LEWINSKY'S LAWYER ACCUSES STARR OF WANTING HER TO LIE.

Byline: John Solomon Associated Press 

Monica Lewinsky's attorney said Thursday he has a letter from prosecutors confirming a deal to grant her immunity, and he accused them of trying to pressure her ``into statements that are not true.''

In a dramatic statement Thursday night, attorney William Ginsburg flatly disputed Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr's remarks earlier in the day that his office could not grant Lewinsky immunity because his investigators had not been given a face-to-face interview with her.

``His continued insistence that he cannot have a face-to-face talk with Ms. Lewinsky has no basis in fact,'' Ginsburg said in a written statement. He would not elaborate on it.

``Judge Starr has made an agreement to grant Monica Lewinsky complete immunity and sent Ms. Lewinsky a letter confirming the grant of immunity,'' Ginsburg's statement said. ``Under that agreement, Judge Starr has the right to meet face to face with Ms. Lewinsky at any time and for as long as he wishes to meet.''

Since Jan. 12, Starr has been investigating a secretly taped assertion of Lewinsky that she had an 18-month affair with Clinton, beginning while she was a 21-year-old White House intern. Clinton and Lewinsky last month denied having a sexual relationship in an affidavit and deposition in Paula Jones' sexual harassment suit against the president, according to sources.

Ginsburg accused Starr of making comments suggesting there was no immunity deal as part of an ``orchestrated campaign to pressure Ms. Lewinsky into statements that are not true.''

Deborah Gershman, Starr's spokeswoman, said Thursday night that his office had no immediate comment.

Ginsburg's statement came at the conclusion of a day in which there was great confusion over the status of the negotiations for Lewinsky's cooperation in the investigation of an alleged presidential affair and cover-up.

Sources reported Wednesday that Starr had rejected an immunity offer signed by Ginsburg on Monday night and that Ginsburg's defense team believed Starr had reneged on the deal.

Starr said Thursday his investigators wanted to talk to Lewinsky face-to-face and look her ``in the eye'' before making an immunity deal.

The public acknowledgment of a letter discussing an agreement for immunity is an important development. However whether or not that letter would prove binding in convincing a court to grant Lewinsky immunity for her testimony may be a matter of interpretations. Prosecutors traditionally don't consider a grant of immunity official until they have applied to a court for it.