The announcement that a new grand jury was yet again investigating President Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky affair drew sharp condemnation from the White House yesterday as the Vice President, Mr Gore, prepared to deliver his nomination acceptance speech.
CNN and other news organisations said independent counsel Mr Robert Ray, who has said he would consider an indictment of Mr Clinton after the President leaves office, had formed a grand jury on July 11th.
"The timing of this leak reeks to high heaven," said White House spokesman Mr Jake Siewert. "But given the record of the office of the independent counsel, it's not surprising."
Mr Jack Quinn, a former White House counsel and close Gore adviser, also denounced the timing but said it should not distract Mr Gore.
"I don't know if this is a big deal for President Clinton or a small deal - housekeeping details as someone said . . . The timing of this just absolutely stinks . . . the timing of this stinks," he said on CNN.
Grand juries are secret proceedings to hear evidence to determine whether a criminal indictment should be issued for alleged wrongdoing.
Mr Ray's predecessor, Mr Kenneth Starr's, investigation of President Clinton led to the President's impeachment by the US House of Representatives in December 1998 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from his relationship with Ms Lewinsky when she was a White House intern.
The Senate acquitted President Clinton in February 1999, allowing him to serve out his term, which ends in January 2000.
Mr Ray, a leading aide to Mr Starr who replaced him last October, said in April he would consider seeking an indictment against President Clinton after he left office for trying to hide his relationship with Ms Lewinsky.
Rather than winding down the independent counsel's office after Mr Starr's departure, Mr Ray hired new officials to replace people who had departed, including six new lawyers.