In Store Book Signing Local Author Jim Lichtman

Chaucer’s Books (3321 State Street) will host local author Jim Lichtman for a book talk and signing of his book “Trust and Confidence”  on Wednesday, October 4 at 6 p.m.

Description

During the 1998 investigation of President Bill Clinton, independent counsel Kenneth Starr compelled Secret Service agents to testify about what they may have seen or heard regarding Clinton’s relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Director Lewis Merletti and the Department of Justice argued that if agents were allowed to testify about anything other than criminal acts, it would violate the trust and confidence tenet critical to the proximity necessary between agents and protectees. The result of such testimony would likely lead the president to push away protection leaving them vulnerable to assassination.

That’s what was reported in news accounts.

What the public did not know, was that Starr relied on a source inside the service who alleged that Merletti had secretly facilitated the Clinton/Lewinsky relationship by going to the White House at night, removing the president, putting him in the back seat of a car, covering him with a blanket and taking him to a hotel to meet with Lewinsky. Clinton allegedly had a deal with Merletti: Don’t talk about Lewinsky and I’ll make you Secret Service director.

Despite no corroboration and the refusal of the source to come forward and testify, Starr and his prosecutors were focused on getting Merletti to admit to the deal and get Lewinsky to testify about her relationship with the president. As associate independent counsel Mark Barrett told Starr: This would be a live grenade. Do it right. Monica Lewinsky and Secret Service.

This is about a fight between reason and rationalization, between moral integrity and moralistic righteousness. It’s a battle between one man standing on principle and another who believed the end justified the means.

About the Author-

Jim Lichtman has been writing and speaking on ethics since 1995. Past clients include The American Bankers Association, Federal Dispute Resolution Conference, Society of Actuaries, Sandia National Labs, National Grocers Association, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Rhode Island, The 3rd National Character Education Conference, Idaho Hospital Association, California Teachers Association—Region 3, Hampton University Honors College, Penn State Forum, and US Department of State.

His op-eds have appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Huffington Post, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and The New York Times.

Feature stories and appearances include The New Jersey Star-Ledger,Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Herald, National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition, NY-1, and CNN’s NewsNight with Aaron Brown.

His weekly commentaries can be found at EthicsStupid.com, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram,and Facebook.