It started on the second day, First major shutdown of the federal governmentNovember 15, 1995, the White House was nearly deserted, with reduced staff, few offices open, and an atmosphere of silence and loose oversight. A rare pause in the political center of Washington. Taking advantage of this unusual environment of silence and little surveillance, A young employee named Monica Lewinsky Opportunity Found: Access the Oval Office and Share a Private Meeting President William “Bill” Clinton, In the most protected areas of power.
he had just graduated from psychology lewis & clark collegeMs. Lewinsky, of Portland, was 21 years old and came to the Oval Office as an intern during the Democratic president’s first term. After a few months, this happened adopted by the Legislative Bureaushe was a junior officer assigned to the Oval Office and the West Wing, which was directly adjacent to the Oval Office. betty currythe president’s personal secretary and an important person around him.
It was not just a difference in age or class, but an absolute difference in power. Years later, Lewinsky would tell a grand jury about it. Testimony included in the Starr reportthe document that laid the foundation for perjury charges against the president. “That Wednesday marked the beginning of our relationship.“He declared then. Official White House records confirm this: Mr. Lewinsky said in the afternoon, Leaving after midnight.
Authoritarians don’t like this
The practice of professional and critical journalism is a fundamental pillar of democracy. That is why it bothers those who believe that they are the owners of the truth.
investigation of prosecutor kenneth starr It details that the first intimate encounter occurred in one of the most restricted areas of the White House: “the hallway next to the study,” a room adjacent to the Oval Office. Just a few days ago, the two passed each other as Mr. Clinton was on his way to a meeting with the secretary of defense and chief of staff. they met soon after birthday party. They were talking alone in the chief of staff’s office when Lewinsky lifted his jacket slightly to expose the straps of his underwear, or “thong.”
That night, around 8 o’clock, Lewinsky passed by as he was heading to the bathroom. Office of Congressman George Stephanopoulos. The president was alone and motioned for people to come inside. She confesses that she likes him, and he smiles and offers to show her his private office. “We talked a little bit and I could tell there was some chemistry between us. Then he asked if he could kiss meThey kissed for the first time in the adjacent hallway, and before returning to their desks, they scribbled their names and numbers on a piece of paper, like someone leaving a silent invitation.
A few hours later, around 10 p.m., he remembered. I was left alone in the chief of staff’s office. When the President returned to look for her. He asked her to wait a few minutes again in Stephanopoulos’ office. This time the studio was pitch black. She unbuttoned her jacket — or perhaps he did — and Mr. Clinton touched her breasts with his hands and mouth. “I think he answered the phone… Then we went down the hallway to the office… He put his hand inside my pants and stimulated my genitals with his hand,” he declared. She said this while the president was on the phone. Congressman Jim Chapman and Congressman John Tanner—, Lewinsky performed oral sex on him.
As soon as he hung up, Mr. Clinton asked him to stop calling. “I told him…I wanted to end it, and he said… I had to wait until I could trust it. further away “It’s in me,” she recalled. At one point, the president received the pink intern pass that Lewinsky was wearing and commented that it might be problematic. She realized that the president was referring to the restrictions of the West Wing, and perhaps also to the realization that something had already crossed the line in their relationship.
Around midnight, I left the presidential palace, crossing the rose garden. they are November 16, 1995 0:18And what began as just one day of a government shutdown became the first chapter in a defining story of American politics.
Other episodes that tested Clinton’s authority
The affair between a Democratic president and a young intern in the Oval Office looks different when compared to his wife’s strength. Hilaryin his documentary Hulu She told how he wholeheartedly acknowledged his mistake and confessed everything, saying, “I feel terrible.” Initially completely devastated by pain and lies, she makes the difficult decision not to divorce and defends that decision with honesty and humor, making it clear that she loves her husband even though many criticize her choice and question her position.
This is not the first time that Clinton’s sex life has been the center of a public scandal, nor is it the first time that Hillary has had to forgive and rebuild her marriage under the critical gaze of the country and the media while simultaneously maintaining her family’s image and political stability. During the 1992 presidential campaign, Jennifer Flowers, then-Arkansas state employee Clinton claimed they had a 12-year relationship while she was governor, and corroborated her story with a recording of a phone call released at a press conference and later published in a magazine. The Starpaid $140,000 exclusively.
Bill and Hillary Clinton initially denied having an affair with Flowers, but the accusations sparked a media storm. In a memorable television interview, the then-governor admitted that his marriage had fallen on hard times, although he maintained that they had not been married for long. Years later, already during the political trial of the Lewinsky affair, he again admitted to having had sexual contact with the employee, although he minimized the period.
paula jonesClinton, an Arkansas state employee, filed a formal sexual harassment complaint against Bill Clinton in May 1994, based on an alleged encounter that took place in 1991. Excelsior Hotel Little Rock. According to her complaint, Mr. Clinton met her in a hotel room, held her hand and told her, “I love your curves.” When she refused to continue, he pulled down her pants and underwear and asked her to perform oral sex on him. He tells her that she should be quiet.
It’s Jones requested $700,000 in damages.Not only did he defame Clinton by accusing her of intentional, scandalous and malicious conduct and denying the facts, but importantly, he set a historic precedent by allowing a sexual harassment lawsuit to proceed while he was president.
During a court deposition in the case, Clinton said He denied under oath that he had ”sexual relationship” Her testimony with Lewinsky was based on a very strict definition of the term that excluded certain sexual acts, including receiving oral sex, which she later acknowledged. However, her semen-stained blue dress and third-party testimony showed that she had lied in her statement in court.
This denial later formed the basis for perjury and obstruction of justice charges brought against him by the House of Representatives, leading to his impeachment in 1998. Although Clinton was exonerated by the Senate and was able to complete his term, Fines and suspension of lawyer activities 5 years for this act.
In a public televised confession, he admitted to having had an “inappropriate physical relationship” with Lewinsky, but denied perjury and insisted his testimony met the definition given to him.
Finally, in November of the same year, agreed to pay Jones $850,000. Dropping a lawsuit without admitting any legal liability.
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