RESOLVED that William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States,
is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles
of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND OF THE PEOPLE OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AGAINST WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF ITS IMPEACHMENT
AGAINST HIM FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.
Article I: Perjury
before Independent Counsel Ken Starr's grand jury.
In his conduct while President
of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, in violation of his constitutional
oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States
and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution
of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take
care that the laws be faithfully executed, has willfully corrupted and
manipulated the judicial process of the United States for his personal
gain and exoneration, impeding the administra tion of justice, in that:
On August 17, 1998, William Jefferson
Clinton swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
before a Federal grand jury of the United States. Contrary to that oath,
William Jefferson Clinton willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading
testimony to the grand jury concerning one or more of the following:
(1) the nature and details of
his relationship with a subordinate Government employee;
(2) prior perjurious, false and
misleading testimony he gave in a Federal civil rights action brought against
him;
(3) prior false and misleading
statements he allowed his attorney to make to a Federal judge in that civil
rights action; and
(4) his corrupt efforts to influence
the testimony of witnesses and to impede the discovery of evidence in that
civil rights action.
In doing this, William Jefferson
Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute
on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in
a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury
of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson
Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from
office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust
or profit under the United States.
(Approved 21-16 by the House Judiciary Committee on
Friday December 11, 1998)
(Passed 228-206 in the House of Representatives about
1:19 p.m. on Saturday, December 19, 1998)
Article 2: Perjury
in the Paula Jones civil case.
In his conduct while President
of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, in violation of his constitutional
oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States
and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution
of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take
care that the laws be faithfully executed, has willfully corrupted and
manipulated the judicial process of the United States for his personal
gain and exoneration, impeding the administration of justice, in that:
(1) On December 23, 1997, William
Jefferson Clinton, in sworn answers to written questions asked as part
of a Federal civil rights action brought against him, willfully provided
perjurious, false and misleading testimony in response to questions deemed
relevant by a Federal judge concerning conduct and proposed conduct with
subordinate employees.
(2) On January 17, 1998, William
Jefferson Clinton swore under oath to tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth in a deposition given as part of a Federal civil
rights action brought against him. Contrary to that oath, William Jefferson
Clinton willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony in
response to questions deemed relevant by a Federal judge concerning the
nature and details of his relationship with a subordinate Government employee,
his knowledge of that employee's involvement and participation in the civil
rights action brought against him, and his corrupt efforts to influence
the testimony of that employee.
In all of this, William Jefferson
Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute
on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in
a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury
of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson
Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from
office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust
or profit under the United States.
(Approved 20-17 by the House Judiciary Committee on
Friday December 11, 1998)
(Failed 229-205 in the House of Representatives about
1:35 p.m. on Saturday, December 19, 1998)
Article 3: Obstruction
of Justice related to the Jones case.
In his conduct while President
of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, in violation of his constitutional
oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States
and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution
of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take
care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and
impeded the administration of justice, and has to that end engaged personally,
and through his subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or scheme
designed to delay, impede, cover up, and conceal the existence of evidence
and testimony related to a Federal civil rights action brought against
him in a duly instituted judicial proceeding.
The means used to implement this
course of conduct or scheme included one or more of the following acts:
(1) On or about December 17,
1997, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly encouraged a witness in a Federal
civil rights action brought against him to execute a sworn affidavit in
that proceeding that he knew to be perjurious, false and misleading.
(2) On or about December 17,
1997, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly encouraged a witness in a Federal
civil rights action brought against him to give perjurious, false and misleading
testimony if and when called to testify personally in that proceeding.
(3) On or about December 28,
1997, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly engaged in, encouraged, or supported
a scheme to conceal evidence that had been subpoenaed in a Federal civil
rights action brought against him.
(4) Beginning on or about December
7, 1997, and continuing through and including January 14, 1998, William
Jefferson Clinton intensified and succeeded in an effort to secure job
assistance to a witness in a Federal civil rights action brought against
him in order to corruptly prevent the truthful testimony of that witness
in that proceeding at a time when the truthful testimony of that witness
would have been harmful to him.
(5) On January 17, 1998, at his
deposition in a Federal civil rights action brought against him, William
Jefferson Clinton corruptly allowed his attorney to make false and misleading
statements to a Federal judge characterizing an affidavit, in order to
prevent questioning deemed relevant by the judge. Such false and misleading
statements were subsequently acknowledged by his attorney in a communication
to that judge.
(6) On or about January 18 and
January 20-21, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton related a false and misleading
account of events relevant to a Federal civil rights action brought against
him to a potential witness in that proceeding, in order to corruptly influence
the testimony of that witness.
(7) On or about January 21, 23
and 26, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton made false and misleading statements
to potential witnesses in a Federal grand jury proceeding in order to corruptly
influence the testimony of those witnesses. The false and misleading statements
made by William Jefferson Clinton were repeated by the witnesses to the
grand jury, causing the grand jury to receive false and misleading information.
In all of this, William Jefferson
Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute
on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in
a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury
of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson
Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from
office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust
or profit under the United States.
(Approved 21-16 by the House Judiciary Committee on
Friday December 11, 1998)
(Passed 221-212 in the House of Representatives about
1:56 p.m. on Saturday, December 19, 1998)
Article 4: Abuse
of Power by making perjurious statements to Congress in his answers to
the 81 questions posed by the Judiciary Committee.
Using the powers and influence
of the office of President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton,
in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office
of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard
of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed,
has engaged in conduct that resulted in misuse and abuse of his high office,
impaired the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of
lawful inquiries, and contravened the authority of the legislative branch
and the truth-seeking purpose of a coordinate investigative proceeding
in that, as President, William Jefferson Clinton, refused and failed to
respond to certain written requests for admission and willfully made perjurious,
false and misleading sworn statements in response to certain written requests
for admission propounded to him as part of the impeachment inquiry authorized
by the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States.
William Jefferson Clinton, in
refusing and failing to respond, and in making perjurious, false and misleading
statements, assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the
exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by the Constitution in
the House of Representatives and exhibited contempt for the inquiry.
In doing this, William Jefferson
Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute
on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in
a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury
of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson
Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from
office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust
or profit under the United States.
(Approved 21-16 by the House Judiciary Committee on
Saturday, December 12, 1998)
(Failed 285-148 in the House of Representatives about
2:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 19, 1999)