'This Is Sick, This Is Sick.' (Transcript of Taped Conversation between Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky)

Listen in as Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky discuss the details of the alleged affair--and the purported pressures to cover it up

The week before Christmas Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp had been subpoenaed to be deposed in the Paula Jones lawsuit. They suspected they would be asked whether Lewinsky had had a sexual relationship with the president. Lewinsky called Tripp late one evening and again the next morning. Tripp taped the conversations. Excerpts of those recordings, heard by NEWSWEEK, follow:

Tripp asks Lewinsky for permission to tell her lawyer about the dilemma.

LEWINSKY: Don't you think he's going to say, "Linda, I can't let you lie"?

TRIPP: He may, but it's not going to hurt us more than we are already hurt.

LEWINSKY: But it's one more person who will know ...

LEWINSKY: Look, maybe we should just tell the creep. Maybe we should just say, "Don't ever talk to me again, If---ed you over [by telling others about the relationship]. Now you have this information, do whatever you want with it."

TRIPP: Well, if you want to do that, that's what I would do. But I don't know that you're comfortable with that. I think he should know.

LEWINSKY: He won't settle [the Jones case]. He's in denial.

TRIPP: I think …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: 'This Is Sick, This Is Sick.' (Transcript of Taped Conversation between Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky). Contributors: Not available. Magazine title: Newsweek. Volume: 131. Issue: 5 Publication date: February 2, 1998. Page number: 34+. © 2009 Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse, distribution or alteration without express written permission of Newsweek is prohibited. For permission: www.newsweek.com. COPYRIGHT 1998 Gale Group.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.