Lucianne Goldberg, a literary agent who advised her friend Linda Tripp to secretly tape conversations with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, has died at her home at the age of 87. No cause of death was given by her son, political commentator and author Jonah Goldberg.
Luciane Goldberg was a conservative activist whose agency specialized in right-wing books. Tripp took her advice and taped Lewinsky discussing her sexual encounters with President Bill Clinton. Tripp’s 20-hour conversation was used by Special Attorney Kenneth Starr in his investigation, which ultimately resulted in Clinton being impeached by the House of Representatives and acquitted in a Senate trial.
Goldberg met Tripp while he was working on a proposal for a book about the death of Vince Foster, a Clinton aide whose apparent death by suicide raised many questions. Goldberg encouraged Tripp to break Lewinsky’s trust and give the tapes to Starr. Goldberg later said she was glad Clinton “got caught at something.”
Goldberg’s literary agency promoted books that others would have avoided. The New York Times described her in an article published amid the aftermath of the Lewinsky tapes.
Goldberg also wrote novels and ghost-wrote for celebrities.
Emmy winner Margo Martindale played Luciane Goldberg Impeachment: American Crime Story, the third season of FX’s award-winning limited series, centered on the sex scandal that rocked the Clinton presidency.
Among their survivors is Jonah Goldberg. Another son, Joshua Goldberg, died in 2011.