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TENSIONS between the White House and the Whitewater special prosecutor intensified yesterday when one of President Clinton's close aides predicted that several senior administration officials would be indicted in the New Year.

Jane Sherburne, head of the damage control unit which fields questions from journalists about White House ethics flaps, told USA Today that former and present members of staff were fearing the worst. Her indiscreet comments brought an immediate rebuke from Michael McCurry, the White House press secretary, who said the President had "no reason to believe" that charges were imminent.

But the damage had seemingly already been done, and Ms Sherburne's comments might explain why surrogates of the President have recently begun questioning the motives of Kenneth Starr, the Whitewater special prosecutor. Mr Starr is expected to bring charges including perjury and obstruction of justice in misleading investigators about events at the White House in the first two years of the Clinton administration. Ms Sherburne did not say whether or not insiders were expecting Hillary Clinton to be indicted, as sources close to the investigation have suggested.

This was the first time an official has publicly acknowledged that members of the White House staff are expecting to face criminal charges. In the past, the official line has been that Mr Starr's investigations are unjustified. Ms Sherburne has been unhappy in her job for some months. Last week she revealed her concern that Mr Clinton's staff had lied to the press about the nature of conversations the President had with James Riady, an Indonesian billionaire. She is leaving the administration in the New Year, but said she might return to her White House role to help her successor when the indictments begin to land on officials' desks.

James Carville, the architect of Mr Clinton's 1992 election victory, is leading a campaign to discredit Mr Starr before the indictments are brought. He has branded him a Right-wing Republican determined to bring down a president he cannot stand.

Mr Carville insists, somewhat implausibly, that his is a freelance mission and that he has not sought permission from the White House to try to turn public opinion against Mr Starr, but some staff are concerned his campaign could backfire.

But Mr Carville is unconcerned. "How can it be that you can attack the President, you can attack the Pope, you can attack the American Red Cross, you can attack anything you want, but it's inappropriate to attack Ken Starr?" he asked.

26 November 1996: Clinton launches his 'Starr' wars

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