There is Substantial and Credible Information that
President Clinton Committed Acts that
May Constitute Grounds for an Impeachment
Introduction
Pursuant to Section 595(c) of Title 28, the Office of Independent
Counsel (OIC) hereby submits substantial and credible information that
President Clinton obstructed justice during the Jones v. Clinton sexual
harassment lawsuit by lying under oath and concealing evidence of his
relationship with a young White House intern and federal employee,
Monica Lewinsky. After a federal criminal investigation of the
President's actions began in January 1998, the President lied under oath
to the grand jury and obstructed justice during the grand jury
investigation. There also is substantial and credible information that
the President's actions with respect to Monica Lewinsky constitute an
abuse of authority inconsistent with the President's constitutional duty
to faithfully execute the laws.
There is substantial and credible information supporting the following
eleven possible grounds for impeachment:
1. President Clinton lied under oath in his civil case when he denied a
sexual affair, a sexual relationship, or sexual relations with Monica
Lewinsky.
2. President Clinton lied under oath to the grand jury about his sexual
relationship with Ms. Lewinsky.
3. In his civil deposition, to support his false statement about the
sexual relationship, President Clinton also lied under oath about being
alone with Ms. Lewinsky and about the many gifts exchanged between
Ms. Lewinsky and him.
4. President Clinton lied under oath in his civil deposition about his
discussions with Ms. Lewinsky concerning her involvement in the Jones
case.
5. During the Jones case, the President obstructed justice and had an
understanding with Ms. Lewinsky to jointly conceal the truth about their
relationship by concealing gifts subpoenaed by Ms. Jones's attorneys.
6. During the Jones case, the President obstructed justice and had an
understanding with Ms. Lewinsky to jointly conceal the truth of their
relationship from the judicial process by a scheme that included the
following means: (i) Both the President and Ms. Lewinsky understood that
they would lie under oath in the Jones case about their sexual
relationship; (ii) the President suggested to Ms. Lewinsky that she
prepare an affidavit that, for the President's purposes, would
memorialize her testimony under oath and could be used to prevent
questioning of both of them about their relationship; (iii) Ms. Lewinsky
signed and filed the false affidavit; (iv) the President used
Ms. Lewinsky's false affidavit at his deposition in an attempt to head
off questions about Ms. Lewinsky; and (v) when that failed, the
President lied under oath at his civil deposition about the relationship
with Ms. Lewinsky.
7. President Clinton endeavored to obstruct justice by helping
Ms. Lewinsky obtain a job in New York at a time when she would have been
a witness harmful to him were she to tell the truth in the Jones case.
8. President Clinton lied under oath in his civil deposition about his
discussions with Vernon Jordan concerning Ms. Lewinsky's involvement in
the Jones case.
9. The President improperly tampered with a potential witness by
attempting to corruptly influence the testimony of his personal
secretary, Betty Currie, in the days after his civil deposition.
10. President Clinton endeavored to obstruct justice during the grand
jury investigation by refusing to testify for seven months and lying to
senior White House aides with knowledge that they would relay the
President's false statements to the grand jury -- and did thereby
deceive, obstruct, and impede the grand jury.
11. President Clinton abused his constitutional authority by (i) lying
to the public and the Congress in January 1998 about his relationship
with Ms. Lewinsky; (ii) promising at that time to cooperate fully with
the grand jury investigation; (iii) later refusing six invitations to
testify voluntarily to the grand jury; (iv) invoking Executive
Privilege; (v) lying to the grand jury in August 1998; and (vi) lying
again to the public and Congress on August 17, 1998 -- all as part of an
effort to hinder, impede, and deflect possible inquiry by the Congress
of the United States.
The first two possible grounds for impeachment concern the President's
lying under oath about the nature of his relationship with Ms. Lewinsky.
The details associated with those grounds are, by their nature,
explicit. The President's testimony unfortunately has rendered the
details essential with respect to those two grounds, as will be
explained in those grounds. |
