Whitewater scandal

The Whitewater scandal was an American political scandal which developed in Bill Clinton's first term as president, after the death of deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster. After Foster's death it was learned that chief White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum had removed documents concerning the Whitewater Development Corporation from Foster's office. President Clinton and his wife had invested in this corporation; the Clintons were accused of fraud in connection with this investment during the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's investigation of the bankruptcy of Madison Guaranty, an Arkansas trust company.

Starr Report

In 1998, the independent counsel Kenneth Starr sent a report to Congress in which he charged Clinton with perjury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and abuse of authority in the Paula Jones lawsuit. The report contained details, sometimes explicit, of Clinton's liaisons with Lewinsky. Detractors of the independent counsel criticized Starr for expanding the investigation beyond its initial scope and for the graphic nature of the report.

Related Topics:
Kenneth Starr - Congress - Perjury - Obstruction of justice - Witness tampering - Liaison

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Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives in December 1998, on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, and tried by the Senate in January 1999. Clinton was acquitted by the Senate on both counts.

Related Topics:
Impeached - House of Representatives - Senate - Acquit

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Clinton's supporters claimed that the charges made against Clinton did not rise to the severity required for the impeachment and removal of a sitting President since they had nothing to do with his official duties. They viewed the wide-ranging investigation as a "witch-hunt" based on the President's personal life. Clinton's detractors stated that the President was effectively the chief law enforcement officer and that false testimony in a court of law was grounds for removal. The heated clashes between Clinton supporters and detractors continued in the media throughout the investigation and impeachment and came to dominate the headlines during the period.

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Republicans suffered a substantial political backlash in the wake of the investigations and impeachment. Clinton served his last two years in office without any further attacks of a serious legal nature but continued to be criticized by his detractors for the scandals. Clinton's job approval rating remained high throughout his term even though his personal approval ratings slipped.

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In April 1999 Judge Susan Webber Wright found Clinton in civil contempt of court for misleading testimony in the Jones case but did not press for any criminal charge. Wright referred her ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Rather than undergo a review by the Arkansas Supreme Court, Clinton voluntarily surrendered his Arkansas law license.

Related Topics:
Susan Webber Wright - Contempt of court - Arkansas Supreme Court

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