Efforts to impeach Bill Clinton

Last updated

During his presidency, Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, saw multiple efforts to impeach him.

Contents

An early effort in congress saw Republican congressman Bob Barr write a resolution, co-signed by eighteen fellow House Republicans, which sought to launch an impeachment inquiry in 1997.

In October of 1998, in the aftermath of the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and the release of the Starr Report , which largely focused on the scandal, an impeachment inquiry was launched, and in December Clinton was impeached on allegations of perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton was acquitted in his subsequent impeachment trial.

Early support and efforts

By October 1993, a petition was being nationally circulated to impeach Clinton for, among other offenses, allegedly abusing his office and causing "great prejudice to the cause of law and justice". The petition was organized by Carol and Michael Benn. [1]

In 1994, anti-abortion activist Randall Terry toured the country on an "Impeach Clinton '94 Tour". [2]

In the spring of 1997, Republican congressman Bob Barr, wrote House Committee on the Judiciary chairman Henry Hyde, encouraging him to open an impeachment inquiry. Hyde responded that such an action would be premature. [3]

1997 impeachment resolution by Bob Barr

In November 1997, Bob Barr introduced a resolution to launch an impeachment inquiry. [3] The resolution did not specify any charges or allegations. [4] Barr argued that Clinton had been "systematically operating outside the bounds" of the law. [4] He accused Clinton of "systematic abuse of office", alleging campaign finance law violations and obstruction of congressional investigations. [3] Eighteen other Republican members of the House of Representatives initially joined Barr in signing on to the resolution as co-sponsors. These members were Roscoe Bartlett, Helen Chenoweth, Barbara Cubin, John Doolittle, Lindsey Graham, Duncan L. Hunter, Sam Johnson, Jack Kingston, Jack Metcalf, John Mica, Ron Paul, Dana Rohrabacher, Pete Sessions, Chris Smith, Mark Souder, Linda Smith, Bob Stump, and Todd Tiahrt. [4] The resolution was referred to the House Committee on Rules. [5]

By this time, anti-Clinton activists had collected 100,000 signatures supporting his impeachment, and had launched at least four different websites on the internet. [4] Among the groups circulating petitions supporting an impeachment of Clinton was a group named the "National Impeach Clinton ACTION Committee", which was run by the far-right John Birch Society, who called for Clinton to be impeached for the 1996 United States campaign finance controversy. [6] [7] [8]

In December 1997, conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly wrote an op-ed calling for Barr's calls for an impeachment to be heeded, arguing that an impeachment inquiry should be launched into allegations that Clinton and his vice president Al Gore had made campaign fundraising phone calls from their White House offices, as well as into the 1996 United States campaign finance controversy. [9]

Directly after the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal came to light, Barr ramped up his efforts to push for Clinton's impeachment, appearing regularly on television, as well as even publishing a scholarly article in the Texas Law Review on the subject. [10] Barr was the first lawmaker in either chamber of the United States Congress to call for Clinton's resignation over the scandal. [11] In February 1998, Barr traveled to Los Angeles, at the John Birch Society's expense, to speak to them about his efforts to impeach Clinton. [10] In 1998, after the scandal broke, an additional fourteen congressman co-sponsored the resolution, three of them by early March 1998 and an additional nine in September 1998. [12]

Impeachment

On October 8, 1998, in the aftermath of the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and a month after the release of the Starr Report , which largely focused on the scandal, an impeachment inquiry was launched. On December 19, 1998, Clinton was impeached on allegations of perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton was acquitted in his subsequent trial. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clinton–Lewinsky scandal</span> 1998 American political sex scandal

The Clinton–Lewinsky scandal was a sex scandal involving Bill Clinton, the president of the United States, and Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. Their sexual relationship began in 1995—when Clinton was 49 years old and Lewinsky was 22 years old—and lasted 18 months, ending in 1997. Clinton ended a televised speech in late January 1998 with the later infamous statement: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky." Further investigation led to charges of perjury and to the impeachment of Clinton in 1998 by the U.S. House of Representatives. He was subsequently acquitted on all impeachment charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in a 21-day U.S. Senate trial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Barr</span> American attorney and politician (born 1948)

Robert Laurence Barr Jr. is an American attorney and politician. He served as a federal prosecutor and as a U.S. Representative. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003. Barr attained national prominence as one of the leaders of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. During his time in the House of Representatives, he authored the Defense of Marriage Act, which was later overturned by the Supreme Court in 2013 and repealed by the 117th Congress.

<i>Starr Report</i>

The Starr Report, officially the Referral from Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr in Conformity with the Requirement of Title 28, United States Code, Section 595(c), is a United States federal government report by Independent Counsel Ken Starr concerning his investigation of President Bill Clinton. Delivered to the United States Congress on September 9, 1998, the allegations in the report led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton and the five-year suspension of Clinton's law license.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Stump</span> American politician (1927–2003)

Robert Lee Stump was an American politician who served as a U.S. Congressman from Arizona. He served as a member from the Democratic Party from 1977 to 1983 and then later a member of the Republican Party until the end of his tenure as congressman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Souder</span> American politician (1950–2022)

Mark Edward Souder was an American politician and businessman from Indiana. A Republican, he was a U.S. Representative from 1995 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Cubin</span> American politician (born 1946)

Barbara Lynn Cubin is an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, Wyoming's sole member of that body. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Tiahrt</span> American politician (born 1951)

William Todd Tiahrt is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district from 1995 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected as part of the historic Republican Wave of 1994, defeating 18-year incumbent U.S. Representative Dan Glickman. He ran in 2010 for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Sam Brownback. He lost to fellow Republican U.S. Representative Jerry Moran of Hays, Kansas, 50%–45%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mica</span> American politician (born 1943)

John Luigi Mica is an American businessman, consultant and Republican politician who represented Florida's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017. He was defeated by Democrat Stephanie Murphy in the November 8, 2016, general election while serving his 12th term in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roscoe Bartlett</span> American politician (born 1926)

Roscoe Gardner Bartlett Jr. is an American politician who was U.S. Representative for Maryland's 6th congressional district, serving from 1993 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a member of the Tea Party Caucus. At the end of his tenure in Congress, Bartlett was the second-oldest serving member of the House of Representatives, behind fellow Republican Ralph Hall of Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Metcalf (politician)</span> American politician (1927–2007)

Jack H. Metcalf was an American politician and educator and who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001. He represented the 2nd district of Washington State and was a Republican.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Chenoweth-Hage</span> American politician (1938–2006)

Helen Margaret Palmer Chenoweth-Hage was an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho, serving three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001. She remains the only Republican woman to ever represent Idaho in the United States Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impeachment of Bill Clinton</span> 1998 presidential impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, was impeached by the United States House of Representatives of the 105th United States Congress on December 19, 1998, for "high crimes and misdemeanors". The House adopted two articles of impeachment against Clinton, with the specific charges against Clinton being lying under oath and obstruction of justice. Two other articles had been considered but were rejected by the House vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 United States House of Representatives elections</span> House elections for the 106th U.S. Congress

The 1998 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 3, 1998, to elect U.S. Representatives to serve in the 106th United States Congress. They were part of the midterm elections held during President Bill Clinton's second term. They were a major disappointment for the Republicans, who were expecting to gain seats due to the embarrassment Clinton suffered during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the "six-year itch" effect observed in most second-term midterm elections. However, the Republicans lost five seats to the Democrats, although they retained a narrow majority in the House. A wave of Republican discontent with Speaker Newt Gingrich prompted him to resign shortly after the election; he was replaced by Congressman Dennis Hastert of Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Smith (American politician)</span> American politician (born 1950)

Linda Ann Smith is a member of the Republican Party who represented Washington's 3rd congressional district from 1995 to 1999 and was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1998, losing to incumbent Democrat Patty Murray. After leaving politics, she founded Shared Hope International, a nonprofit organization focused on ending minor sex trafficking. Since its creation, Smith has worked around the world and within the United States on behalf of those who have been victimized through sex trafficking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impeachment trial of Bill Clinton</span> 1998 trial in the United States Senate

The impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, began in the U.S. Senate on January 7, 1999, and concluded with his acquittal on February 12. After an inquiry between October and December 1998, President Clinton was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on December 19, 1998; the articles of impeachment charged him with perjury and obstruction of justice. It was the second impeachment trial of a U.S. president, preceded by that of Andrew Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impeachment inquiry against Bill Clinton</span> 1998 U.S. presidential impeachment inquiry

The impeachment inquiry against Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, was initiated by a vote of the United States House of Representatives on October 8, 1998, roughly a month after the release of the Starr Report.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Efforts to impeach Andrew Johnson</span> American Congressional endeavors to impeach Andrew Johnson

During his presidency, Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, saw multiple efforts during his presidency to impeach him, culminating in his formal impeachment on February 24, 1868, which was followed by a Senate impeachment trial in which he was acquitted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impeachment inquiry in the United States</span>

In the United States, an impeachment inquiry is an investigation or inquiry which usually occurs before a potential impeachment vote.

References

  1. ↑ Marsh, Sara (21 Oct 1993). "Dyer man joins 'impeach Clinton' petition drive" . Newspapers.com. The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Anti-abortion activist brings 'Impeach Clinton' tour to state" . Newspapers.com. The Greenville News. Associated Press. 25 July 1994. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Pace, David (6 Nov 1997). "17 in House seek probe to impeach president" . Newspapers.com. The Record. The Associated Press. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Hutcheson, Ron (17 Nov 1997). "Some House Republicans can't wait for elections" . Newspapers.com. Asheville Citizen-Times. Knight-Rider Newspapers.
  5. ↑ 143 Cong. Rec. 10,105 (1997).
  6. ↑ "National drive starts to impeach Bill Clinton" . Newspapers.com. The Daily Advertiser. 29 Nov 1997. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Meyers, Donald W. (26 Feb 1998). "Utahns mixed on Clinton ski trip" . Newspapers.com. The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah). Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Ferak, John (20 May 1998). "Publisher expounds on effort to oust Clinton" . Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Schlafly, Phyllis (5 Dec 1997). "Looking into impeachment" . Newspapers.com. Standard-Speaker. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Georgia's Rep. Bob Barr began building case for impeachment against Clinton almost one year ago" . Newspapers.com. Elko Daily Free Press. Associated Press. 21 May 1998. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "Will Bob Barr Be The Ralph Nader Of '08?, GOP Worries Former Republican Running On Libertarian Line Will Be Spoiler For McCain - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. CBS News. 22 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008.
  12. ↑ "H.Res.304 - Directing the Committee on the Judiciary to undertake an inquiry into whether grounds exist to impeach William Jefferson Clinton, the President of the United States. Cosponsors". Congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "Clinton impeachment timeline". academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu. City University of New York. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.