PRESENTMENT OF THE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
AGAINST PRESIDENT CLINTON BY MANAGERS
ON THE PART OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SPEAKERS:
SENATOR STROM THURMOND (R-SC), PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
OF THE U.S. SENATE
SENATOR TRENT LOTT (R-MS), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE HENRY HYDE (R-IL), MANAGER ON THE PART
OF THE HOUSE AND CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS OF THE U.S. SENATE
THE FLOOR OF THE U.S. SENATE
THE U.S. CAPITOL
WASHINGTON, D.C.
10:04 A.M. EST
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1999
SEN. THURMOND: (Raps gavel.) The Senate will be in order.
Either take your seats or go to the cloak rooms.
(A pause to allow the Senate to be in order.)
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS (U.S. SENATE): Mr. President and members of the
Senate, I announce the presence of the managers on the part of the
House of Representatives to conduct proceedings on behalf of the
House, concerning the impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton, the
president of the United States.
SEN. THURMOND: The managers on the part of the House will be
received and escorted to the well of the Senate.
(Pause to receive the U.S. House managers.)
The sergeant-at-arms will make the proclamation.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. All persons are
commanded to keep silent on pain of imprisonment, while the House of
Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate of the United States,
Articles of Impeachment Against William Jefferson Clinton, President
of the United States.
SEN. THURMOND: The managers on the part of the House will
proceed.
REP. HYDE: Mr. President, the managers on the part of the House
of Representatives are here and present, and ready to present the
Articles of Impeachment, which have been preferred by the House of
Representatives against William Jefferson Clinton, president of the
United States.
The House adopted the following resolution, which, with the
permission of the Senate, I will read.
House Resolution 10: Resolved that in continuance of the
authority conferred in the House Resolution 614 of the 105th Congress,
adopted by the House of Representatives and delivered to the Senate on
December 19, 1998, Mr. Hyde of Illinois, Mr. Sensenbrenner of
Wisconsin, Mr. McCollum of Florida, Mr. Gekas of Pennsylvania, Mr.
Canady of Florida, Mr. Buyer of Indiana, Mr. Bryant of Tennessee, Mr.
Chabot of Ohio, Mr. Barr of Georgia, Mr. Hutchinson of Arkansas, Mr.
Cannon of Utah, Mr. Rogan of California, and Mr. Graham of South
Carolina are appointed managers to conduct the impeachment trial
against William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States;
that a message be sent to the Senate to inform the Senate of these
appointments; and that the managers so appointed may in connection
with the preparation and the conduct of the trial exhibit the Articles
of Impeachment to the Senate and take all other actions necessary,
which may include the following: (1) employing legal, clerical and
other necessary assistance, and incurring such other expenses as may
be necessary, to be paid from amounts available to the Committee on
the Judiciary under applicable expense resolutions or from the
applicable accounts of the House of Representatives; (2) sending for
persons and papers, and filing with the secretary of the Senate, on
the part of the House of Representatives, any pleadings in conjunction
with or subsequent to the exhibition of the Articles of Impeachment
that the managers consider necessary.
With the permission of the Senate, I will now read the Articles
of Impeachment.
House Resolution 611: 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 17th, 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:
One, the nature and details of his relationship with a
subordinate government employee;
Two, prior perjurious, false and misleading testimony he gave in
a federal civil rights action brought against him;
Three, prior false and misleading statements he allowed his
attorney to make to a federal judge in that civil-rights action,
And four, 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 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 -- including -- included one or more of the following acts:
One, 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.
Two, 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.
Three, 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.
Four, 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.
Five, 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.
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.
On or about January 21, 23 and 26th, 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.
Passed, the House of Representatives, December 19, 1998. Newt
Gingrich, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Attest: Robin H.
Carle, Clerk.
Mr. President, that completes the exhibition of the Articles of
Impeachment against William Jefferson Clinton, president of the United
States.
The managers request that the Senate take order for the trial.
The managers now request leave to withdraw.
SEN. THURMOND: Thank you, Mr. Manager Hyde. The Senate will
notify the House of Representatives when it is ready to proceed.
SEN. LOTT: Mr. President.
SEN. THURMOND: The majority leader is recognized.
SEN. LOTT: Mr. President, I modify my previous request and
unanimous consent that the presiding officer be authorized to appoint
a committee of six senators, three upon the recommendation of the
majority leader, and three upon the recommendation of the Democratic
leader, to escort the chief justice into the Senate chamber.
SEN. THURMOND: Without objection, it is so ordered.
SEN. LOTT: And now, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
the Senate stand in recess until the hour of 12:45 today.
And before the chair puts the request, I would say as a reminder
to all senators that at 1 p.m. today, following a live quorum, the
chief justice and all senators will be sworn in. I thank all
senators.
SEN. THURMOND: Without objection, so ordered. The Senate is in
recess.
ADMINISTRATION OF OATH
FOR SENATORS TO SERVE AS JURORS
IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF PRESIDENT CLINTON
SENATE CHAMBER,
THE CAPITOL,
WASHINGTON, DC
1:19 P.M. (EST)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1999
SEN. STROM THURMOND (R-SC): (Gavel.) The Senate will come to
order. The senators will take their seats. All others will remove
themselves from the floor. (Pause.)
Under the previous order, the hour of 1:00 p.m. having arrived
and a quorum having been established, the Senate will proceed to
consideration of the articles of impeachment against William Jefferson
Clinton, president of the United States.
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MI): Mr. President, at this time, pursuant to
Rule 4 on the Senate rules on impeachment and the United States
Constitution, the presiding officer will now administer the oath to
William H. Rehnquist, chief justice of the United States.
SEN. THURMOND: Under the previous order, the escort committee
will now conduct the chief justice of the United States to the dais to
be administered the oath.
(The chief justice is escorted into the Senate Chamber.)
SEN. THURMOND: We're pleased to welcome you.
CHIEF JUSTICE WILLIAM REHNQUIST: Senators, I attend the Senate
in conformity with your notice for the purpose of joining with you for
the trial of the president of the United States. And I'm now ready to
take the oath.
SEN. THURMOND: Will you place your left hand on the Bible and
raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that in all things
appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of William Jefferson
Clinton, the president of the United States, now pending, you will do
impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you
God?
CHIEF JUSTICE REHNQUIST: I do. At this time I will administer
the oath to all senators in the chamber, in conformance with Article
I, Section 3, Clause 6 of the Constitution and the Senate impeachment
rules. Will all senators now stand and raise your right hand? Do you
solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the
impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton, president of the United
States, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the
Constitution and laws, so help you God?
The clerk will call the names and record the responses.
(Senators are called by name to sign oath book.)
CHIEF JUSTICE REHNQUIST: The sergeant-at-arms will make the
proclamation.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. All persons are
commanded to maintain silence on pain of imprisonment while the House
of Representatives exhibiting to the Senate of the United States
articles of impeachment against William Jefferson Clinton, president
of the United States.
CHIEF JUSTICE REHNQUIST: The majority leader is now recognized.
SEN. LOTT: Mr. Presiding Officer, any senator who was not in the
Senate Chamber at the time of the oath, if any, when it was
administered to all other senators, will make known the fact to the
chair so that the oath may be administered as soon as possible to the
senator. The secretary will note the names of the senators who have
been sworn and will assure that they have signed the book, which will
be the Senate's permanent record of the administration of the oath. I
ask the cooperation of all senators present to please make sure that
you sign the oath book today.
Mr. Chief Justice, is there any objection to the request by the
majority leader that the Senate trial now stand in recess, subject to
the call of the chair.
CHIEF JUSTICE REHNQUIST: Is there objection? Hearing none, it
is so ordered.
(Recess.)