Hillary Clinton laughed at a child rape victim
| Hillary Clinton laughed at a child rape victim | |
|---|---|
| MISLEADING | |
| "As a young lawyer in 1975, Hillary Clinton defended an accused child rapist, got him off, and later laughed about it in a recorded interview." | |
| Domain | Government, Law & Courts |
| Tactic | False Context Manipulation |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2014 |
| Origin | A 1980s interview recording published by the Washington Free Beacon in 2014, later circulated in 2016 campaign videos and memes |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Government, Law & Courts | |
In 1975, Hillary Rodham was appointed by an Arkansas court to defend Thomas Alfred Taylor, who was accused of raping a 12-year-old girl. Taylor ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. A 1980s interview recording released in 2014 captured Clinton laughing while recounting parts of the case. Memes and ads said she laughed at the victim and boasted of freeing a rapist. The recording shows her laughing about the legal process, including a polygraph her client passed, not about the victim.
The claim
The claim combines three statements: that she chose to defend him, that she got him off, and that she laughed at the girl.
What the evidence shows
- Court-appointed. Clinton said she was asked by the judge to take the case and tried to be relieved of it. Court records show she was appointed.
- Plea deal. Taylor pleaded guilty to unlawful fondling of a child under 14 and was sentenced to a year in jail, with part of the sentence suspended. Prosecutors' evidence had been weakened by mishandled forensic material.
- What she laughed at. In the recording, Clinton laughs when describing the polygraph result and aspects of the legal system. She does not laugh about the victim.
- The victim's view. The victim, Kathy Shelton, has said publicly that she was hurt by Clinton's role and words. Her account deserves to be heard alongside the record.
Sources
- Washington Free Beacon, publication of the Roy Reed interview recordings, June 2014.
- Snopes, "Hillary Clinton Freed a Child Rapist and Laughed About It."
- PolitiFact, fact checks on the 1975 case, 2016.