Starr Says Story Quoting Aide Was Inaccurate
WASHINGTON — Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr said Wednesday that The Times was in error last month when it reported that he views the Whitewater trial in Arkansas as a way to obtain evidence against President Clinton.
In a letter released to reporters, Starr said an article in The Times on April 13 was “seriously inaccurate” when it described his deputy, W. Hickman Ewing Jr., as saying the prosecutor hopes to persuade defendants in the trial to give incriminating evidence against the president.
Starr also complained that the Clinton administration has been “trumpeting” the newspaper article as evidence that his investigation is biased.
The Times said it would look into the matter.
“We believe our story of April 13 was accurate,” Washington bureau chief Doyle McManus said. “But we will certainly look at Mr. Starr’s complaint and see if it is warranted in any way.”
McManus said the paper was locating a recording of Ewing’s month-old comments to recheck the accuracy of its quotes. Starr aides said they did not have a recording, but relied on notes taken by a staff member and on Ewing’s memory.
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