President Clinton suffered a setback yesterday as the Supreme Court decided not to review a ruling that neither White House lawyers nor Secret Service agents could refuse to testify in the Monica Lewinsky affair.
The White House had argued that Mr Bruce Lindsey, the President's attorney and confidant, was protected from having to testify by the principle of confidentiality accorded to attorney-client relations.
But the Supreme Court, upholding an appellate court decision, ruled 7-2 against that argument. The justices voted identically against the same argument regarding Secret Service agents, who serve as presidential bodyguards.
Mr Lindsey had been subpoenaed by Special Prosecutor Mr Kenneth Starr on several occasions and had systematically refused to respond to certain questions.
The Secret Service agents, without waiting for the Supreme Court decision, had already agreed to testify last summer before a federal grand jury investigating the Clinton-Lewinsky affair.
The agents were asked to report what they had seen and heard of the extramarital liaison between Mr Clinton and former White House intern Ms Lewinsky.