Bill Clinton was impeached for having an affair
| Bill Clinton was impeached for having an affair | |
|---|---|
| MISLEADING | |
| "The House of Representatives impeached Bill Clinton because he had a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky." | |
| Domain | Government, Law & Courts |
| Tactic | False Context |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1998 |
| Origin | Popular shorthand for the 1998–99 impeachment, repeated in commentary and social media ever since |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Government, Law & Courts | |
In December 1998 the House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton. The episode is often summarized as Clinton being impeached "for an affair" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The affair was the subject matter, but it was not the charge. Having a consensual relationship was not a crime and was never an article of impeachment.
The articles the House adopted accused Clinton of lying under oath to a federal grand jury and of obstructing justice in the sexual harassment lawsuit brought by Paula Jones.
What the evidence shows
- Two articles passed. On December 19, 1998, the House approved two of four proposed articles: perjury before Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's grand jury (228–206) and obstruction of justice (221–212). Articles on perjury in the Jones deposition and abuse of power failed.
- Acquittal. On February 12, 1999, the Senate acquitted Clinton on both articles. Neither reached even a simple majority, far short of the two-thirds needed to remove him.
- Later sanctions. In April 1999, Judge Susan Webber Wright held Clinton in civil contempt for giving intentionally false testimony in the Jones deposition. In January 2001, as part of a deal with the independent counsel, he admitted giving false answers and accepted a five-year suspension of his Arkansas law license.
Why it matters
The shorthand lets both sides argue past the record. Defenders can say a president was impeached over his private life, and critics can treat the affair itself as the offense. The legal question the House actually voted on was whether a sitting president had lied under oath and obstructed a court case.
Sources
- US House of Representatives, H.Res. 611, "Impeaching William Jefferson Clinton," December 19, 1998.
- Congressional Record, Senate impeachment trial votes, February 12, 1999.
- Jones v. Clinton, 57 F. Supp. 2d 719 (E.D. Ark. 1999), order holding the president in civil contempt.