Judge finds Clinton in violation of Privacy Act

WASHINGTON - Resurrecting an impeachment controversy, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that President Clinton "committed a criminal violation of the Privacy Act" by releasing personal letters to undermine the credibility of one of his accusers.

Clinton immediately disputed the decision, saying he reluctantly released the letters two years ago because "it was the only way I knew to refute allegations" by Kathleen Willey of an unwanted sexual advance.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth concluded the president and three top White House lawyers disregarded an earlier court ruling when they made Willey's letters public in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky scandal in 1998.

The White House plans to appeal. Clinton said he never even considered the Privacy Act when he made the decision to release the letters.

Lamberth noted the lawyers recommended the president release the letters just nine months after he issued a ruling that the White House needed to follow the Privacy Act.

"The White House and president were aware that they were subject to the Privacy Act, and yet chose to violate its provisions," Lamberth wrote.

Lamberth's ruling comes in a lawsuit over the Clinton White House's gathering of hundreds of FBI background files on Republican appointees. The judge gave Judicial Watch, which is representing the former officials, wide latitude in exploring whether the White House routinely gathered and released damaging information about opponents.

Lamberth found that releasing the Willey letters was a violation of the Privacy Act because they had been placed in the files of a federal agency - in this case the White House - and so must remain confidential.

Willey was a White House volunteer seeking a full-time paying job when she went to Clinton in 1993 because her husband was in deep financial trouble. Willey's husband killed himself later that same day.

- compiled by staff and wire reports