In a recent interview, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich reflected on the impeachment of Bill Clinton, calling it a mistake. He acknowledged the seriousness of Clinton’s perjury but emphasized that the real issue wasn’t solely the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky.
When asked if he believed it was a mistake to impeach Clinton over that incident, Gingrich simply replied, “Yes.” He explained that while Lewinsky was a factor, the crux of the problem lay in Clinton’s actions while he was governor, where he perjured himself in a sexual harassment case—a felony. Following his presidency, Clinton lost his law license in Arkansas and faced a five-year ban from practicing law due to this felony.
According to Gingrich, impeaching over sexual matters diminished the gravity of impeachment itself. He held the Speaker of the House role during Clinton’s impeachment.
He recounted a moment in August of that year when he was at the OK Cafe in Atlanta with his two daughters. They expressed concern that if he shared a close relationship with someone who was losing money due to the actions of an intern, they wouldn’t think it was such a big deal. This led Gingrich to realize that he hadn’t fully comprehended how much cultural perspectives had shifted.
Gingrich seemed to be referencing the lawsuit by Paula Jones against Clinton, which initiated when he was still governor of Arkansas. This lawsuit ultimately played a pivotal role in Clinton’s impeachment in 1998.
After Jones filed her sexual harassment lawsuit in 1991, an investigation was launched by Ken Starr that would not only reveal details about the Jones affair but also touch upon the Lewinsky scandal that led to Clinton’s impeachment in the House.
Jones received $850,000 from her lawsuit settlement. The public first learned of the scandal when the Drudge Report published a story that Newsweek had previously decided against—alleging Clinton had an affair with a White House intern.
Clinton denied the allegations while under oath during Starr’s investigation into the Paula Jones claims, and he was ultimately impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice, though he later was acquitted by the Senate.
