Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998, on two charges: perjury and obstruction of justice. These charges stemmed from his extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky and his attempts to cover it up.
The impeachment process began with the Whitewater controversy, a real estate venture involving the Clintons in the 1970s and 1980s, which led to investigations into various aspects of the Clinton administration. During one of these investigations, President Clinton was questioned about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. He initially denied the affair under oath, both in a deposition for the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit and before a federal grand jury.
However, evidence later emerged, including Lewinsky’s taped conversations with a friend and physical evidence such as a stained dress, which contradicted Clinton’s statements. This led to accusations of perjury (lying under oath) and obstruction of justice (attempting to interfere with the legal process). The House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans at the time, impeached Clinton on these charges.
The subsequent trial took place in the Senate, where Clinton was acquitted of both charges on February 12, 1999. He remained in office and served out the remainder of his second term, which ended in January 2001.
