Hillary Clinton denies using anti-Semitic slur in 1974 against Bill Clinton's campaign adviser

President also says author's allegation is untrue

July 16, 2000
Web posted at: 11:07 p.m. EDT (0307 GMT)

CHAPPAQUA, New York (CNN) -- First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate from New York, on Sunday denied allegations contained in a new book that she used an anti-Semitic slur during a heated argument with an adviser to Bill Clinton's failed 1974 run for Congress.

President Clinton also denied the allegation, which is made in "State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton," a book by former National Enquirer reporter Jerry Oppenheimer that will be released Tuesday and which was quoted in advance by The New York Post.

"I have never said anything like that, ever," Hillary Clinton said during a news conference outside her house in Cappaqua, New York. "I have in the past certainly, you know maybe, called somebody a name. But I have never used an ethnic, racial, anti-Semitic, bigoted, discriminatory, prejudiced, accusation against anybody. I've never done it. I've never thought it."

Listen to Hillary Clinton say, "I have never used an ethnic, racial, anti-Semitic, bigoted, discriminatory, prejudiced, accusation against anybody" ( 193 K/18 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

She went on to say, "I just find it really pathetic and very sad that this is the way that people are attempting to influence politics, and I don't think we should stand for it."

In a statement released Sunday night by his wife's Senate campaign, President Clinton said, "I was there on election night in 1974, and this charge is simply not true."

The president's statement added, "It did not happen. My wife has stood for social justice and tolerance, and against racial and religious hatred for as long as I have known her. It's unfortunate that people would try to exploit false charges like this in an election year rather than look at what she has done for her entire life."

In his book, Oppenheimer alleges that Hillary Rodham -- then Bill Clinton's girlfriend -- called adviser Paul Fray a "Jew bastard" to his face on election night. Bill Clinton lost the race for Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District to incumbent Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt by 6,000 votes out of 190,000 cast.

Oppenheimer stood by his account on Sunday. "Three witnesses have now publicly acknowledged that she said it," Oppenheimer said.

The three people identified by Oppenheimer told CNN that Rodham uttered the slur, but several former campaign aides who were not in the room at the time of the alleged epithet expressed skepticism that the charge is true.

The witnesses, Oppenheimer said, are 57-year-old Fray, the Arkansas native and career political operative who led Bill Clinton's unsuccessful 1974 race; his wife, Mary Lee Fray, who also worked on the campaign; and Neill McDonald, another former campaign worker.

Paul Fray told CNN that Rodham had indeed uttered the slur. "You've got to understand, it was the heat of the moment. We knew we had lost. It was a case of people lashing out at one another, and it just got to that point," he said.

Asked his immediate reaction, he said, "I was a little defensive about it. I looked to the floor, thinking, 'How do I respond?' I didn't mind being called an SOB to my face, but when it comes to attacking my culture, that's a whole 'nother ballgame."

Fray said Bill Clinton said nothing during that part of the argument.

Fray said that, although he is Southern Baptist, "my lineage is Jewish." He said his great-grandfather was Jewish and that he, as a result, is one-eighth Jewish. Fray said he told Bill Clinton about his heritage prior to the night of the alleged slur.

'We had some exchanges ...'

Fray worked with Bill Clinton 26 years ago in Arkansas

"We used to have a fight a day," Fray said about his 1974 relationship with Rodham. "We had some exchanges that were profanity-laced for days on end."

Fray said the election-night argument centered on Rodham's claim that Fray had not taken full advantage of a list of key political players in the state.

McDonald, then a 23-year-old college senior who was coordinating campaign volunteers at the University of Arkansas, told CNN the Frays entered a room with Clinton and Rodham to discuss what had gone wrong.

Mary Lee Fray instructed McDonald to close the door and not let anyone in, McDonald said. The discussion, which lasted about an hour, "started off low-key, but then the yelling escalated, passing out blame between the four in the room as to who did what when and who cost us the election," McDonald said.

McDonald said Rodham used the anti-Semitic slur to refer to Fray. "I don't know what provoked it or what," McDonald said. "I just remember that one little comment."

McDonald said Rodham made the comment only once and that he never heard her say anything like that before or since. He added he bears no ill will toward the Clintons.

Mary Lee Fray told CNN her husband's account of the alleged incident was accurate. After the election, she said, "the friendship was over."

In her news conference Sunday, Hillary Clinton said she had no recollection of the meeting. She said she was responding to the charges because they had no merit.

"I knew that there would be people, unfortunately, who would be believing it or trying to push it into the body politic, and they still will," she said. "But I want it next to my absolutely unequivocal refutation of it, so that anyone who tries to get someone else to believe this will at least have to say, 'Well, you know, she says it's not true.' You're darn right it's not true. It's absolutely false. I am just tired of this kind of politics."

Also Sunday, Hillary Clinton distributed copies of what she said was a letter written by Fray three years ago seeking forgiveness for names he called her to her face and behind her back.

She said at the news conference, "There's a long history of accusations, of falsehoods, and that was sent to me with an apology and a request for forgiveness. But you know the letter speaks for itself, and you'll just have to make your own conclusions about it."

Part of the letter says, "Now, just in the last three years, as a result of a number of interviews have I concluded that I have wronged you."

The letter goes on to say, "I ask for your forgiveness because I did say things against you, and called you names not only to your face -- but, behind your back and said things against you, names that are unmentionable and for this matter that are unprintable."

Fray's general veracity was questioned by one of his former colleagues. Cindy Creel, the office manager of the 1974 campaign, told CNN that Fray "stretches the truth." She was not talking specifically about the incident in question.

Other Clinton 1974 campaign workers expressed skepticism the remark was made. "I doubt that happened," said campaign aide Ron Addington. He said Rodham used profanity, but would not have uttered the alleged slur against Fray or anyone else.

"I've got a memory like an elephant," said Addington, now a journalism teacher at Henderson State College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. "I remember every minute detail of that election in '74. I don't think anything like that ever happened."

"That doesn't sound like Hillary," said B.A. Rudolph, another 1974 campaign staffer. "I've never heard her say anything like that ... that's not her style."

Another 1974 campaign aide agreed. "She would never say anything like that," said Randy White, who now works for the Trial Lawyers Association. The report "is just not Hillary."

Jewish vote critical in New York

The Jewish vote is considered crucial to any statewide political race in New York. And it was not the first time Hillary Clinton has been involved in a controversy of interest to New York's large Jewish population.

On November 11, 1999, during a visit to the West Bank, she drew criticism from Jewish leaders for failing to react immediately to comments made by the wife of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a joint speaking engagement. Suha Arafat, speaking at the dedication of a U.S.-funded health program, accused Israel of contaminating water sources used by Palestinians with "chemical materials" that had increased cancer rates among her people.

Later on the same trip, Hillary Clinton dismissed Suha Arafat's allegations as "baseless" and said all who supported the Mideast peace process "should refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and baseless accusations."

In 1998, Hillary Clinton angered some Jewish community leaders by publicly saying Palestinians should eventually have a "functioning modern state" of their own.

Hillary Clinton's opponent in the New York race, Rep. Rick Lazio (R-New York) has been actively courting the state's Jewish voters. On July 12, Lazio gained House passage for a bill designed to ease the way for Jews fleeing persecution in Syria and seeking to become U.S. citizens. New York is home for many of the 2,700 Syrian Jews who have emigrated to the United States.

In addition, Lazio's campaign has hired Jonathan Greenspan, top adviser on Jewish affairs to New York Gov. George Pataki, to help make inroads with Jewish voters.

CNN Correspondent Deborah Feyerick, CNN Producer Phil Hirschkorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.