The Words That Started It All

A timeline of President Clinton’s comments and testimony about Monica S. Lewinsky and allegations of perjury and obstruction of justice that led to the Senate impeachment trial.

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Jan. 17, 1998

Paula Corbin Jones deposition:

Q: “Did you have an extramarital sexual affair with Ms. Lewinsky?”

Clinton: “No.”

Q: “If she told someone that she had a sexual affair with you beginning in November of 1995, would that be a lie?”

Clinton: “It’s certainly not the truth. It would not be the truth.”

Q: “So I understand, your testimony is that it was possible, then, that you were alone with [Lewinsky], but you have no specific recollection of that ever happening?”

Clinton: “Yes, that’s correct. It’s possible that she, in, while she was working there, brought something to me and that at the time she brought it to me, she was the only person there. That’s possible.”

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Jan. 26, 1998

Televised White House event:

“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, Ms. 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.”

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Aug. 17, 1998

Grand jury testimony:

“When I was alone with Ms. Lewinsky on certain occasions in early 1996, and once in early 1997, I engaged in conduct that was wrong. These encounters did not consist of sexual intercourse. They did not constitute sexual relations, as I understood that term to be defined at my Jan. 17, 1998, deposition.

“But they did involve inappropriate, intimate contact. These inappropriate encounters ended at my insistence in early 1997. I also had occasional telephone conversations with Ms. Lewinsky that included inappropriate sexual banter.

Q: “You are aware, are you not, Mr. President, that the subpoena called for the production of, among other things, all the gifts that you had given Ms. Lewinsky? You were aware of that on Dec. 28, weren’t you?”

Clinton: “I’m not sure, and I understand this is an important question. I did have a conversation with Ms. Lewinsky at some time about gifts, the gifts I’d given her. . . . And I told her that if they asked her for gifts, she’d have to give them whatever she had, that that’s what the law was.”

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Aug. 17, 1998

Nationally televised speech:

“As you know, in a deposition in January, I was asked questions about my relationship with Monica Lewinsky. While my answers were legally accurate, I did not volunteer information.

“Indeed, I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible.”

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Nov. 27, 1998

Excerpts of Clinton’s answers to 81 questions posed by the House Judiciary Committee:

“As I have previously acknowledged, I did not want my family, friends, or colleagues to know the full nature of my relationship with Ms. Lewinsky. . . . I misled people about this relationship. I have repeatedly apologized for doing so. . . .

“I did not tell Ms. Lewinsky to lie, and I did not tell anybody to lie about my relationship with Ms. Lewinsky.”

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Dec. 19, 1998

After the House of Representatives voted to impeach:

“I have accepted responsibility for what I did wrong in my personal life, and I have invited members of Congress to work with us to find a reasonable bipartisan and proportionate response.”

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Jan. 26, 1999

During Senate impeachment trial:

“I would say it has been a strain for my family, but we have worked very hard and I think we’ve come through the worst. We love each other very much and we’ve worked on it very hard.”