The paper also reported that the form, which "threatened legal action against volunteers who spoke out of turn," also required the volunteers to alert the foundation if they were ever subpoenaed, and forbade them from filing legal claims "against the foundation if injured."

"Due to your volunteer relationship with the Foundation, any false or misleading information you might provide to others concerning the foundation or its employees or board of directors would have an air of authenticity that would make it particularly damaging," said the long form.

But after the newspaper directed questions about the long form – said to be "far more restrictive" than forms used by other presidential libraries – to New York City, where the former president has an office and is usually to be found, officials there provided a very Clintonesque answer. They claimed they were unaware that the Little Rock facility was using the more restrictive form, according to communications director James Kennedy.

"After being asked about the stricter form by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, foundation officials reviewed it and decided to withdraw the longer nondisclosure agreement. Now both offices will use the shorter form developed by the New York office, and all current volunteers will be covered by it," the paper reported.

Kennedy told the paper some attorney in Little Rock, whom he would not name, drew up the original form. And he declined to discuss specifics about it, stating officials "generally don’t discuss details of our personnel policies and practices."

The new, shorter form, says volunteers cannot "disclose any information acquired while working unless it is publicly disclosed by the foundation." It requires them to get prior permission from foundation officials before granting media interviews, and says only that violations will be grounds for dismissal.

Editor's note: