BBC News Online: World: Americas

Tripp indicted for Lewinsky phone tapping

Mrs Tripp, whose tapes led to the impeachment of President Clinton over his affair with Ms Lewinsky, was charged with breaking wiretapping laws in the state of Maryland.

Mrs Tripp is the only central figure in the Lewinsky scandal facing criminal charges.

The president was acquitted in a Senate impeachment trial on charges of perjury and obstruction.

Mrs Tripp handed her tapes over to Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr, giving him valuable ammunition for his investigations into the president's activities.

She secured a federal grant of immunity from prosecution, but this does not apply in a state case.

Maryland State Prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli said the grand jury indicted Mrs Tripp on one count of illegal interception of a phone conversation on 22 December 1997, after she had allegedly been told by her lawyer that the taping was illegal.

The other count was for allegedly disclosing the contents of that conversation to Newsweek magazine. Under Maryland law telephone conversations may not be intercepted without the other party's consent.

Wiretapping is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each offence.

Mrs Tripp recorded more than 20 hours of conversations with her former friend Ms Lewinsky.

Relevant Stories

Clinton in Paula Jones pay-out (29 Jul 99 | Americas)
Tripp: It was worth it (12 Feb 99 | FALL OUT)
Clinton crisis: At a glance (12 Feb 99 | FALL OUT)
Lewinsky urged Tripp to lie (03 Oct 98 | Tapes and Transcripts)
The Monica tapes: Confiding in a friend (17 Nov 98 | Tapes and Transcripts)
Linda Tripp: if it hadn't been for her... (11 Sep 98 | Profiles)

Internet Links

The Starr Report
The First White House Rebuttal
The Second White House Rebuttal

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

In this section

Microsoft trial mediator appointed (From Business)
Safety chief deplores crash speculation
Taxman scoops a million (From Entertainment)
Violence greets Clinton visit
Bush outlines foreign policy
Boy held after US school shooting
Memorial for bonfire dead
Senate passes US budget
New constitution for Venezuela
North Korea expels US 'spy'
Hurricane Lenny abates
UN welcomes US paying dues
Chavez praises 'advanced' constitution
In pictures: Castro strikes out Chavez
WTO: arbitration in EU-Ecuador banana dispute
Colombian army chief says rebels defeated
Colombian president lambasts rebels