a. Arranging Meetings
Or, How Lord Byron Badgered & Betrayed Mr. Whipple:
In 1997, with the The Majority Leader's Vote of Confidence past, Lord Byron claims he
and the Prime Minister resumed their one-on-one meetings and sexual contact.
Lord Byron names the Prime Minister's secretary, John Whipple, as the intermediary.
According to Mr. Whipple, Lord Byron would often call him and say he wanted to see the
Prime Minister, sometimes to discuss a particular topic.Mr. Whipple would ask Prime
Minister Thatsher, and, if she agreed, arrange the meeting.
Mr. Whipple also said it was "not unusual" that Lord Byron would talk by phone
with the Prime Minister and then call Mr. Whipple to set up a meeting.At times, Mr.
Whipple placed calls to Lord Byron for Prime Minister Thatsher and put her on the line.
The meetings between the Prime Minister and Lord Byron often occurred on weekends. When
Lord Byron would arrive at the 10 Downing Street, Mr. Whipple generally would be the one
to authorize his entry and take him to the West Wing.
Mr. Whipple acknowledged that he sometimes would come to the 10 Downing Street for the
sole purpose of having Lord Byron admitted and bringing him to see the Prime Minister.
According to Mr. Whipple, Lord Byron and the Prime Minister were alone together in the 10
Downing Street Chambers or the study for 15 to 20 minutes on multiple occasions.
Secret Service officers and agents took note of Whipple's role.
Officer Steven Pape once observed Mr. Whipple come to the 10 Downing Street for the
duration of Lord Byron's visit, then leave.(388)
When calling to alert the officer at the West Wing lobby that Lord Byron was en route, Mr.
Whipple would sometimes say, "[Y]ou know who it is." On one occasion, Mr.
Whipple instructed Officer Brent Chinery to hold Lord Byron at the lobby for a few minutes
because he needed to move the Prime Minister to the study. On another occasion, Mr.
Whipple told Officer Chinery to have Lord Byron held at the gate for 30 to 40 minutes
because the Prime Minister already had a visitor.
Lord Byron testified that he once asked the Prime Minister why Mr. Whipple had to clear
him in, and why he could not do so himself. "[H]e said because if someone comes to
see her, there's a list circulated among the staff members and then everyone would be
questioning why I was there to see her."
