I Did Not Have Sexual Relations With That Woman... Okay, Maybe I Did
On August 17, 1998 (13 years ago today) President Bill Clinton admitted, first to a grand jury and later to the public, that he did in fact have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. It was in contradiction to an earlier public statement that Clinton had made denying that he and White House intern Monica Lewinsky had a sexual relationship. Clinton had been caught in a lie that the public would never forget.
On January 17, 1998, a website known as the Drudge Report reported that Newsweek editors were refraining from publishing a story by investigative reporter Michael Isikoff that Clinton was having a sexual affair with 22 year old Monica Lewinsky, a White House Intern. The story broke in the mainstream media on January 21 when it was reported in The Washington Post. On January 26, President Clinton, standing beside his wife Hillary, spoke at a White House press conference, and forcefully denied the affair in what would later become one of the best-known sound bites of his presidency. Clinton said:
"Now, I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. And I worked on it until pretty late last night. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you."
Hillary Clinton stood by her husband throughout the scandal. On January 27, in an appearance on NBC's Today she said:
"The great story here for anybody willing to find it and write about it and explain it is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president."
On July 28, 1998, Special Prosecutor Ken Starr agreed to give Lewinsky immunity from prosecution in exchange for grand jury testimony concerning her relationship with Clinton. Lewinsky turned over a semen-stained blue dress which, based on DNA evidence, could prove the relationship despite Clinton's official denials.
On August 17th, Clinton admitted in taped grand jury testimony that he had had an "improper physical relationship" with Lewinsky. That evening he gave a nationally televised statement admitting his relationship with Lewinsky which was "not appropriate".
Following is a YouTube video of Clinton's admission:
On January 17, 1998, a website known as the Drudge Report reported that Newsweek editors were refraining from publishing a story by investigative reporter Michael Isikoff that Clinton was having a sexual affair with 22 year old Monica Lewinsky, a White House Intern. The story broke in the mainstream media on January 21 when it was reported in The Washington Post. On January 26, President Clinton, standing beside his wife Hillary, spoke at a White House press conference, and forcefully denied the affair in what would later become one of the best-known sound bites of his presidency. Clinton said:
"Now, I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. And I worked on it until pretty late last night. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you."
Hillary Clinton stood by her husband throughout the scandal. On January 27, in an appearance on NBC's Today she said:
"The great story here for anybody willing to find it and write about it and explain it is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president."
On July 28, 1998, Special Prosecutor Ken Starr agreed to give Lewinsky immunity from prosecution in exchange for grand jury testimony concerning her relationship with Clinton. Lewinsky turned over a semen-stained blue dress which, based on DNA evidence, could prove the relationship despite Clinton's official denials.
On August 17th, Clinton admitted in taped grand jury testimony that he had had an "improper physical relationship" with Lewinsky. That evening he gave a nationally televised statement admitting his relationship with Lewinsky which was "not appropriate".
Following is a YouTube video of Clinton's admission: