SIGHTINGS


 
Lewinsky Abortion Revealed
By Geoff Stead in New York
The Australian News Network
10-8-98
 
 
MONICA Lewinsky had an abortion during her affair with President Clinton, but claimed he was not the father.
 
A depressed Ms Lewinsky revealed to a social worker during an initial counselling session in November 1996 that she had terminated a pregnancy.
 
She revealed her affair with the President during her second visit a week later.
 
Ms Lewinsky went to see Washington social worker Kathleen Estep after a doctor at the weight loss clinic she was attending at the time became concerned about her depression.
 
In an affidavit, the 53-year-old Estep said she quickly discovered Ms Lewinsky's depression was linked to an abortion arising from a "short relationship".
 
"[She] went into details of her relationship with someone other than the President, who was the father of the child," Ms Estep testified.
 
She said she concluded Ms Lewinsky was suffering from low self-esteem but was "not delusional".
 
Mr Clinton has admitted a 16-month affair with Ms Lewinsky which included "intimate sexual contact" but no intercourse.
 
Ms Lewinsky has testified the relationship was limited to oral sex.
 
She told investigators her last sexual encounter with Mr Clinton was in February last year four months after she was first counselled by Estep.
 
References to the abortion were contained in more than 4500 pages of addition evidence released in the investigation of the president by independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who has identified 11 possible charges for the impeachment of Mr Clinton.
 
Women's groups across the US last night were outraged that the abortion was included in the block of evidence made public yesterday when simple swear words were blacked out.
 
"What are they trying to do to this girl? Those details have nothing to do with this investigation," said psychologist Joyce Brothers.
 
The evidence also reveals Ms Lewinsky offered Linda Tripp, the Pentagon employee who blew the whistle on the affair, part-ownership of a unit in Australia to lie under oath.





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