The Clinton-Lewinsky Affair

No matter your age, you have likely heard of the Monica Lewinsky scandal that rocked President Bill Clinton’s second term. But do you know the details?

Let’s jump into our time machine and revisit nine frequently asked questions about the series of events that resulted in Clinton’s impeachment in 1998.

1. Who was Monica Lewinsky?

Lewinsky worked at the White House as an intern while Clinton was president. According to her testimony, she and Clinton had nine secret sexual encounters involving oral sex between November 1995 and March 1997.

2. Who was Linda Tripp, and how did she know Lewinsky?

Both ladies worked at the Pentagon, and they subsequently became close enough friends that Lewinsky decided to share with Tripp all the intimate details of her sexual encounters with the president.

In 1997, Tripp began secretly recording these conversations and ultimately became the whistleblower who started the course of events leading to Clinton’s impeachment.

3. What did Tripp encourage Lewinsky to do with the infamous blue dress?

Lewinsky’s blue dress made headlines when it became public that it had been stained by POTUS himself. Tripp originally encouraged Lewinsky to keep the dress in case she needed it as evidence.

4. What exactly was on the tapes?

The tapes contained 20 hours of private conversations between Tripp and Lewinsky, detailing her secret affair with Clinton, as well as the pair’s efforts to conceal their relationship.

When Tripp decided to hand over the tapes to independent counsel Kenneth Starr in 1998, they became a key piece of evidence against Clinton and kickstarted an investigation.

5. What did Clinton famously say during his grand jury appearance?

On Aug. 17, 1998, Clinton appeared before a federal grand jury to answer questions about his alleged misconduct. The testimony lasted more than four hours, during which Clinton stated: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”

6. What exactly led to Clinton’s impeachment?

Clinton’s denial under oath that he had sexual relations with Lewinsky contradicted the 445-page report Kenneth Starr submitted to Congress about Clinton’s actions. The report contained 11 potentially impeachable offenses, including obstructions of justice and perjury. The DNA evidence on Lewinsky’s blue dress and Tripp’s secret tapes especially contradicted Clinton’s version of the story - which he had told under oath.

7. How did the Starr Report affect the public’s view of President Clinton?

After the release of the Starr Report in September 1998, U.S. polls revealed that Clinton’s approval rating actually soared to 64%. International polls showed a similar trend - even overseas, the public approved of the way POTUS handled the scandal, rather than condemning him for it.

8. What was the outcome of the investigation?

After four years and $52 million spent on the investigation, in 1999 the Senate ultimately acquitted Clinton of obstruction of justice and perjury. The vote fell largely along party lines, with a handful of Republicans voting with the majority Democratic Party to acquit. Clinton then resumed his presidential role, with two years left in his second term.

9. What happened to Lewinsky after the scandal?

Lewinsky got her master’s degree in social psychology, graduating from the London School of Economics in 2007. Her experience navigating such a public scandal also prompted her to become an anti-cyberbullying activist.

And so, there you have it - the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal in a bite-sized nutshell. At the time, this case marked only the second instance in which a U.S. president had been impeached. Therefore, the investigation and outcome went a long way toward defining parameters for charges against future presidents.

References: Monica Lewinsky | From an Anonymous Tip to an Impeachment: A Timeline of Key Moments in the Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal | A Chronology: Key Moments In The Clinton-Lewinsky Saga | What to Know About Linda Tripp, a Key Player in the Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal | Events leading to Bill Clinton’s impeachment began long before he met Monica Lewinsky | Linda Tripp Wanted to Make History. Intead It Nearly Destroyed Her. | The Clinton Impeachment and Its Fallout