Telephone Harassment or My Paranoia?

In the late 1990s, during the sexual scandal surrounding President Clinton that led to his Senate impeachment trial, I began to receive vexing -- and what I considered to be -- suspicious telephone calls from strangers.  I found the sheer volume of telephone calls to be, what Homeland Security would term, "suspicious chatter."

Why would people be harassing me at the time of the Clinton scandal.  Coincidentally, I used to work as a paralegal at the DC law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, one of whose managers, Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., is a close, personal friend of President Clinton's.  Vernon Jordan was a material actor in the Monica Lewinsky matter.

I jotted down summaries of some of the telephone calls as I received them:

Wednesday January 28, 1998 -- afternoon. I receive a telephone call. The caller says: "Is this the Washington Men's Camerata." I say: "no." The caller says: "Is this 364-[something]." I say "no." The caller hangs up.

I look up Washington Men's Camerata in the telephone directory. The number is not 364-xxxx, but 265-8804.

I note that "Joseph Cammerata" was the name of Paula Jones' lawyer.

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Monday March 2, 1998

Bruce Snyder gone. Replacement librarian (Bill) starts. Extremely quiet in library.

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Tuesday March 3, 1998:

4:20 PM phone rings twice. Party hangs up as soon as I answer. First strange call since 1/28/98 (above). This is first day of Vernon Jordan's grand jury testimony.

extremely quiet in library

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Wednesday March 4, 1998

early evening (about 7:08) phone rings twice. Caller hangs up as soon as I answer. Later in evening (about 9:20) phone rings twice. Caller hangs up as soon as I answer.

extremely quiet in library.

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Monday, May 11, 1998

phone rings at about 2:50 PM. Caller hangs up when I answer.

(Jordan testified before grand jury previous Tuesday, May 5, 1998).

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Tuesday, May 12, 1998

While I sit in the lobby at 3801 Connecticut Avenue, I overhear Elizabeth Joyce (the front desk manager) talk to assistant manager Bonnie Jensen. Jensen says in a loud, emphatic tone: "It just got too expensive to keep him, so they had to get rid of him."

THEY'RE SPYING ON ME!!
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August 17, 1998 [day of President Clinton's grand jury testimony]

about 5:30 PM. Party calls.

Caller: Is this Gary Freedman?

I: Yes.

Caller: I had no idea this was a multi-unit building. Could you tell me if you know a person named [sounds something like an Arab name]. Do you know how I could reach him?

I: No.

Caller: Is there an office number you could give me?

I: Yea. Its 363-. . .

Caller: Wait. Let me get a pen. OK. 363

I: 3800.

Caller: 3800. Do you think anybody's there? It's after 5:00

I: Maybe.

Caller: Thanks. [hangs up.]

Sounded legitimate. But very strange. How did caller link up my name and number with the building he was trying to reach? I don't get it.
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Wednesday December 2, 1998 (Things apparently heating up with Dennis Race):

Between about 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM

Female caller identifies herself as "Rose." She asks: "Do you own any cemetery property?"

I immediately hang up.

Peculiarity. Caller had a pronounced (affected?) stammer. ("M-m-m-m-y name is R-r-r-r-ose.")

Odd for a telemarketer.

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