Filly Brown

'It is the first time in US history'

'that a sitting president has been forced to testify'

'as a defendant in a lawsuit.'

Paula Jones' lawyers were going to be able to

take a deposition of President Clinton.

The court had ordered it

and nobody wanted to cover it.

It seemed unseemly, it seemed icky, it didn't..

You know, what was it going to lead to?

It caused a lot of consternation

in our newsroom about where the lines were

and what we should be reporting on

what we shouldn't be reporting on.

So, I was the junior guy in the totem pole, and they said

"You're in charge of the Paula Jones suit"

and I thought, "Wow, did I really luck out here."

Of the six lawyers in our firm, I was the most senior lawyer

in terms of trial experience.

We decided that I would..

I would take the deposition of President Clinton.

The president's lawyers decided that

it should be done in their office.

'It's a brown taxi. And we have a tag number two.'

While we're riding in the cabs, there are journalist

on all sides of us in cars hanging out of the window

videoing us riding in a cab to the deposition.

We got out of the car

and there had to be 500 people there.

It was, it was a mob scene.

It was just, it was terrifying.

I didn't know if somebody was gonna hurt me

or try to pull a gun on me.

I mean, really that stuff went through my mind.

I just started pushing people away, "Move. Move."

They were literally blocking us from getting into the building.

And one of my partners who played linebacker

at Baylor University

was physically picking people up and moving them.

The lawyers were on the elevator

and I got on and Paula got on

and I said, you know, "Any news?"

and they said "Oh, yes, we have some news

but I don't want to talk to you about it now, Suzie."

The night before the deposition one of my partners

was meeting with Linda Tripp

and her attorney, and that..

The night before the deposition, is when we learned the details

of what Monica Lewinsky had disclosed to Linda Tripp.

The information was very helpful because there were details about

how gifts were shuttled in and out of the White House

bypassing the normal security protocols

and there was information about what gifts were given.

I could use that information to build questions.

We were escorted into the room where the deposition

would be taken..

Waited for a while..

And then these large double doors opened

and in, with a great flourish

walked the President of the United States.

President Clinton is an amazing man.

He is incredibly charming

but I could see him working the room.

It was a big conference table and he was at the head of it

and then the judge was on, down on the other side.

Paula Jones was about two seats

or three seats down to the right, uh, just looking at him.

I stared him down the whole time

'cause I was mad and determined.

You're gonna tell the truth and I'm gonna hear it today

and the whole world's gonna finally know

I was always telling the truth.

- 'Good morning, Mr. President.' - Good morning.

'My name is Jim Fisher, sir'

'and I am an attorney from Dallas, Texas'

'and I represent the plaintiff Paula Jones in this case.'

'Do you understand who I am and who I am'

'representing today?'

Yes.

'Your testimony is subject to the penalty of perjury.'

- 'Do you understand that, sir?' - I do.

Because the judge had warned us not to, uh, ask questions

that were designed to embarrass the president

I actually had a written definition of sexual contact

so that I wouldn't have to go down a laundry list of

possible sexual activity that he might have engaged in.

The definition in section one

there in the first piece of paper that you gave me. Yes.

- 'On how many occasions?' - Once.

- 'In what year?' - 1977.

I decided to question him about Kathleen Willey.

One week earlier, she had testified.

That was pretty devastating testimony that she gave.

I wanted the judge to see that we had evidence of harassment

in the White House of an employee who reported to him

indirectly, and that this

was not a case about politics

or discrediting the president for political reasons.

It's a real sexual harassment case.

'You are aware that she testified'

'that you took her hand and put it on your penis.'

- I'm aware of that. - 'And you deny that testimony?'

I emphatically deny it. It did not happen.

The approach that he took was one of sympathy.

This person was distraught.

He doesn't know why she would say such a thing

but he has no malice towards her and...

She'd been through a lot

and I, I did to her what I've done to scores and scores

of men and women who have worked for me

or been my friends over the years.

Ah, I embraced her

I put my arms around her

maybe even kissed her on her forehead.

There was nothing sexual about it.

He handled the questions flawlessly.

Ah, very smooth

confident, you know, at the top of his game.

Then, I went to Monica Lewinsky.

'At any time, were you'

'and Monica Lewinsky together alone in the Oval Office?'

I don't recall, but when she worked

at the Legislative Affairs office

they always had somebody there on the weekends.

I typically work some on the weekends.

Sometimes they bring me things on the weekends.

It seems to me she brought things to me

once or twice on the weekends.

In that case, whatever time, she would be in there

drop it off, exchange a few words and go.

She was there.

'Did it ever happen that you and she went down the hallway'

'from the Oval Office to the private kitchen?'

'Your Honor, excuse me, Mr. President'

'I-I'm going to object to the innuendo.'

'I-I'm afraid that this will leak.'

'Counsel is fully aware that Miss Lewinsky has filed'

'has an affidavit which they are in possession of.'

Of course, his lawyers had her affidavit

that she had signed only a few days earlier.

He felt secure.

But that all changed

when I started asking detailed questions.

In particular, questions about

the gifts that Monica had given him

and that he had given her.

'Have you ever given any gifts to Monica Lewinsky?'

I don't recall. Do you know what they were?

'A hat pin?'

I don't, I don't remember.

He realized that she'd been talking.

'A book about Walt Whitman?'

I gave, uh, let me just say

I gave people a lot of gifts, people around.

I give a lot of the things that I have at White House away.

So I-I could've given her a gift

but I don't remember a specific gift.

I was in the room listening to the deposition.

We were surprised at the detail of the questions

about Monica Lewinsky and the gifts in particular.

'Has Monica Lewinsky ever given you any gifts?'

Ah, once or twice. I think she'd given me a book or two.

'Did she give you a silver cigar box?'

No.

I had 100 percent adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I felt like we were building a good case.

He lost his confidence.

He began to fumble for words.

'Mr. President, it's my understanding that'

'Monica Lewinsky has made statements to people..'

- 'And I'd like for--' - 'Object, object to the..'

'Ah, counsel shouldn't testify.'

'Obviously counsel will testify.'

'I will sustain your objection.'

'Did you have an extramarital sexual affair'

'with Monica Lewinsky?'

No.

'If she told someone that she had a sexual affair with you'

'beginning in November of 1995, would that be a lie?'

It's certainly not the truth.

It would not be the truth.

I have never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky.

I have never had an affair with her.

The president became visibly flustered

and that's when he asked the question

"Why are you asking those questions?"

Mr. Fisher, is there's something..

You-you asked that with such conviction

and I answered with such conviction.

Is there something you wanna ask me about this?

I don't-I don't even know what you're talking about

I don't think.

'Sir, I think this will come to light shortly.'

The whole complexion of the situation

changed at that point.

'Seated to my right, two chairs down, is Ms. Paula Jones.'

'Ah, do you recall ever having met her before today?'

No. I've said that many times. I don't.

'Mr. President, did you ever make any sexual advances'

'towards Paula Jones?'

No, I did not.