Ken Starr

WASHINGTON -- It is very unusual for someone to be prosecuted for the tax violations that President Clinton's old friend and former appointee, Webster Hubbell, was accused of Thursday.But it is not remotely unusual for a prosecutor to use any lever he can get his hands on to tighten the vise around a potential witness he thinks can advance an important case.In that sense, suggested tax lawyers and former prosecutors interviewed yesterday, the prosecution of Hubbell on tax charges is merely a means to an end -- which is itself a means to a further end.Kenneth Starr, the Whitewater prosecutor, appears to be trying to put pressure on Hubbell in hopes of extracting information that could be used to build a case against Clinton or Hillary Rodham Clinton, the central quarries in the four-year inquiry into the Whitewater land deal and related matters.

WASHINGTON -- A senior White House aide testified before a grand jury for nearly two hours yesterday about his contacts with reporters as Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr returned to his search for sources of unflattering information about his prosecutors.The line of inquiry prompted renewed criticism of Starr's tactics, including a call by 14 Democratic members of Congress for Attorney General Janet Reno to restrain Starr from what they called "a campaign of intimidation.""I never imagined that in America I would be hauled before a federal grand jury to answer questions about my conversations with members of the media," White House communications aide Sidney Blumenthal said on the steps of the federal courthouse.

Here are excerpts from the interview of William H. Ginsburg, attorney for Monica Lewinsky, on NBC's "Meet The Press" by Tim Russert.Russert: You've been having discussions with independent counsel Kenneth Starr's office. What are the state of those discussions?Ginsburg: They are still open. As the saying goes, the ball is still in the air. We are having cordial discussions. We've been together by telephone, and I'm very hopeful that we'll continue those today.Russert: If Monica Lewinsky agrees with Kenneth Starr to cooperate, is granted immunity, will she tell all?