Monica Lewinsky to testify

Monica Lewisnky’s secret confession to her friend, Linda Tripp, of an affair between her and president could have stayed a secret if Tripp had not decided to secretly record the conversations. Why Tripp decided to leak those tapes to Newsweek, which then spawned a grand jury investigation, the deposition of a sitting president in a criminal trial, and an impeachment trial is only known to Tripp, though many suspect she was seeking a television or book deal. But for the investigation to roll on, they needed the cooperation from the woman at its center.

On this day, July 28, in 1998, Monica Lewinsky was granted full immunity from prosecution if she would agree to testify about her relationship with the president. Lewinsky testified previously she had no physical relations with Clinton, which was belied by the taped phone conversations.

Clinton steadfastly denied all charges. In a nationally televised White House press conference, an angry-sounding Clinton with his wife by his side firmly stated he never had any relations “with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you.” Hillary Clinton, for her part, maintained the charges against her husband were part of a “vast right-wing conspiracy”, a phrase that soon took on a life of its own.