Lawyers For Paula Jones Quit
In an effort to settle the sexual harassment case against President Clinton, lawyers for Paula Jones adjusted their offer to $950,000. CBS News Correspondent Phil Jones reports that not only was the offer rejected, but the Jones' legal team had another headline grabbing announcement, they quit.
In a written statement, they disclosed they have "informed their client, Paula Jones, that they would not represent her" beyond her current appeal to have her sexual harassment lawsuit reinstated.
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"We never agreed to represent her in a retrial or a further appeal," said Jones' Dallas based attorney David Pyke. "We notified her if the case goes on, she's going to need new counsel."
Her lawyers also said they still believe Jones' "sexual harassment lawsuit is meritorious."
CBS News has learned that her lawyers are fed up with Jones' friend and public relations advisor Susan Carpenter McMillan, who has convinced Jones she can get millions of dollars. McMillan did not return phone calls to CBS News on Thursday.
Last Saturday was the final straw for the lawyers, when Paula Jones and Susan Carpenter McMillan flew to Washington to literally kiss real estate tycoon Abe Hirschfeld at a circus-like news conference.
Hirschfeld presented a million dollar check to Jones toward a settlement during the event. "I want to thank you again Mr. Hirschfeld for your generous offer and you are a wonderful person" said Jones as she kissed Hirschfeld.
However Jones' lawyers are not kissing off her bills which total almost $3 million. If Jones does change her mind, the president has offered to settle out of court for $700,000.
Before dropping her settlement offer to $950,000, Mrs. Jones had demanded $1 million, not including Hirschfeld's money. The Dallas lawyers were divided among themselves over whether to include a $1 million offer from Hirschfeld in the negotiations.
In the last few days, after Hirschfeld imposed conditions on the offer and failed to wire the money as he promised, the Dallas lawyers agreed that the money was unusable.
This is not the first time Mrs. Jones has lost her legal team. Last October, her previous lawyers stopped representing her after disputes over settling the case. Those lawyers, Joseph Cammarata and Gilbert Davis, are seeking an $800,000 lien on any settlement money as payment for their work.
Joseph Cammarata, told CBS News that President Clinton is just "skating by". "He (Clinton) has put money on the table to try to settle. Paula Jones has seen fit not to accept that money; she wants more. He is got to bsitting back saying 'this is a good day for me'."
Clinton has denied Mrs. Jones' contention that he made an unwelcome sexual advance in 1991 while governor of Arkansas and caused her to suffer harassment in her state job after she rejected his overture.