Prosecutors Ask for Clarification in Tripp’s Case
State prosecutors are asking a judge to clarify her ruling limiting evidence that can be used in Maryland’s wiretapping case against Linda Tripp, hoping to salvage some of Monica S. Lewinsky’s testimony.
Judge Diane O. Leasure ruled May 5 that Lewinsky’s testimony to a Maryland grand jury was tainted by Tripp’s immunized testimony to federal authorities. She also questioned Lewinsky’s credibility, saying the former White House intern had lied under oath and might have “shaped” her testimony.
Tripp was indicted by a Howard County grand jury in July on charges that she violating the state’s wiretapping laws when she secretly recorded a Dec. 22, 1997 phone conversation with Lewinsky, then had her attorney play it for Newsweek. Prosecutors believe Tripp’s secret taping of her conversations with Lewinsky constitute wiretapping.
State prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli said that while Leasure’s ruling means Lewinsky cannot identify her voice on the tape, his motion Friday says the order “implicitly allows testimony identifying and authenticating the conversation.”
Prosecutors hope that if the motion is approved, they can use Lewinsky’s identification of her voice to build a circumstantial case against Tripp.
Tripp’s trial is scheduled to begin July 10. If convicted, she could face 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
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