Sunday,
December 20, 1998
Resolution
Impeaching William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, for high
crimes and misdemeanors.
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
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:
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.
•
Explanation of Article I by The Post's Ruth Marcus
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Article
III
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.