The President also said his wife, who is a lawyer, had never lobbied him on behalf of the poultry industry or improperly tried to help Mr. Blair.

But Bank Board officials bitterly charge that the Speaker, a Texas Democrat, improperly tried to influence specific enforcement actions.

Mr. Sununu said he never improperly tried to bypass Federal officials, implying that they probably should not have been involved in the first place.

Mr. Wallach faces trial early next year on charges of improperly trying to influence Mr. Meese.

Mr. Meyers has asserted that executive directors of 16 state affiliates are improperly trying to influence their boards, whose members will vote on his re-election, against him.

Mr. Casey has said that he did not feel that Mr. Kerik improperly tried to influence him.

He also said the Government was improperly trying to relitigate issues resolved in the Supreme Court last year.

Justice Thayer resigned last week in a deal that let him avoid the criminal charge of improperly trying to influence his colleagues' handling of his case.

The defense lawyers objected to Mr. Goldberg's comparison, arguing that he was improperly trying to use the defendants to support his argument for conviction.

Mr. Baldacci contended that the company improperly tried to capitalize on his reputation by packaging a short story collection to look like one of his novels.