Wednesday July 23, 2003; 11:42 p.m. EDT
Flowers Wins Another Round Against Hillary
Former Bill Clinton paramour Gennifer Flowers won another round in court this week, when a federal judge ruled that her lawsuit against ABC newsman George Stephanopoulos, Democratic operative James Carville and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton can proceed.
The ruling brings Mrs. Clinton another step closer to being deposed in the case, a development that could undermine her plans to seek the White House.
On Monday U.S. District Judge Philip Pro granted a motion by Sen. Clinton to dismiss the defamation claims against her personally, but he allowed Flowers' claim that Mrs. Clinton conspired with the other two defendants to stand.
According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Judge Pro found that "Carville and Stephanopoulos acted as the `instrumentality' of Clinton" when they falsely claimed she had fabricated her account of a 12-year affair with Mr. Clinton.
In a lawsuit filed by her attorneys at Judicial Watch, the early Clinton whistleblower contends that the former first lady organized and directed a conspiracy to defame her that included false statements made by Carville and Stephanopoulos.
One such claim was that she had "doctored" tape recordings of her phone conversation with President Clinton. On the tapes, Mr. Clinton agrees that then-New York Governor Mario Cuomo "acts like" a Mafiosi, advises Flowers to perjure herself before an Arkansas State labor grievance hearing and discusses oral sex.
The Washington, D.C.-based legal watchdog group said Wednesday that it intends to depose Mrs. Clinton in the case, as well as her two former aides.
"Ms. Flowers is quite pleased that she finally has the opportunity to hold Ms. Clinton and her minions Carville and Stephanopoulos accountable in court," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a press release.
"Ms. Flowers has been significantly damaged by their ‘smear machine’ and is anxious for justice."
All day long, they lie in the sun, and when the sun goes down, they lie some more.
