Starr presents his case against Clinton

A softspoken Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr Thursday defended his work in building a case for potential impeachment of President Clinton after Democrats made a harsh attack on his motives, methods, conflicts and findings.

Starr made his lengthy personal and professional defense in the second half of a two- hour presentation to a largely quiet and attentive audience at the House Judiciary Committee.

"We were assigned a difficult job. We have done it with the very best of our abilities. We have tried to be both fair and thorough," he pleaded.

Judiciary ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., began the hearing with an assault on Starr as a "federally paid sex policeman" who dumped on the House a "tawdry, salacious and unnecessary graphic referral" that the public did not want with "much drama and fanfare."

No new ground was broken as Starr read his 58-page written testimony. Starr spelled out how he decided there was "credible and substantial" evidence that Clinton might be impeached. A factual analysis of Clinton's statements and behavior concerning his relationship with Monica Lewinsky showed that Clinton had "engaged in a pattern of behavior ... to thwart the legal system," Starr said.

While the trail to Lewinsky could lead to potential impeachment, Starr reported other investigations of the president did not pan out. He exonerated Clinton in his investigation of the White House travel office and its uses of FBI files. Of Whitewater, Starr conceded his staff fell short of building a case for impeachment.

Building his case around the Lewinsky relationship, Starr argued Clinton had "made false statements under oath" both in a civil deposition and to the federal grand jury. He insisted that Clinton's acts were "not a private matter." Clinton misused his office in 10 ways, Starr argued. Among them were several "premeditated false statements" Clinton made in court and elsewhere, demonstrating "a pattern of behavior ... to thwart the judicial process."

In the second half of his presentation, Starr addressed criticism by Conyers and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who twice interrupted his testimony with a point of order with a protest that it was ranging beyond the referral Starr made on Lewinsky.

Judiciary Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., ruled against Lee's objections, as he had earlier on an appeal by Democrats to expand the time given to Clinton attorney David Kendall from 30 minutes to two hours. Hyde promised to give Clinton "all the time in the world" later in the impeachment process.

In answering Conyers' complaints about the character of the independent counsel's referral, Starr argued the "facts are critical. They affect credibility, are necessary to avoid a distorted picture." Starr pleaded that it was not his decision to release all or part of his referral to the House and complained that "a war" had been declared on his office.