Ms Linda Tripp yesterday filed a lawsuit against the White House and the US Defence Department, alleging they violated her civil rights by disclosing confidential records in retaliation for her role in the Paula Jones case.
Ms Tripp's suit alleges that members of the Clinton administration improperly disclosed "embarrassing" personnel files, FBI files and security files soon after it became known that she had "blown the whistle" on illegal conduct by President Bill Clinton and others.
In 1997, Ms Tripp secretly taped phone conversations with Ms Monica Lewinsky that eventually led to Mr Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate of perjury and obstruction of justice charges.
"Ms Tripp seeks to hold accountable those responsible for threatening her and smearing her reputation in retaliation for her whistle-blowing," her lawyers said in a statement.
Ms Tripp is seeking an unspecified amount of money for "harm to reputation and emotional distress and humiliation".
Her lawyers say that because of the release of her personnel files, the media reported that she lied about whether she had ever been arrested or charged by law enforcement authorities.