"At a minimum, it's a shot across the bow, " Tripp's lawyer, Anthony Zaccagnini, told TIME.

CNN: Tripp's Turn to Talk

Zaccagnini and Murtha have been representing Tripp for free, but a legal defense fund set up to pay for her legal expenses "has become rather active, " Murtha said.

CNN: Investigating the President

Zaccagnini said that after Newsweek reporter Michael Isikoff approached Tripp in March 1997 to ask her what she knew about Willey's allegations that Clinton groped her just outside the Oval Office, Tripp refused to answer his questions and tried to contact Bruce Lindsey, a White House attorney and close Clinton confidant.

CNN: Investigating the President