Judge to determine whether Flowers’ suit goes to trial

Greg Tuttle

Tuesday, July 18, 2000 | 11:07 a.m.

Gennifer Flowers cannot "rewrite history," and her defamation lawsuit against former presidential aide George Stephanopoulos should be dismissed, an attorney said in federal court this morning.

The lawsuit filed by President Clinton's former flame last November in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas also should not go to trial here because "it has nothing to do with Nevada," Stephanopoulos' attorney Laura Handman said.

Attorneys for first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and another former presidential aide, James Carville, were expected to make similar arguments today as they seek to have Flowers' lawsuit dismissed.

U.S. District Judge Philip Pro will decide whether the case should move forward to trial.

Flowers is seeking more than $75,000 in damages. Dressed in white and wearing dark glasses, she sat quietly during the opening minutes of the hearing, occasionally shaking her head as Handman spoke. Flowers, who moved to Las Vegas two years ago to jumpstart a singing career, filed the federal lawsuit against Stephanopoulos and Carville claiming the former presidential aides libelled and slandered her on numerous occasions.

The lawsuit claims a 1999 book written by Stephanopoulos, a former senior Clinton adviser, defamed Flowers. Stephanopoulos and Carville, Clinton's former campaign manager, also slandered Flowers during a television appearance in which they discussed the woman's 12-year affair with Clinton while he served as governor of Arkansas, according to the lawsuit.

Hillary Clinton was added to the lawsuit in January. She is accused in the lawsuit of orchestrating three burglaries at Flowers' home, defaming her and invading her privacy.

Clinton initially denied having an affair with Flowers when she made the allegations in a 1992 tabloid interview during his first presidential campaign. Clinton later admitted to the affair with Flowers during the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.

Attorneys have argued in court filings the statements by Stephanopoulos and Carville were opinions and not defamatory. The attorneys, Pat Lundvall and Andrew Gordon of Reno and Handman and Matthew Leish of Washington, D.C., said the case should be dismissed because none of the alleged acts took place in Nevada and the statute of limitations has run out.

The lawyers also said the statements by the former presidential aides were an "accurate accounting of historical facts."

Flowers is being represented by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal organization in Washington, D.C.