Linda Tripp (70) was a former White House and Pentagon employee whose secret audiotapes of Monica Lewinsky led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998.
What We Know:
- Joseph Murtha, a former lawyer for Ms. Tripp, confirmed the death. No other details were given.
- Linda Tripp always contended that she had revealed Ms. Lewinsky’s private confession of a sexual relationship with Mr. Clinton out of “patriotic duty”. Tripp had recorded almost 20 hours of tapes to Kenneth Starr, the independent prosecutor investigating Clinton.
- Tripp had started working for the Pentagon in 1994 as a public affairs specialist. She was dismissed by the Pentagon in January 2001, on the last day of the Clinton administration.
- While Tripp had been central to the Clinton impeachment case, Republicans and Conservatives did little to try to protect her from public scrutiny.
- In a 2003 television interview on CNN’s Larry King Live, Ms. Tripp said: “Actions speak louder than words. My actions over the last five years should be pretty clear evidence that this was not about self-enrichment, political gain, partisan interest. It was about good government.”
On Twitter earlier on Wednesday, as reports circulated that Ms. Tripp was critically ill, Ms. Lewinsky wrote: “no matter the past, upon hearing that linda tripp is very seriously ill, i hope for her recovery. i can’t imagine how difficult this is for her family.”
