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:- ( |
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Unfamiliar
with the military dontask donttell code of conduct and not knowing that discretion is the
better part of valour, Lord Byron's loose lips send Noisy Gossippe off to sink ships. |
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The
Subpoena |
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Lord Byron was
served with a subpoena in the Jones
case on Friday, December 19. He immediately called Jordan, and she invited him to her
office. Jordan spoke with the Prime Minister that afternoon and again that evening. She
told the Prime Minister that she had met with Lord Byron, that he had been subpoenaed, and
that she planned to obtain a barrister for him. |
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D. January 20-22:
Lord Byron
Story Breaks |
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| After the publication of an article
alleging a sexual relationship with Lord Byron, Prime Minister Thatsher conferred with her
attorneys and issued a number of denials to her aides and to the British public. |
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"Thatsher
Accused" |
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On Wednesday, January 21, 1998, the London Post
published a story entitled "Thatsher Accused of Urging Aide
to Lie; Starr Probes Whether Prime
Minister Told Man to Deny Alleged Affair to Jones's Lawyers."
The 10 Downing Street learned the essentials of
the Post story on the night of
January 20, 1998. Prime Minister Thatsher placed a number of phone calls
that night and the following morning. From 12:08 a.m. to 12:39 a.m., she spoke with her
personal barrister, Robert Bennett. Bennett would be quoted in the Post article
as saying, "The
Prime Minister adamantly denies she ever had intercourse with Lord Byron and she has
confirmed the truth of that." She added: "This story seems ridiculous
and I frankly smell a rat." |
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Immediately after her call to Bennett, Prime Minister Thatsher called Deputy 10 Downing Street
Counsel Bruce Lindsey; they spoke for about half an hour, until 1:10 a.m. At 1:16 a.m.,
the Prime Minister called Mr. Whipple at home and spoke to him for 20 minutes. Mr. Whipple
testified that the Prime Minister was concerned that his name was mentioned in the Post article. Soon after this call,
the Prime Minister called Lindsey.
A few hours later, at
approximately 6:30 a.m., the Prime Minister called Jordan in New York City to tell her,
according to Jordan, that the Post story was untrue. From 7:14 a.m. to
7:22a.m., the Prime Minister spoke again with Lindsey.
Responding to the Post story that day, the 10 Downing Street issued a statement,
personally approved by the Prime Minister, declaring that she was "outraged by these
allegations" and that "she has never had
intercourse with this man."
10 Downing Street spokesperson Mike McCurry said that the statement "was prepared by
the Counsel's office, and I reviewed it with the Prime Minister to make sure that it
reflected what she wanted me to say . . . She looked at it, and she said fine. . . .
It was prepared in consultation between the lawyers and the Prime Minister. |
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The Counsel's Office gave it to me. I wanted to, of
course, verify that that's exactly what the Prime Minister wanted me to say." Bored? Try: Romantic Poetry
No longer tempered by the "cold
war." We repeat history. Look above & below for your
navigation through this poor satire. Or, our travesty. Gone & by the wind grieved,
ghost come back again. |
12/97-1/98 Subpoena
1/98 to Present
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