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NPR News Special Coverage of the Impeachment Inquiry of President Bill Clinton
Text of the articles of impeachment offered by Republicans in
the House Judiciary Committee.
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 Statesand, 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.
ARTICLE II
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.
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 injuryof 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.
ARTICLE IV
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 repeatedly 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 laws governing the integrity of the
judicial and legislative branches and the truth-seeking purpose of
coordinate investigative proceedings. This misuse and abuse of office has included one or more of the
following:
(1) As President, using the attributes of office, William
Jefferson Clinton willfully made false and misleading public
statements for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United
States in order to continue concealing his misconduct and to escape
accountability for such misconduct.
(2) As President, using the attributes of office, William
Jefferson Clinton willfully made false and misleading statements to
members of his cabinet, and White House aides, so that these
Federal employees would repeat such false and misleading statements
publicly, thereby utilizing public resources for the purpose of
deceiving the people of the United States, in order to continue
concealing his misconduct and to escape accountability for such
misconduct. The false and misleading statements made by William
Jefferson Clinton to members of his cabinet and White House aides
were repeated by those members and aides, causing the people of the
United States to receive false and misleading information from high
government officials.
(3) As President, using the Office of White House Counsel,
William Jefferson Clinton frivolously and corruptly asserted
executive privilege, which is intended to protect from disclosure
communications regarding the constitutional functions of the
Executive, and which may be exercised only by the President, with
respect to communications other than those regarding the
constitutional functions of the Executive, for the purpose of
delaying and obstructing a Federal criminal investigation and the
proceedings of a Federal grand jury.
(4) 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 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.
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