The Impeachment of Bill Clinton A guide by Myron Cruz

The Beginning Paula Jones is perhaps best known today for initiating the 1994 lawsuit against the president set the stage for Clinton's impeachment; it was in a Jones case deposition that Clinton claimed under oath to have never had sex with Monica Lewinsky, setting up a perjury prosecution. Jones alleged that in 1991, when she worked for the State of Arkansas' Industrial Development Commission, Clinton propositioned her and exposed himself at a conference in Little Rock Arkansas.

Monica Chronicles In June 1995, Monica Lewinsky, age 21, comes to the White House as an unpaid intern, where Lewinsky and President Bill Clinton begin a secret sexual relationship. A month later Lewinsky moves into a paid position in the Office of Legislative Affairs, handling letters from members of Congress where She frequently delivered mail to the Oval Office. Lewinsky testified that her first sexual encounter from Clinton took place on November 15, 1995 when he met her in an office of one of his senior advisers before taking her into his private study. After President Clinton took the phone call, he “indicated that Ms. Lewinsky should perform oral sex while he talked on the phone, and she obliged. White House records confirm that the President had one telephone call during Ms. Lewinsky’s visit: from ‘Mr. Richard Morris,’ to whom he talked from 5:11 to 5:20 p.m.

Monica Chronicles Pt.2 Lewinsky begins to tell fellow Pentagon employee Linda Tripp of her alleged relationship with Clinton.Tripp to begin taping conversations in which Lewinsky details her alleged affair with the president. Tripp then meets with Newsweek's Michael Isikoff, Lucianne & Jonah Goldberg Goldberg listens to a tape of Tripp/Lewinsky conversations. Lewinsky is subpoenaed by lawyers for Paula Jones, who is suing the president on sexual harassment charges. Lewinsky makes her final visit to the White House, Where Lewinsky reportedly met privately with Clinton and he allegedly encouraged her to be "evasive" in her answers to the lawsuit. Lewinsky files an affidavit in the Jones case in which she denies ever having a sexual relationship with President Clinton

Monica Chronicles Pt.3 Linda Tripp contacts the office of Whitewater Independent Counsel Ken Starr to talk about The tapes allegedly have Lewinsky detailing an affair with Clinton and indicate that Clinton told Lewinsky to lie about the alleged affair under oath. Clinton reiterates his denial of the relationship and says he never urged Lewinsky to lie. Starr issues subpoenas for a number of people, as well as for White House records. Clinton forcefully repeats his denial, saying, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." Ginsburg offers Starr a summary of what Lewinsky is prepared to say to the grand jury in exchange for a grant of immunity from the prosecution.

The Conviction The Judiciary Committee releases and many television networks immediately broadcast more than four hours of President Clinton's videotaped grand jury testimony. Along with the videotape, the Judiciary Committee also releases the appendix to the Starr's report which includes 3,183 pages of testimony and other evidence, including a photograph of Lewinsky's semen-stained dress. Clinton admitted in taped grand jury testimony on, that he had engaged in an "improper physical relationship" with Lewinsky. That evening he gave a nationally televised statement admitting that his relationship with Lewinsky was "not appropriate" The House Judiciary Committee takes possession of the 18 boxes of materials and promptly releases the first 445 pages to the public The House Judiciary Committee announces the committee will consider a resolution to begin an impeachment inquiry against President Clinton in an open session on October 5 or October 6.

The Trial On October 8, the House authorized a wide-ranging impeachment inquiry, and on December 11, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment. On December 19, after nearly 14 hours of debate, the House approved two articles of impeachment, charging President Clinton with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. On January 7, 1999, the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, formally charged with lying under oath and obstructing justice, begins in the Senate. Presided By William Rehnquist On January 7, 1999, the impeachment trial began. Five weeks later, on February 12, the Senate voted on whether to remove Clinton from office. Clinton was acquitted on both articles of impeachment. Rejecting the first charge of perjury, 45 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted “not guilty,” and on the charge of obstruction of justice the Senate was split 50-50. After the trial concluded, President Clinton said he was “profoundly sorry”.