The US Attorney General, Ms Janet Reno, has ordered an investigation of alleged fund-raising abuses by the Vice-President, Mr Al Gore. This could lead to the appointment of a special counsel or independent prosecutor. The move is seen as embarrassing for Mr Gore but not yet damaging to his presidential prospects for 2000. He has insisted that phone calls he made from his White House office to raise funds for last year's election did not break the law, but he has appointed two lawyers to oppose the special counsel move.
Ms Reno was seen to have little choice except to order the preliminary investigation when the Washington Post revealed last month that some of the money raised by Mr Gore went to the re-election campaign of President Clinton and himself.
Until then the Attorney General had assumed that Mr Gore was raising only so-called "soft money" which went to the Democratic Party Committee for partybuilding efforts and not to the Clinton-Gore election campaign funds which were controlled strictly by federal laws.
The preliminary investigation of Mr Gore's fund-raising will last 60 days, and will not necessarily lead to the appointment of a prosecutor independent of the Department of Justice. Such a counsel, Mr Ken Starr, has been investigating the role of President and Mrs Clinton in the Whitewater property development when they lived in Little Rock, Arkansas. But after two years of investigation, Mr Starr has not brought any charges against the Clintons.
It will be up to Ms Reno to decide whether the evidence on Mr Gore's fund-raising warrants appointing a special counsel. Republicans in Congress have been threatening to impeach Ms Reno if she does not, arguing that prima facie evidence against Mr Gore is overwhelming.
The 114-year-old law governing fund-raising from federal buildings is open to various interpretations. Some experts argue that it does not apply to the President and Vice-President.
The Attorney General is also examining election fund-raising activities and telephone calls made by Mr Clinton in the White House last year. She has until October 15th to decide on a preliminary investigation as she has just done.
President Bill Clinton underwent his annual physical yesterday, noticeably slimmer than last year when he weighed in at 98kg (15 1/2 stone) His press secretary, Mr Mike McCurry, estimated the president had lost 10kg.
When Mr Clinton tore a knee tendon in May, doctors warned that a weight gain was likely because he would be more sedentary. He made a determined effort to prove them wrong, exercising more and cutting back on calories.