: Yes, I would say that.

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Q: Before Jan. 18, 1998, at your meeting at the White House, the president never told you that Monica Lewinsky had come on to him sexually, did he?

A: I don’t remember him saying that before.

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Q: OK. With respect to the part of the statement that says, “I never touched her,” did you believe that to be a true statement?

A: I did.

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Q: Well, Mrs. Currie, you’ve testified now several times that you had inklings, suspicions; you wanted to avoid the appearance of impropriety with respect to their relationship. You had inklings that, in fact, they had a sexual relationship, isn’t that true?

A: No, I did not have inklings.

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Q: So when you testified before that you had inklings, what did you have inklings about?

A: There was a crush of some sort. I didn’t have any inklings of sex.