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