Clinton Impeachment Trial英.docx

Clinton Impeachment Trial英.docx

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ClintonImpeachmentTrial英

2019年ClintonImpeachmentTrial（英）

TheImpeachmentTrialofPresidentWilliamClinton

byDouglasO.Linder（2019）

　　In1999,foronlythesecondtimeinUnitedStateshistory,theSenateconductedanimpeachmenttrialofaPresident.TheacquittalofWilliamJeffersonClintononFebruary12cameasnogreatsurprise,giventhenearparty-linevoteonimpeachmentchargesintheHouseofRepresentativesleadingtothetrial.

　　Despiteitspredictableoutcome,theimpeachmenttrialofPresidentClintoniswellworthstudying,bothforwhatitsaysaboutthefailureofthejudiciaryandpoliticalinstitutionstorespondadequatelytoanunprecedentedsituation,andwhatittellsusaboutthefailuresofBillClinton,theall-too-humanoccupantofthenation'shighestoffice.Thetrialalsoraisesfascinatingquestionsaboutthedistinctionbetweenpublicmoralityandprivatemorality.

　　Background:

ThePaulaJonesSexualHarassmentSuit

　　TheimpeachmentsagaofPresidentClintonhasitsoriginsinasexualharassmentlawsuitbroughtinArkansasinMay,1994byPaulaJones,aformerArkansasstateemployee.Inhersuit,JonesallegedthatonMay8,1991,whileshehelpedtostaffastate-sponsoredmanagementconferenceattheExcelsiorHotelinLittleRock,astatetrooperandmemberofGovernorClinton'ssecuritydetail,DannyFerguson,approachedherandtoldherthattheGovernorwouldliketomeetherinhishotelsuite.Minuteslater,Jones,seeingthisasanopportunitytoadvancehercareer,tooktheelevatortoClinton'ssuite.There,accordingtoherdisputedaccount,Clintonmadeaseriesofincreasinglyaggressivemoves,culminatinginhisdroppinghispantsexposinganerection——andthenaskingJonesto"kissit."JonesclaimedthatshestoodandtoldtheGovernor,"I'mnotthatkindofgirl."Assheleft,Clintonstoppedherbythedoorandsaid,"You'reasmartgirl,let'skeepthisbetweenourselves."

　　LawyersforClintonarguedthattheJonessuitwoulddistracthimfromtheimportanttasksofhisofficeandshouldnotbeallowedtogoforwardwhileheoccupiedtheWhiteHouse.Clinton'simmunityclaimeventuallyreachedtheUnitedStatesSupremeCourt.TheCourtruledunanimouslyinMay,1997againstthePresident,andalloweddiscoveryinthecasetoproceed.AsFederalAppealsCourtJudge（andReaganappointee）RichardA.PosnernotedinAnAffairofState:

TheInvestigation,Impeachment,andTrialofPresidentClinton,theCourt's"inept,""unpragmatic,"and"backward-looking"decisioninClintonvJones,andanearlierdecisionbytheCourtupholdingtheconstitutionalityoftheactauthorizingtheappointmentofindependentcounsels,hadmajorconsequences:

　　"Clinton'saffairwithMonicaLewinsky,anaffairintrinsicallydevoidofsignificancetoanyoneexceptLewinsky,wouldhaveremainedasecretfromthepublic.Thepublicwouldnothavebeenworsefornotknowingaboutit.Therewouldhavebeennoimpeachmentinquiry,noimpeachment,noconcernsaboutthemotivesbehindthePresident'smilitaryactionsagainstterroristsandroguestatesinthesummerandfallof1998,nospectacleoftheUnitedStatesSenateplay-actingatadjudication.TheSupremeCourt'sdecisionscreatedasituationthatledthePresidentandhisdefendersintothepatternofcornered-ratbehaviorthatengenderedaconstitutionalstormandthatmayhaveembitteredAmericanpolitics,weakenedthePresidency,distractedthefederalgovernmentfromessentialbusiness,andunderminedtheruleoflaw."

　　AsaresultoftheSupremeCourt'saction,JudgeSusanWeberWrightalloweddiscoverytoproceedinthePaulaJoneslawsuit.JudgeWrightruledthatlawyersforJones,inordertohelpprovehersexualharassmentclaim,couldinquireintoanysexualrelationshipsthatClintonmighthavewithsubordinateseitherasGovernorofArkansasorasPresidentoftheUnitedStates.AcriticalmomentinthecascadeofeventsthatwouldeventuallyleadtoimpeachmentcameonDecember5,1997whenJones'slawyerssubmittedalistofwomenthattheywouldliketodepose.IncludedonthelistthenameofMonicaLewinsky.

　　ThePresidentandMonicaLewinsky

　　MonicaLewinskycametoWashingtoninJuly1995toworkasaWhiteHouseinternatage21,newlygraduatedfromLewisandClarkCollegeinPortland.Inherfirstfewmonthsonthejob,theaggressiveandsexuallyexperiencedLewinskymetandflirtedwiththePresident,butnoopportunitiesforclosepersonalcontactarose.InNovember1995,however,LewinskywasassignedtotheWestWingandshesoonfoundherselfalonewithClinton.HeaskedifhecouldkissLewinsky.Shequicklyconsented.Laterthatevening,thetwowouldhavethefirstofwhateventuallywouldbetensexualencountersoverasixteen-monthperiod.Aftereightoftheencountershadtakenplace,inApril1996,Clinton'sdeputychiefofstaff——mostlikelyawareofthethreattheyounginternposed——reassignedLewinskytotheapositionintheDepartmentofDefense.ThefollowingmonthClintontoldadisappointedLewinsky（"Hewasmysunshine,"shelatertoldagrandjury）hewasendingtherelationship,buthereviveditbrieflyinearly1997.

　　Theencountersfollowedapredictablepattern.GenerallytheyoccurredonweekendmorningsinandaroundtheOvalOffice（includingastudy,ahallway,andabathroom）,whenfewpeopleexceptClinton'spersonalsecretary,BettyCurrie,wouldbearoundtheWestWing.Althoughmanyprivatemeetingsbetweenthetwoinvolvednosexualactivity,whentheydidtheygenerallyincludedLewinskyfellatingthePresidentandthePresidentfondlingherbreastsandgenitalia.Onthreeoccasions,LewinskyperformedoralsexwhilethePresidenttalkedonthephonetomembersofCongress.LewinskytoldClintonshewouldliketohavevaginalintercoursewithhim,butheresisted.Healsoterminatedtheoralsexsessionsbeforeejaculationuntiltheirlasttwoencounters.

　　WhenClintonagaintoldLewinskyinMay1997thattheirsexualrelationshipwasover,sheredoubledeffortsthatbeganthepreviousyeartoenlistthePresident'sassistanceinfindingemployment.LewinskyreceivedajobofferfromU.N.AmbassadorBillRichardsonseveralmonthslater,butsheturneditdown,preferringtofindprivatesectoremployment.ClintongolfingbuddyandpowerbrokerVernonJordan,actingatwhathepresumedtobethePresident'srequestthroughBettyCurrie,metwithLewinskytodiscussemploymentpossibilitiesinNovember1997.

　　LessthantwoweeksafterLewinsky'snameappearedontheJonesdepositionlist,Clintontoldherthenews.Headvisedherthatfilinganaffidavitmightavoidthenecessityofadeposition（butonly,heneedhardlyhavesaid,ifshedeniedasexualrelationship）,andheremindedheroftheir"coverstory"forherfrequenttripstoOvalOffice——thatshewasjustdeliveringdocuments.TwodaysafterdiscussingthematterwithClinton,LewinskyreceivedasubpoenatoappearforadepositioninJanuary1998.ShecalledVernonJordan,whoagainmetwithherandreferredhertoanattorney,whoproceededtodraftanaffidavitthatreflectedherdenialofanysexualinvolvementwiththePresident.

　　JustafterChristmas,LewinskyspokeagainwithClinton,raisingherconcernthatthesubpoenahadrequestedthatshebringtothedepositionanygifts——andthereweremany——thatshehadreceivedfromhim.AlthoughClintonapparentlyinformedLewinskythatshewasobligatedtogivethelawyersforJonesanygiftsinherpossession,acallcamelaterthatdayfromCurrie,indicatingthatsheunderstoodLewinskyhadsomeitemsshe'dliketogiveherforsafekeeping.（Currie,inhertestimony,disagreedwithLewinsky'sversionofeventsandclaimedthatthecallaboutthepresentscamefromLewinsky,nother.）CurriedrovetoLewinsky'shomeandcartedawayaboxofClintongiftsandputthemunderherbed.

　　InearlyJanuary1998,Lewinskysignedanaffidavit,withtheintentoffilingitfortheJonescase,claimingherrelationshipwiththePresidentwasnon-sexual.ThedayafterLewinskyshowedtheaffidavittoVernonJordan,JordanmadeacalltoRonaldPerelman,afriendandmemberoftheBoardofDirectorsofRevlon,encouraginghimtohireLewinsky.ThejobofferfromRevloncamejusttwodayslater.

　　LindaTrippGetsInvolved

　　ThesourceoftheinformationthatputMonicaLewinsky'snameonthedepositionlistfortheJonescasewasLindaTripp.TripphadservedintheBushWhiteHouse,andwasheldoverinherjobwhenClintonbecamepresidentin1993.TrippcametodespiseClinton.In1996,whensheconsideredhowtoexposewhatsheconsideredtobeWestWingscandals,shecontactedaconservativeliteraryagentandself-describedClinton-hater,LucianneGoldberg.GoldbergurgedTripptowriteanexpose',butatthattimeTripp'sconcernwithkeepingherjobcausedhertorejectthesuggestion.

　　Tripp'snamecametopublicattentioninAugust1997whenitappearedinaNewsweekarticleinwhichsherecalledrunningintoaWhiteHousevolunteer,KathleenWilley,shortlyafterWilleyhadbeenkissedandfondledbyClintoninhisprivateoffice.（Willey,accordingtoTripp,was"happyandjoyful"andtheincidentwas"notacaseofsexualharassment."）PaulaJones'slawyers,ofcourse,tooknoteofTripp'saccount——andundoubtedlydeterminedatthattimetoaddTripptotheirlistofpotentialwitnesses.

　　MonthsbeforetheWilleystorybroke,however,Tripplearnedfromherthen-friend,MonicaLewinsky,thatshewashavinganaffairwiththePresident.TripptoldthereporterforNewsweek,MichaelIsikoff,whenheapproachedhertoaskaboutWilley'sencounterwithClintonthatthebetterstoryinvolvedaWhiteHouseintern,whosheleftunnamed.Tripp,partlyforherownself-defenseandpartlyoutofadesiretodamageth