ABC19980122.1830.1094 NEWS CAPTION tonight, a close look at the other man in this white house crisis -- vernon jordan. he is accused of encouraging monica lewinsky to lie under oath about a relationship she's alleged to have had with the president. this is much more the nub of the crisis than any sex which may have been involved. this afternoon, as you heard, mr. jordan made a statement in which he said he had done nothing wrong. one thing we do know -- this is a man who has developed enormous influence. abc's chris wallace has covered him for years. vernon jordan has spent the clinton years behind the scenes, as one of the president's closest advisers. but the allegations that he tried to obstruct justice forced him today into the full glare of public scrutiny. i fully appreciate the gravity of this situation. mr. clinton has turned to the 62-year-old jordan often to help steer him out of trouble. the te leca pt ion de on the night white house official vincent foster shot himself, jordan was at the president's side. he was also there when political strategist dick morris was told to quit the '96 campaign because of his own sex scandal. he's a good friend to have. and he has been bill clinton's friend for quite some time and has helped him maneuver his way out of trouble at various points, advising him how to deal with very sensitive issues. but sometimes the president's problems have become problems for jordan. when webster hubbell left the justice department, jordan reportedly helped line up jobs for him. independent counsel kenneth starr has investigated whether it was an effort to buy hubbell's silence on whitewater. i don't think you quite understood me. no comment. now prosecutors are looking at even more serious charges. according to sources who have heard the secret tapes, monica lewinsky says jordan told her to lie about her relationship with the president. and jordan admitted today he tried to help her get a job although he made it sound like just a good deed. i believe to whom much is given, much is required. and so i believe in giving a helping hand. jordan first gained attention as head of the national urban league, where he worked to get big corporations to support civil rights. in 1981, jordan changed careers. he joined a washington law office and became one of the capital's top power brokers. now he wears shirts hand-made in london and drives a red cadillac. and one black activist has written of what he calls "vernon jordan disease" -- powerful blacks who forget their roots and leave their people behind. but up till now, no criticism and no investigation has threatened jordan. vernon jordan gets criticized by a number of people because not only is he not the militant firebrand, but he's not even out there on the front lines of the civil rights struggle anymore. he's a pure inside player. one thing everyone told us today is how careful jordan is and how surprised they would be to see him involved in obstruction of justice. a longtime washington insider put it this way -- vernon jordan might go right up to the line, but he won't go to jail for the president or anyone else." peter? thanks very much, chris wallace for that closer look.