Clinton Lying in Denying an Affair, Woman Insists : Rebuttal: Gennifer Flowers offers tapes as proof of a liaison. But discrepancies cast doubt on parts of her story.

NEW YORK —  An Arkansas woman told a news conference Monday that she and Democratic presidential contender Bill Clinton had an affair that lasted 12 years, and that the Arkansas governor is “absolutely lying” when he denies it.

Gennifer Flowers, whose truthfulness has been questioned on several parts of her story, told reporters that Clinton had said “he loved me.” She released audio tapes that she said captured Clinton talking with her about the likelihood of media inquiries about their relationship.

The authenticity of the tapes was not independently verified. Regardless, they did not establish that there had been an affair.

The voice on the tapes urges denying a relationship, then says: “They can’t run a story like this unless somebody said, ‘Yeah, I did it with him.’ ”

Flowers said that Republicans in Arkansas approached her six months ago about divulging details of her story, but that she refused.

Richard Bearden, executive director of the Arkansas GOP, responded: “No one from this office has any involvement whatsoever. It was nobody in any powerful position.”

Flowers, who first told her story in a paid interview with the Star tabloid, said at the news conference: “The truth is I loved him. Now he tells me to deny it . . . . He is absolutely lying.”

Clinton responded Monday: “She didn’t tell the truth.”

Clinton told reporters that Flowers, an Arkansas state employee, had “changed her position for money . . . . As far as I’m concerned, it’s a closed matter.” He referred reporters to an interview he and his wife granted to CBS’s “60 Minutes” that was aired Sunday night.

During the interview, the governor denounced Flowers’ allegations as false but acknowledged “wrongdoing” in his marriage. He refused to say whether he had ever been unfaithful to his wife.

Clinton has acknowledged talking with Flowers on the phone after she called to tell him she was distressed over being named in news reports that they had had an affair.

His wife, Hillary, said at a campaign appearance Monday in South Dakota: “We’ve said all that we have to say. We’ve explained ourselves as best we can. We leave it at that.”

The 45-year-old governor is generally acknowledged to be the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. He has shown strong support in the polls in New Hampshire, where the first primary will take place Feb. 18.

The Flowers news conference bordered on rowdy. Several reporters asked questions about Clinton’s sexual practices--which Flowers did not answer.

The portion of the tape she played contained explicit references by Flowers to sexual practices.

Flowers said she had lied about the relationship for the last two years “to protect him . . . .”