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♪ suspenseful music ♪
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[woman] The U.S. Intelligence
Community said in a statement
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that it is confident that
Russia's senior-most officials
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directed the hacking of emails
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from the Democratic
National Committee
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to interfere with the U.S.
election process.
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[woman 2] The key issue
isn't what Russia did.
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It's whether Trump's team
colluded with Russia
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to influence the election.
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Moments ago, the appointment
of a special counsel
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to oversee
the FBI investigation
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of possible collusion
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between the Trump campaign
and the Russians.
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Bob Mueller and his highly
conflicted team is going out
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on a witch hunt now going back
into the financials--
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[Dobbs] That's a nice way
to say it.
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They're a bunch
of damn Democrats.
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One of the biggest
political witch hunts
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in the history
of this country.
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I'm now talking about the
special counsel Robert Mueller.
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I've never been involved in
an investigation on either side
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that's more illegitimate
than this one.
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And I wonder,
where's the sense of justice
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on the part of Mueller,
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on the part of
the Justice Department?
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[male reporter]
Was this the right move,
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or is this part
of a witch hunt?
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Well, I respect the move,
but the entire thing
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has been a witch hunt,
and, uh, there is no collusion
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between certainly myself
and the Russians.
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Zero.
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♪♪♪
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[woman] Mr. President, in view
of, uh, a new court ruling,
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Monica Lewinsky
may have to tes--
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appear before a grand jury.
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Under the circumstances,
do you stand by your
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previous denials
of any relationship with her,
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and, uh, do you think that, uh,
the special prosecutor
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has gone beyond the call
and is out to get you?
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Well...I think
modestly observant people
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are fully capable of drawing
their own conclusions.
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[male reporter]
Can you talk to us, sir?
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No, I won't be making
any, uh, statements.
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[Starr] The question
of whether we are capable
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of holding the president
accountable
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is an enduring one.
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We need to be vigilant
about saying,
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"Are there mechanisms in place
to ensure accountability,
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to ensure honesty,
uh, lawful behavior?"
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then holding the wielders
of power accountable
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when they cross the line.
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We've had Filegate.
We've had Travelgate.
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We've had so many gates,
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I think it's time
to show him the front door.
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[Panetta] What has happened
is, every issue
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becomes political.
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Every issue becomes a hammer
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on which to beat
the other side up with.
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The American people
sitting back
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and seeing
that kind of partisanship
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are left
in a state of confusion
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as to whether or not
what is being investigated
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is real, or is it just part
of the political game?
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♪♪♪
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♪ dramatic music ♪
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♪♪♪
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[Reagan] I, Ronald Reagan...
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William Jefferson Clinton...
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Do solemnly swear...
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Do solemnly swear...
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♪♪♪
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[Nixon] ...and will,
to the best of my ability...
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[George W. Bush] ...preserve,
protect, and defend...
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[Trump] ...the Constitution
of the United States.
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♪♪♪
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[helicopter rotors whirring]
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[radio tuning]
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[woman] ...potentially
damaging cloud is hanging
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over the White House
this morning.
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Kenneth Starr
has been granted permission
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to expand
his investigation.
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- [radio tuning]
- [man] At issue,
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whether Mr. Clinton
had a sexual relationship
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with a former
White House intern,
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Monica Lewinsky,
and whether he conspired
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to convince her to lie
about it under oath.
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[man 2] Mr. Clinton gave
a sworn deposition under oath.
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He denied any affair.
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[woman] Monica Lewinsky
has reportedly turned over
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a dress that has
physical evidence
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to support her claim
that she had
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a sexual relationship
with the president.
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However, this has not yet...
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[man] Kenneth Starr
has gone directly
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to FBI Director Louis Freeh
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to ask assistance
from the FBI crime lab.
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[radio tuning]
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♪♪♪
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[Schmidt] Special counsel
Ken Starr said,
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"I need an agent to come
to the White House
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with one of our prosecutors.
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We're gonna draw
Clinton's blood.
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We need it sent
to the FBI labs."
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♪♪♪
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Bob Bittman,
one of the prosecutors
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and an agent,
turned up at the White House
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at nine or ten o'clock.
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♪♪♪
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Clinton was having dinner
in the dining room
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with Cornel West,
a Princeton professor,
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and Clinton
is just furious.
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Clinton comes upstairs.
They draw his blood.
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It's very, very creepy
and tense.
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The level of mistrust
on all sides was so high
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that when Clinton got up
and went back downstairs,
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Bittman says to the agent,
"Hey, uh, you know,
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I-I took my eye
off of that vial
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for just a half a second.
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I--uh, are we sure he didn't
pull a switcheroo?"
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And the agent says,
"No, I-I...
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I-I was watching it
every second,
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and-and it's still warm.
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His blood is still warm."
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[Podesta] The president
was flabbergasted by it
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and certainly trying
to figure out,
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why was Mr. Starr,
who had been assigned
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to look at, uh,
one set of, uh, issues,
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now all of a sudden looking
into his, uh, you know,
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personal affairs, as it were?
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Mr. President, what does
the oath mean to you?
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It's the President
of the United States.
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What does that oath
mean to you?
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Well, an oath means,
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you know, thou shalt not
tell a lie.
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♪ Glen Campbell's "Arkansas"
playing ♪
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♪♪♪
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♪ Arkansas,
land of opportunity... ♪
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[Schmidt] Arkansas
is a much smaller society
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and environment
than you would expect.
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The main city, Little Rock,
is astonishingly small.
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I mean, when you first
fly in there,
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you can't believe
how dinky it is.
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And then once you get
out of the city,
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it's a very rural state.
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There are very few roads.
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♪ Dirt roads
that lead nowhere ♪
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♪ Except to houses
that need repair... ♪
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[Schmidt] And people
are doing logging everywhere.
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Like, in-in their--in their
neighborhood, they'll, like,
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log out to a lot down
the street to make money.
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But everybody who's in
the sort of upper middle class
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is connected.
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So the bankers,
the lawyers,
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the poultry magnates,
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and the judges, um, especially,
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they are all
very intimately involved
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in one another's business.
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It's a tiny society.
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♪ rock music ♪
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Bill and Hillary Clinton
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kind of take Arkansas
by storm.
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They were la crème de la crème
of Arkansas,
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even at a very young age.
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Bill Clinton was governor
at early 30s.
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But they were also
making connections
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with some of these
Arkansas rogue characters,
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including Jim McDougal
and Susan McDougal;
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Vince Foster, who was
Hillary's law partner;
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Webb Hubbell,
another law partner.
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[Hubbell]
They were part of Arkansas
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and lots of fun.
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Hillary and I
and Vince Foster
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would go to lunch quite often,
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uh, and became
very good friends.
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Uh, Bill loved to play golf,
and I loved to play golf,
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so we started
playing golf together.
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And they made friends all over
the country pretty quickly.
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And it was pretty clear
to everyone that at some point,
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he would want
to run for president.
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♪ Fleetwood Mac's
"Don't Stop" playing ♪
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[man] The next President of
the United States of America,
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Senator Bill Clinton.
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♪ Don't stop
thinking about tomorrow ♪
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♪ Don't stop,
it'll soon be here ♪
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♪ It'll be
better than before... ♪
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[Schmidt] When the Clintons
first came to the White House,
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there was a sense
that they were a little bit
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rough around the edges,
not sophisticated.
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♪ rock music ♪
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They had a lot of people
around them that--
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living and doing business
in Arkansas--
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maybe didn't seem
like a problem.
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But Arkansas mores
are just different, um,
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than what plays in Washington.
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That got them entangled
very quickly
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in a lot of scandals.
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As their friend Webb Hubbell,
um, used to say,
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uh, "It's not a conspiracy.
It's just Arkansas."
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[Panetta] Here they are.
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They just got elected
by a huge margin
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by the American people
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to the highest office
in the land.
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All of the adoration,
all of the acclaim,
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all of the great stories
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about what a hell
of a candidate they were,
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all of that is past history.
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Suddenly, as President
of the United States,
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they're finding that they're
getting picked at, uh,
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in terms of, uh--of issues
that they feel
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are not that important.
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Welcome to Washington.
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Any questions?
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[female reporter] Why was
the transportation officer--
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00:10:05,715 --> 00:10:09,507
office fired?
Looks like a massacre.
215
00:10:09,590 --> 00:10:13,298
And, uh, is the FBI,
um, investigating,
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00:10:13,382 --> 00:10:16,674
and, uh, did
the president do this?
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[Schmidt]
Travelgate is sort of
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a quintessentially Arkansas
kind of story.
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Bill Clinton's cousin
Catherine Cornelius
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was handling some
of the travel arrangements
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00:10:28,131 --> 00:10:29,924
for the campaign itself.
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They got to the White House,
and they decided
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00:10:32,632 --> 00:10:34,965
the White House Travel Office,
which arranges travel
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for reporters
accompanying the president--
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00:10:37,799 --> 00:10:39,548
they wanted to just
take it over.
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[male reporter] The president
has spoken frequently
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00:10:41,215 --> 00:10:44,131
about there being a crisis
of confidence in government.
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00:10:44,215 --> 00:10:48,048
What does it say to that
if this woman who is a cousin
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00:10:48,131 --> 00:10:50,048
of the president is appointed
to head the office?
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It is a distant cousin,
first of all, let me point out.
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- Second of all...
- [reporters clamoring]
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Well, it-it is, okay?
It is.
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00:10:56,382 --> 00:10:57,715
And second of all, she--
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[female reporter]
What's distant?
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00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:00,256
Let's define our terms.
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I-I don't have
the exact family tree
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00:11:01,715 --> 00:11:03,423
available right now,
but she...
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00:11:03,507 --> 00:11:06,131
[Gormley] The Travelgate
episode, in my view,
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00:11:06,215 --> 00:11:08,799
was a tempest in the teapot.
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00:11:08,882 --> 00:11:10,507
In the end,
the Clinton administration
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00:11:10,590 --> 00:11:12,382
did its own little
investigation.
242
00:11:12,465 --> 00:11:15,340
There were mild reprimands
issued, and that was it.
243
00:11:15,423 --> 00:11:18,382
So this did not turn
into anything significant.
244
00:11:18,465 --> 00:11:21,965
But it was part of the constant
drumbeat in the early stages
245
00:11:22,048 --> 00:11:24,674
of the Clinton administration
of, you know,
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00:11:24,757 --> 00:11:27,715
uh, just minor corruption
that sort of fuel--
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00:11:27,799 --> 00:11:31,757
primed the pump
for what came after it.
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00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,757
[Isikoff] To give a cloak
of legitimacy to the firing
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00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:36,715
of these travel office
workers,
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00:11:36,799 --> 00:11:38,465
the White House announced
there would be
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00:11:38,548 --> 00:11:41,090
an FBI investigation.
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00:11:41,173 --> 00:11:45,382
And it was very clear,
uh, the FBI resented
253
00:11:45,465 --> 00:11:47,590
the, uh, effort
by the White House
254
00:11:47,674 --> 00:11:50,256
to use the FBI
255
00:11:50,340 --> 00:11:52,799
to justify what they had done.
256
00:11:52,882 --> 00:11:55,131
I think it kind of set the tone
257
00:11:55,215 --> 00:11:57,590
for much that was
to come after.
258
00:11:57,674 --> 00:12:00,590
[helicopter rotors whirring]
259
00:12:00,674 --> 00:12:03,590
♪ dramatic music ♪
260
00:12:03,674 --> 00:12:05,507
[Weiner]
Nineteen ninety-three,
261
00:12:05,590 --> 00:12:07,674
the FBI's in bad shape.
262
00:12:07,757 --> 00:12:10,924
There was
the disastrous confrontation
263
00:12:11,006 --> 00:12:14,215
with the millennial
Branch Davidian cult
264
00:12:14,298 --> 00:12:16,674
down in Waco, Texas.
265
00:12:16,757 --> 00:12:19,090
[Gorelick]
In the aftermath of Waco,
266
00:12:19,173 --> 00:12:22,882
right-wing militias
and other right-wing groups
267
00:12:22,965 --> 00:12:25,548
suggested that our--
that law enforcement
268
00:12:25,632 --> 00:12:29,215
in the United States were...
were jackbooted thugs.
269
00:12:29,298 --> 00:12:31,882
[man] A standoff between
a man who is wanted by the FBI
270
00:12:31,965 --> 00:12:33,590
and a large number
of federal agents
271
00:12:33,674 --> 00:12:35,465
in a remote section
of Idaho.
272
00:12:35,548 --> 00:12:37,256
Two people have already died.
273
00:12:37,340 --> 00:12:38,882
[man 2] During the standoff,
an FBI sharpshooter
274
00:12:38,965 --> 00:12:40,465
killed Weaver's wife.
275
00:12:40,548 --> 00:12:44,090
It's hard to overstate
the chaos
276
00:12:44,173 --> 00:12:46,882
of the initial months
of the Clinton presidency.
277
00:12:46,965 --> 00:12:48,674
They're really scrambling.
278
00:12:48,757 --> 00:12:51,632
It shows when Clinton
goes through one choice
279
00:12:51,715 --> 00:12:54,298
for attorney general,
she has nanny problems.
280
00:12:54,382 --> 00:12:56,382
Second choice
for attorney general,
281
00:12:56,465 --> 00:12:58,090
she has nanny problems.
282
00:12:58,173 --> 00:13:00,715
Third choice is Janet Reno,
283
00:13:00,799 --> 00:13:03,715
and she has no nanny problems
because she has no kids.
284
00:13:03,799 --> 00:13:06,215
I made the decision.
I'm accountable.
285
00:13:06,298 --> 00:13:08,131
The buck stops with me.
286
00:13:08,215 --> 00:13:10,507
And nobody ever accused me
of running from a decision
287
00:13:10,590 --> 00:13:13,423
that I made based on the best
information that I had.
288
00:13:13,507 --> 00:13:16,590
[Hubbell] She was a tough
prosecutor from Miami.
289
00:13:16,674 --> 00:13:18,840
She had nothing
in her background
290
00:13:18,924 --> 00:13:22,048
that would indicate there was
any problem whatsoever
291
00:13:22,131 --> 00:13:23,590
in confirmation.
292
00:13:23,674 --> 00:13:25,340
And we thought
we had hit a home run.
293
00:13:25,423 --> 00:13:28,131
She came up and went through
a vetting process
294
00:13:28,215 --> 00:13:30,382
in a law firm
here in Washington.
295
00:13:30,465 --> 00:13:33,256
White House Counsel
Bernie Nussbaum says,
296
00:13:33,340 --> 00:13:35,340
"So I guess y'all
are recommending her."
297
00:13:35,423 --> 00:13:37,507
And they go, "No,
we recommend that she--
298
00:13:37,590 --> 00:13:39,298
the president
not appoint her."
299
00:13:39,382 --> 00:13:41,715
And-and Bernie goes, "Why?"
300
00:13:41,799 --> 00:13:44,131
And they said,
"She's too clean.
301
00:13:44,215 --> 00:13:45,924
There's gotta be something
here we haven't found."
302
00:13:46,006 --> 00:13:47,507
[laughs]
303
00:13:47,590 --> 00:13:48,840
Washington wasn't ready
to have somebody
304
00:13:48,924 --> 00:13:50,507
who had nothing
in their background
305
00:13:50,590 --> 00:13:52,298
that they could find wrong.
306
00:13:53,340 --> 00:13:57,965
My hope is, my country
will have been strengthened
307
00:13:58,048 --> 00:14:00,799
and enriched by my service.
308
00:14:00,882 --> 00:14:03,090
[Weiner] The FBI director,
William Sessions,
309
00:14:03,173 --> 00:14:07,340
had been correctly accused
of petty corruption.
310
00:14:07,423 --> 00:14:11,006
Reno helps stiffen
Clinton's spine
311
00:14:11,090 --> 00:14:13,340
to push out Sessions.
312
00:14:13,423 --> 00:14:17,173
And the search for a successor
313
00:14:17,256 --> 00:14:18,965
is hurried.
314
00:14:19,048 --> 00:14:21,340
[Clinton]
Today I am pleased to nominate
315
00:14:21,423 --> 00:14:23,256
a law enforcement legend
316
00:14:23,340 --> 00:14:25,173
to be the director of the FBI,
317
00:14:25,256 --> 00:14:27,590
Judge Louis Freeh.
318
00:14:27,674 --> 00:14:30,215
Judge Freeh knows the FBI.
319
00:14:30,298 --> 00:14:33,173
He is a highly decorated
former agent and supervisor.
320
00:14:33,256 --> 00:14:35,507
He has investigated
and prosecuted
321
00:14:35,590 --> 00:14:39,423
some of the most notorious
and complex crimes of our time.
322
00:14:39,507 --> 00:14:41,382
- Judge Freeh.
- Thank you very much.
323
00:14:41,465 --> 00:14:43,173
- [applause]
- That's very nice.
324
00:14:43,256 --> 00:14:46,173
[Weiner] Freeh pops up
on everybody's chart
325
00:14:46,256 --> 00:14:48,548
as someone who really
looks good on paper.
326
00:14:48,632 --> 00:14:50,465
And he does.
327
00:14:50,548 --> 00:14:52,048
There wasn't a lot
of interviewing.
328
00:14:52,131 --> 00:14:53,423
There wasn't a lot of vetting.
329
00:14:53,507 --> 00:14:55,340
It's like,
"This guy looks good.
330
00:14:55,423 --> 00:14:57,006
Let's put him in."
331
00:14:57,090 --> 00:14:59,382
I was born in Jersey City,
and from about the age
332
00:14:59,465 --> 00:15:02,632
of my eldest son,
I wanted to be an FBI agent.
333
00:15:02,715 --> 00:15:06,131
♪ suspenseful music ♪
334
00:15:06,215 --> 00:15:08,423
[Weiner] Louis Freeh's
a working-class guy,
335
00:15:08,507 --> 00:15:10,590
Roman Catholic choirboy
growing up,
336
00:15:10,674 --> 00:15:13,799
and an altar boy in not only
training but in demeanor
337
00:15:13,882 --> 00:15:15,590
as an adult.
338
00:15:15,674 --> 00:15:17,840
He's young.
He's 43.
339
00:15:17,924 --> 00:15:20,423
A fresh face.
Highly qualified.
340
00:15:20,507 --> 00:15:25,173
[Gorelick] Director Freeh
was a so-called brick agent,
341
00:15:25,256 --> 00:15:28,256
meaning he started off
in life as an agent.
342
00:15:28,340 --> 00:15:30,340
He ultimately became
a prosecutor,
343
00:15:30,423 --> 00:15:31,924
a very well-known prosecutor.
344
00:15:32,006 --> 00:15:33,799
He ultimately became a judge.
345
00:15:33,882 --> 00:15:36,507
But in his DNA
346
00:15:36,590 --> 00:15:40,006
was the DNA
of a brick agent.
347
00:15:40,090 --> 00:15:41,715
And he brought
that perspective
348
00:15:41,799 --> 00:15:43,632
to his role as director.
349
00:15:43,715 --> 00:15:45,757
[Weiner]
His worldview
350
00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,382
is about violations
of criminal law.
351
00:15:48,465 --> 00:15:49,882
He's not a politician.
352
00:15:49,965 --> 00:15:52,215
He's not a Washington insider.
353
00:15:52,298 --> 00:15:54,674
And he turned out to be
354
00:15:54,757 --> 00:15:58,423
a very bad fit inside
the Clinton administration.
355
00:15:58,507 --> 00:16:00,090
I, Louis J. Freeh...
356
00:16:00,173 --> 00:16:01,632
I, Louis J. Freeh...
357
00:16:01,715 --> 00:16:03,090
...do solemnly swear...
358
00:16:03,173 --> 00:16:05,298
...do solemnly swear...
359
00:16:05,382 --> 00:16:09,006
[Schmidt] Director Freeh
had a very tense relationship
360
00:16:09,090 --> 00:16:11,215
with the Clinton White House.
361
00:16:11,298 --> 00:16:13,674
I mean, they basically
didn't like each other.
362
00:16:13,757 --> 00:16:15,173
That's-that's for sure.
363
00:16:15,256 --> 00:16:17,882
To fully understand
the relationship between
364
00:16:17,965 --> 00:16:21,298
Louis Freeh
and President Clinton,
365
00:16:21,382 --> 00:16:23,757
you have to understand
Louis Freeh.
366
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:25,298
[camera shutter clicking]
367
00:16:25,382 --> 00:16:26,840
[La Bella] He's one of
the straightest shooters
368
00:16:26,924 --> 00:16:28,382
that you ever want to meet.
369
00:16:28,465 --> 00:16:30,674
He's one of those people who,
370
00:16:30,757 --> 00:16:32,632
if he tells you something,
371
00:16:32,715 --> 00:16:34,382
you say, "Oh, okay.
372
00:16:34,465 --> 00:16:37,215
I'm betting my child's life
on this because
373
00:16:37,298 --> 00:16:39,090
it's coming from Louis."
374
00:16:39,173 --> 00:16:41,215
It's just--it's who he is.
375
00:16:41,298 --> 00:16:43,340
I don't care how much money
you threw at him,
376
00:16:43,423 --> 00:16:45,507
how much power
you threw at him.
377
00:16:45,590 --> 00:16:48,882
Louis would never
compromise his principles.
378
00:16:48,965 --> 00:16:51,632
I think people know
Bill Clinton.
379
00:16:51,715 --> 00:16:52,882
[camera shutter clicking]
380
00:16:52,965 --> 00:16:54,799
[Weiner]
And in his first days
381
00:16:54,882 --> 00:16:56,465
as FBI director,
382
00:16:56,548 --> 00:16:59,215
things get off
on the wrong foot.
383
00:16:59,298 --> 00:17:02,674
Freeh learns immediately
that the FBI has
384
00:17:02,757 --> 00:17:04,924
a criminal investigation
going on
385
00:17:05,006 --> 00:17:07,048
pertaining to
real estate dealings
386
00:17:07,131 --> 00:17:09,674
in the state of Arkansas, uh,
387
00:17:09,757 --> 00:17:12,048
while, uh, Clinton
was governor.
388
00:17:12,131 --> 00:17:15,131
And he sees Clinton
389
00:17:15,215 --> 00:17:19,006
as a suspect
in a criminal case.
390
00:17:19,090 --> 00:17:21,548
♪ dramatic music ♪
391
00:17:21,632 --> 00:17:23,882
[man] In a nutshell, what
was the story of Whitewater?
392
00:17:23,965 --> 00:17:25,507
[laughs]
393
00:17:25,590 --> 00:17:27,423
I was afraid you were
gonna ask me that.
394
00:17:27,507 --> 00:17:29,882
Um, not--I mean, I knew
you were gonna ask me that.
395
00:17:30,006 --> 00:17:34,298
But it's not easily,
um, uh, summarized.
396
00:17:34,382 --> 00:17:37,173
[man] Can you tell me
in a couple of sentences
397
00:17:37,256 --> 00:17:38,924
what is Whitewater?
398
00:17:39,006 --> 00:17:40,298
[sighs]
399
00:17:40,382 --> 00:17:41,924
[laughs]
400
00:17:42,006 --> 00:17:43,256
[sniffs]
401
00:17:43,340 --> 00:17:48,256
♪♪♪
402
00:17:49,382 --> 00:17:51,048
Wow.
403
00:17:51,131 --> 00:17:55,256
In Arkansas, Bill Clinton
had become friends
404
00:17:55,340 --> 00:17:58,924
with a gentleman
named Jim McDougal.
405
00:17:59,006 --> 00:18:02,423
He was a very eccentric man,
by all accounts.
406
00:18:02,507 --> 00:18:07,340
And he began investing
in real estate deals.
407
00:18:07,423 --> 00:18:11,340
And the one that excited him
the most was this beautiful
408
00:18:11,423 --> 00:18:14,382
piece of property
up in the Ozark Mountains
409
00:18:14,465 --> 00:18:17,507
that came to be known
as Whitewater.
410
00:18:17,590 --> 00:18:21,840
He wanted Clinton, who was
likely to be the next governor,
411
00:18:21,924 --> 00:18:23,840
to be part of this deal.
412
00:18:23,924 --> 00:18:25,965
The Clintons put
no money down.
413
00:18:26,048 --> 00:18:28,090
It was a small investment.
414
00:18:28,173 --> 00:18:31,632
But the Whitewater development
was on the wrong side
415
00:18:31,715 --> 00:18:33,799
of the White River
to be successful,
416
00:18:33,882 --> 00:18:36,674
and it started
losing money quickly.
417
00:18:36,757 --> 00:18:38,382
Jim McDougal hid that
418
00:18:38,465 --> 00:18:40,256
from the Clintons
and other investors,
419
00:18:40,340 --> 00:18:41,965
and so he went on
to buy a bank
420
00:18:42,048 --> 00:18:45,548
called Madison Guaranty
Savings & Loan.
421
00:18:45,632 --> 00:18:47,173
Jim started using
some of the money
422
00:18:47,256 --> 00:18:48,674
of the Savings & Loan
423
00:18:48,757 --> 00:18:50,757
to pay off the interest
or the debt
424
00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:52,382
of the--of the Whitewater.
425
00:18:52,465 --> 00:18:57,090
McDougal's Savings & Loan, uh,
lost $60 million,
426
00:18:57,173 --> 00:19:00,006
and it was because
of sham dealings--
427
00:19:00,090 --> 00:19:02,256
real estate transactions.
428
00:19:02,340 --> 00:19:05,090
[man] Did McDougal improperly
channel money from the S&L
429
00:19:05,173 --> 00:19:07,048
to the Whitewater development
430
00:19:07,131 --> 00:19:10,423
or to help pay then-governor
Clinton's campaign debts?
431
00:19:10,507 --> 00:19:12,632
And did McDougal's
Savings & Loan
432
00:19:12,715 --> 00:19:15,131
escape close scrutiny
by the state
433
00:19:15,215 --> 00:19:16,840
because of his friendship
and partnership
434
00:19:16,924 --> 00:19:18,674
with Governor Clinton?
435
00:19:18,757 --> 00:19:19,965
It was just so complicated,
436
00:19:20,048 --> 00:19:22,382
and there wasn't
much of substance
437
00:19:22,465 --> 00:19:25,173
in terms of the Clintons'
behavior in all of that.
438
00:19:25,256 --> 00:19:27,382
And so it had really
just fallen
439
00:19:27,465 --> 00:19:30,173
to a little ember
in the coals.
440
00:19:30,256 --> 00:19:32,382
And then all of a sudden...
441
00:19:32,465 --> 00:19:34,215
[gunshot]
442
00:19:34,298 --> 00:19:35,590
♪ dramatic music ♪
443
00:19:35,674 --> 00:19:37,173
[radio tuning]
444
00:19:37,256 --> 00:19:38,674
[woman 2]
...the apparent suicide
445
00:19:38,757 --> 00:19:40,298
of White House lawyer
Vince Foster.
446
00:19:40,382 --> 00:19:42,090
Bits of information
gradually...
447
00:19:42,173 --> 00:19:43,423
[man] The number two lawyer
at the White House,
448
00:19:43,507 --> 00:19:44,507
Foster was one
of Bill Clinton's oldest
449
00:19:44,590 --> 00:19:45,757
and closest friends.
450
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:47,256
His body was found last night.
451
00:19:47,340 --> 00:19:50,340
It appears he shot himself.
452
00:19:50,423 --> 00:19:53,465
[Hubbell] Vince Foster was our
partner at the Rose Law Firm.
453
00:19:53,548 --> 00:19:57,173
He came to Washington as the
deputy White House counsel.
454
00:19:57,256 --> 00:20:01,340
He was very close, uh,
to both Hillary and myself,
455
00:20:01,423 --> 00:20:04,465
as we practiced law
together for 20 years,
456
00:20:04,548 --> 00:20:06,465
seeing each other every day.
457
00:20:06,548 --> 00:20:11,507
And tragically, uh, he
committed suicide in July of--
458
00:20:11,590 --> 00:20:15,090
I think it was July
of our first year there.
459
00:20:15,173 --> 00:20:19,048
He went to Fort Marcy Park,
a Civil War, uh, park
460
00:20:19,131 --> 00:20:20,507
just across the Potomac River,
461
00:20:20,590 --> 00:20:24,048
and pulled out a gun
and shot himself.
462
00:20:24,131 --> 00:20:27,632
It really knocked
the White House for a loop.
463
00:20:27,715 --> 00:20:31,882
And the Clintons, um,
and the people--their friends--
464
00:20:31,965 --> 00:20:34,507
it was devastating.
465
00:20:34,590 --> 00:20:36,632
Good afternoon.
466
00:20:36,715 --> 00:20:40,590
I have just met with
the White House staff,
467
00:20:40,674 --> 00:20:44,298
um, to basically talk with them
a little bit about the death
468
00:20:44,382 --> 00:20:49,465
of my friend of 42 years,
Vince Foster.
469
00:20:49,548 --> 00:20:53,674
It is an immense personal loss
to-to me and to Hillary
470
00:20:53,757 --> 00:20:57,173
and to many of his
close friends here
471
00:20:57,256 --> 00:21:00,799
and a great loss to the
White House and to the country.
472
00:21:00,882 --> 00:21:05,382
[Isikoff] This kind of took on
a little greater significance
473
00:21:05,465 --> 00:21:08,173
when it became clear
that Hillary Clinton
474
00:21:08,256 --> 00:21:11,131
had blamed Vince Foster
475
00:21:11,215 --> 00:21:15,090
for the handling
of the travel office matter.
476
00:21:15,173 --> 00:21:18,048
Hillary Clinton had snapped
at Vince Foster, uh,
477
00:21:18,131 --> 00:21:21,006
indicated that he had
blown it in some way.
478
00:21:21,090 --> 00:21:23,590
And, um, this contributed
479
00:21:23,674 --> 00:21:28,423
to some serious, um, depression
he was having at the time.
480
00:21:28,507 --> 00:21:33,131
[Schmidt] There was
a suicide note that was found.
481
00:21:33,215 --> 00:21:35,090
One of the things
he wrote was,
482
00:21:35,173 --> 00:21:37,548
"I'm not meant for this life
in Washington.
483
00:21:37,632 --> 00:21:41,715
Here, ruining people
is, uh, considered sport."
484
00:21:41,799 --> 00:21:43,548
[man] A file on
the Whitewater development
485
00:21:43,632 --> 00:21:45,256
in which the Clintons
invested
486
00:21:45,340 --> 00:21:47,048
was taken
from Vincent Foster's
487
00:21:47,131 --> 00:21:49,799
White House office
immediately after his suicide.
488
00:21:49,882 --> 00:21:51,715
The White House said it was
personal Clinton business
489
00:21:51,799 --> 00:21:54,173
and gave it to the president's
private lawyer.
490
00:21:54,256 --> 00:21:56,173
Foster had the files
because he handled
491
00:21:56,256 --> 00:21:58,006
President Clinton's
legal work
492
00:21:58,090 --> 00:22:00,799
involving an Arkansas
land development company.
493
00:22:00,882 --> 00:22:04,590
Vince Foster's death,
that's when people started
494
00:22:04,674 --> 00:22:06,215
saying, "Wait a minute.
495
00:22:06,298 --> 00:22:09,006
He's the one who had
the Whitewater documents.
496
00:22:09,090 --> 00:22:10,423
Wait a minute.
This was--
497
00:22:10,507 --> 00:22:12,882
The Clintons were involved
in a conspiracy."
498
00:22:12,965 --> 00:22:16,298
I want to tell my friends
and my colleagues now
499
00:22:16,382 --> 00:22:18,090
why I believe there's
a connection between
500
00:22:18,173 --> 00:22:21,215
Vince Foster's death and
the Whitewater investigation
501
00:22:21,298 --> 00:22:23,548
that's not being pursued.
502
00:22:23,632 --> 00:22:25,215
First of all, he died under
503
00:22:25,298 --> 00:22:26,840
very mysterious-mysterious
circumstances.
504
00:22:26,924 --> 00:22:29,048
His body was moved.
There's no question about it.
505
00:22:29,131 --> 00:22:30,465
And yet nobody accepts that.
506
00:22:30,548 --> 00:22:33,548
[Gormley]
There were dark allegations
507
00:22:33,632 --> 00:22:36,715
that the Clintons had been
involved in his death.
508
00:22:36,799 --> 00:22:40,048
I contacted a ballistics expert
in California who stated
509
00:22:40,131 --> 00:22:42,048
that after passing
through a man's skull,
510
00:22:42,131 --> 00:22:44,840
a .38-caliber bullet should
travel no more than
511
00:22:44,924 --> 00:22:48,882
1,200 to 1,600 feet,
or about 300 to 500 yards.
512
00:22:48,965 --> 00:22:50,965
The FBI should have been able
to find that bullet.
513
00:22:51,048 --> 00:22:52,757
[gunshot]
514
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,256
[splattering]
515
00:22:55,340 --> 00:22:57,298
[Isikoff] Dan Burton
was so fascinated
516
00:22:57,382 --> 00:22:58,882
by these conspiracy theories,
517
00:22:58,965 --> 00:23:02,256
he shot a watermelon
in his backyard
518
00:23:02,340 --> 00:23:04,799
to sort of reenact
why Vince Foster
519
00:23:04,882 --> 00:23:06,382
could not have killed himself
520
00:23:06,465 --> 00:23:09,632
in the way multiple
government investigations
521
00:23:09,715 --> 00:23:11,799
firmly concluded he did.
522
00:23:11,882 --> 00:23:14,423
I don't know whether
Vince Foster,
523
00:23:14,507 --> 00:23:17,090
uh, died of suicide
or not.
524
00:23:17,173 --> 00:23:19,340
I-I just don't know.
525
00:23:19,423 --> 00:23:22,048
But I'm convinced in my mind
that he did not die
526
00:23:22,131 --> 00:23:23,840
at Fort Marcy Park.
527
00:23:23,924 --> 00:23:25,340
I don't know whether
he committed suicide
528
00:23:25,423 --> 00:23:26,799
or what happened.
529
00:23:26,882 --> 00:23:27,840
The fact
that he killed himself
530
00:23:27,924 --> 00:23:29,131
is not in dispute
531
00:23:29,215 --> 00:23:30,882
and has never been in dispute
532
00:23:30,965 --> 00:23:32,548
among sane people.
533
00:23:32,632 --> 00:23:34,465
It's crazy.
534
00:23:34,548 --> 00:23:37,423
And-and can you imagine
how horrible that is
535
00:23:37,507 --> 00:23:40,548
for the people--
especially his family--
536
00:23:40,632 --> 00:23:42,090
to think that that happened
537
00:23:42,173 --> 00:23:44,715
or-or even hear those words?
538
00:23:44,799 --> 00:23:47,548
I mean, they-they're having
enough of a hard time.
539
00:23:47,632 --> 00:23:50,382
I'm still having enough
of a hard time
540
00:23:50,465 --> 00:23:52,423
thinking about somebody
who committed suicide.
541
00:23:52,507 --> 00:23:55,674
You always think, "What could
I have done to change that?"
542
00:23:55,757 --> 00:23:57,131
And to hear all these
conspiracy theories
543
00:23:57,215 --> 00:23:59,173
is just awful.
544
00:24:00,548 --> 00:24:03,173
[Gormley] This was horrifying
to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
545
00:24:03,256 --> 00:24:05,465
They were grieving
at the same time
546
00:24:05,548 --> 00:24:08,548
these dark conspiracies
were being floated.
547
00:24:08,632 --> 00:24:10,715
But it was connecting
all of these dots.
548
00:24:10,799 --> 00:24:12,674
As one person said,
549
00:24:12,757 --> 00:24:15,382
people started connecting dots
that didn't connect.
550
00:24:15,465 --> 00:24:18,674
And that's really
what fanned Whitewater
551
00:24:18,757 --> 00:24:21,090
and the whole investigation
back to life.
552
00:24:21,173 --> 00:24:23,382
[reverse splattering]
553
00:24:23,465 --> 00:24:25,882
Now leading congressional
Republicans are asking
554
00:24:25,965 --> 00:24:28,382
for independent investigations.
555
00:24:28,465 --> 00:24:32,465
Seems to me that there ought
to be some independent review.
556
00:24:32,548 --> 00:24:35,298
Otherwise, uh, I think the
Democrats control the House.
557
00:24:35,382 --> 00:24:37,548
They control the Senate.
They control the White House.
558
00:24:37,632 --> 00:24:39,215
The American people are gonna
start asking questions,
559
00:24:39,298 --> 00:24:40,924
"Why can't we have the facts?"
560
00:24:41,006 --> 00:24:42,382
Mr. President,
do you support the idea
561
00:24:42,465 --> 00:24:44,674
of naming a, uh,
special prosecutor
562
00:24:44,757 --> 00:24:46,465
for the Whitewat--
to investigate
563
00:24:46,548 --> 00:24:48,048
the Whitewater affair?
564
00:24:48,131 --> 00:24:49,715
I have nothing to say
about that.
565
00:24:49,799 --> 00:24:51,465
I've-I've said that we would
turn the records over.
566
00:24:51,548 --> 00:24:53,048
There's nothing else for me
to say about that.
567
00:24:53,131 --> 00:24:55,423
[man] What is your thinking now
on the public release
568
00:24:55,507 --> 00:24:57,632
of documents
and an independent counsel?
569
00:24:57,715 --> 00:24:59,632
Well, first of all, my thinking
is that this is a situation
570
00:24:59,715 --> 00:25:01,757
without precedent
in American history.
571
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:03,298
Drop a--you seemed
to drop a hint there--
572
00:25:03,382 --> 00:25:04,632
Sorry, you got
the two questions, Jim.
573
00:25:04,715 --> 00:25:05,924
- Okay.
- You had your two questions.
574
00:25:06,006 --> 00:25:07,423
All righty.
575
00:25:07,507 --> 00:25:09,548
I'm sorry you're not
interested in the truth.
576
00:25:09,632 --> 00:25:11,423
At that point,
we'd been through
577
00:25:11,507 --> 00:25:14,507
the throes of, uh--
of Watergate,
578
00:25:14,590 --> 00:25:19,256
the throes of, uh, Irangate.
[chuckles]
579
00:25:19,340 --> 00:25:23,465
And the Congress,
uh, had decided
580
00:25:23,548 --> 00:25:27,715
that it was important,
uh, to be able to have
581
00:25:27,799 --> 00:25:31,548
a special counsel to conduct
582
00:25:31,632 --> 00:25:33,965
those kinds of investigations.
583
00:25:34,048 --> 00:25:36,090
And I remember
going in to the president
584
00:25:36,173 --> 00:25:39,965
and telling him that Congress
had passed that legislation.
585
00:25:40,048 --> 00:25:42,674
I said, "Look, I don't think
you wanna be viewed
586
00:25:42,757 --> 00:25:45,674
as rejecting
this kind of proposal.
587
00:25:45,757 --> 00:25:49,215
For you as president, uh,
it would convey the impression
588
00:25:49,298 --> 00:25:51,715
that somehow you might
have something to hide."
589
00:25:51,799 --> 00:25:53,840
You could see
he was concerned.
590
00:25:53,924 --> 00:25:56,465
He said, "Passing this
legislation could come back
591
00:25:56,548 --> 00:26:00,006
to not only haunt me but haunt
other presidents as well."
592
00:26:00,090 --> 00:26:03,048
But at the same time,
I think he also recognized
593
00:26:03,131 --> 00:26:04,882
that in the end, he really
didn't have much choice
594
00:26:04,965 --> 00:26:07,632
but to sign
that legislation.
595
00:26:07,715 --> 00:26:10,799
[man] Do you think he ever
regretted that he signed it?
596
00:26:10,882 --> 00:26:13,465
Oh, I'm sure there were
moments where, you know,
597
00:26:13,548 --> 00:26:15,548
he might have, uh--
he might have thought,
598
00:26:15,632 --> 00:26:17,256
"It would have been
a lot better, uh,
599
00:26:17,340 --> 00:26:19,548
if I had not done it."
600
00:26:19,632 --> 00:26:21,465
[man] Kenneth Starr
arrived at the office
601
00:26:21,548 --> 00:26:23,965
of the independent counsel
at 3:30
602
00:26:24,048 --> 00:26:25,674
but had little to say.
603
00:26:25,757 --> 00:26:27,382
[male reporter]
Can you talk to us, sir?
604
00:26:27,465 --> 00:26:28,799
No, I won't be making
any, uh, statement.
605
00:26:28,882 --> 00:26:30,465
[man] He's a Republican,
606
00:26:30,548 --> 00:26:31,799
having served
as solicitor general
607
00:26:31,882 --> 00:26:33,882
in the Bush administration.
608
00:26:33,965 --> 00:26:36,548
He's here to take
the Whitewater investigation.
609
00:26:36,632 --> 00:26:38,715
[Starr] I had a sense
that investigating
610
00:26:38,799 --> 00:26:40,507
the President
of the United States
611
00:26:40,590 --> 00:26:44,507
was not by its nature
a career-enhancing move
612
00:26:44,590 --> 00:26:47,298
and that it would likely, uh,
613
00:26:47,382 --> 00:26:49,799
be, uh, viewed, uh,
614
00:26:49,882 --> 00:26:52,465
with, uh, a lot of disdain,
615
00:26:52,548 --> 00:26:55,674
uh, anger, rancor,
and so forth.
616
00:26:55,757 --> 00:26:58,507
"Hey, you're
investigating my guy.
617
00:26:58,590 --> 00:27:02,298
I voted for that person.
Why are you investigating him?
618
00:27:02,382 --> 00:27:04,465
You must be a bad person."
[laughs]
619
00:27:04,548 --> 00:27:08,006
"You must be on a political
witch hunt." [laughs]
620
00:27:08,090 --> 00:27:12,048
So I saw some of that
as I peered into the future
621
00:27:12,131 --> 00:27:14,465
and speculating about
what it would be.
622
00:27:14,548 --> 00:27:18,799
I underestimated the intensity
of the controversy.
623
00:27:18,882 --> 00:27:21,715
[camera shutters clicking]
624
00:27:21,799 --> 00:27:23,090
[Gormley]
President Bill Clinton
625
00:27:23,173 --> 00:27:25,757
and Ken Starr
represented in many ways
626
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,882
the reverse side
of the same coin.
627
00:27:28,965 --> 00:27:32,173
On one sense, you had these two
people who were very similar.
628
00:27:32,256 --> 00:27:35,298
They were born within several
hundred miles of each other--
629
00:27:35,382 --> 00:27:38,507
Ken Starr in Texas,
Bill Clinton in Arkansas--
630
00:27:38,590 --> 00:27:40,924
within ten days of each other.
631
00:27:41,006 --> 00:27:43,340
But Bill Clinton's life
in Hot Springs,
632
00:27:43,423 --> 00:27:46,632
where there was gambling
and people betting on ponies
633
00:27:46,715 --> 00:27:50,924
and drinking, was really
the antithesis of the life
634
00:27:51,006 --> 00:27:52,757
that Ken Starr grew up in:
635
00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,674
Fundamentalist Christian
environment
636
00:27:55,757 --> 00:27:59,548
in a little white house
planted in a cow pasture.
637
00:27:59,632 --> 00:28:01,840
Ken Starr
worked on Capitol Hill
638
00:28:01,924 --> 00:28:05,423
for a conservative Texan
member of Congress
639
00:28:05,507 --> 00:28:07,965
and was the youngest person
640
00:28:08,048 --> 00:28:11,924
ever appointed to the U.S.
Court of Appeals in D.C.
641
00:28:12,006 --> 00:28:14,799
So both of them
are self-made men
642
00:28:14,882 --> 00:28:16,507
who rise to the top
of their professions
643
00:28:16,590 --> 00:28:18,548
at a very young age,
644
00:28:18,632 --> 00:28:22,173
and the collision between them
is even more tragic
645
00:28:22,256 --> 00:28:25,423
when you see, uh,
the-the train wreck
646
00:28:25,507 --> 00:28:27,423
at the end of the story.
647
00:28:28,465 --> 00:28:30,674
[Starr]
There are a number of persons,
648
00:28:30,757 --> 00:28:33,548
including most recently
Mr. McDougal,
649
00:28:33,632 --> 00:28:36,965
who have entered
into discussions
650
00:28:37,048 --> 00:28:39,590
with the government
in our ongoing effort
651
00:28:39,674 --> 00:28:41,632
to understand
all the facts.
652
00:28:41,715 --> 00:28:45,298
We have made very substantial
progress in this investigation,
653
00:28:45,382 --> 00:28:48,757
and at the same time, our
investigation is going forward.
654
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,799
[Schmidt] Starr and the others
were running the show.
655
00:28:51,882 --> 00:28:55,465
But Freeh never balked about
656
00:28:55,548 --> 00:28:57,256
supplying as many agents
657
00:28:57,340 --> 00:28:59,840
and as much help
as Starr asked for.
658
00:28:59,924 --> 00:29:03,006
[Weiner] Louis Freeh
is all but measuring
659
00:29:03,090 --> 00:29:05,840
the commander in chief
for prison stripes.
660
00:29:05,924 --> 00:29:08,340
He cannot help but see
the president through
661
00:29:08,423 --> 00:29:10,465
any other prism.
662
00:29:10,548 --> 00:29:13,298
And frankly,
it distorts his judgment.
663
00:29:13,382 --> 00:29:16,048
He turns in
his White House pass.
664
00:29:16,131 --> 00:29:19,674
He refuses to set foot
in the White House.
665
00:29:19,757 --> 00:29:22,465
And he cuts off communication
666
00:29:22,548 --> 00:29:25,090
with the President
of the United States.
667
00:29:25,173 --> 00:29:29,924
Clinton definitely felt that
668
00:29:30,006 --> 00:29:32,090
"that effing Freeh,"
as he put it,
669
00:29:32,173 --> 00:29:34,131
was out to get him.
670
00:29:34,215 --> 00:29:35,757
Now, you're the President
of the United States.
671
00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:38,840
You got a lot on your plate.
672
00:29:38,924 --> 00:29:41,006
The idea that you've got
a powerful member
673
00:29:41,090 --> 00:29:42,674
of your administration
674
00:29:42,757 --> 00:29:46,382
placing you in his gun sights
675
00:29:46,465 --> 00:29:48,590
is pretty unpleasant
to contemplate.
676
00:29:48,674 --> 00:29:51,298
♪ dramatic music ♪
677
00:29:51,382 --> 00:29:54,840
A top administration aide used
the word "scurrilous" today
678
00:29:54,924 --> 00:29:57,882
to describe charges made
in the conservative magazine
679
00:29:57,965 --> 00:30:00,090
American Spectator
that President Clinton,
680
00:30:00,173 --> 00:30:03,131
while governor of Arkansas,
used state troopers
681
00:30:03,215 --> 00:30:05,632
to help arrange dates for him
with a number of women.
682
00:30:05,715 --> 00:30:09,840
[Isikoff] One of the troopers
made some allegation
683
00:30:09,924 --> 00:30:13,799
to bringing a woman
named Paula
684
00:30:13,882 --> 00:30:17,215
to, uh,
the governor's hotel room.
685
00:30:17,298 --> 00:30:19,507
He presented his-hisself to me
686
00:30:19,590 --> 00:30:22,548
in a very unprofessional
manner,
687
00:30:22,632 --> 00:30:26,674
and I would call it
sexual harassment.
688
00:30:26,757 --> 00:30:30,882
The graphic details were that
Clinton proceeded to make
689
00:30:30,965 --> 00:30:33,799
a number of sexual
advances to her,
690
00:30:33,882 --> 00:30:35,840
dropping his pants,
exposing himself,
691
00:30:35,924 --> 00:30:38,048
and asking for oral sex.
692
00:30:38,131 --> 00:30:42,507
It has always been about a man
who exposed himself.
693
00:30:42,590 --> 00:30:46,256
The next thing you know,
she files a civil lawsuit
694
00:30:46,340 --> 00:30:49,632
against the President
of the United States.
695
00:30:49,715 --> 00:30:51,715
[Starr] She made allegations,
696
00:30:51,799 --> 00:30:54,090
uh, that amounted to,
under federal law,
697
00:30:54,173 --> 00:30:57,423
an alleged violation
of her civil rights--
698
00:30:57,507 --> 00:31:00,298
uh, call it sexual harassment--
699
00:31:00,382 --> 00:31:03,340
uh, in-in the work--
in the workplace.
700
00:31:03,423 --> 00:31:07,548
It had no direct, uh,
effect at the time,
701
00:31:07,632 --> 00:31:09,298
uh, on our investigation.
702
00:31:09,382 --> 00:31:11,006
That was to come.
703
00:31:11,090 --> 00:31:15,340
♪♪♪
704
00:31:15,423 --> 00:31:19,965
[man] What was the first time
that term "gate" was applied
705
00:31:20,048 --> 00:31:23,799
to some kind of political
scandal other than Watergate?
706
00:31:23,882 --> 00:31:27,340
Well, I--this is not a subject
I have researched.
707
00:31:27,423 --> 00:31:29,131
Gee, there were so many.
Koreagate.
708
00:31:29,215 --> 00:31:30,548
There was a Koreagate, I think.
709
00:31:30,632 --> 00:31:32,882
There was Iran-Contragate.
710
00:31:32,965 --> 00:31:35,131
[man] How many gates
did the Clintons have?
711
00:31:35,215 --> 00:31:37,340
[laughs]
Quite a few.
712
00:31:37,423 --> 00:31:39,465
Oh, my gosh.
Well, they had, uh--
713
00:31:39,548 --> 00:31:41,799
uh, they had Travelgate.
714
00:31:41,882 --> 00:31:43,882
Monicagate.
Filegate.
715
00:31:43,965 --> 00:31:45,632
You're testing my memory here.
716
00:31:45,715 --> 00:31:47,799
I don't think I'm the Filegate
kind of person.
717
00:31:47,882 --> 00:31:50,256
[man] What was Filegate?
718
00:31:50,340 --> 00:31:52,715
All right, look, I am--
[scoffs]
719
00:31:52,799 --> 00:31:54,340
Filegate.
Travelgate.
720
00:31:54,423 --> 00:31:56,048
Whitewater investigation.
721
00:31:56,131 --> 00:31:58,799
None of that amounted
to absolutely anything.
722
00:31:58,882 --> 00:32:00,674
There were no crimes committed.
723
00:32:00,757 --> 00:32:02,882
Uh, there were, you know,
724
00:32:02,965 --> 00:32:04,924
perhaps mistakes
of judgment made.
725
00:32:05,006 --> 00:32:08,590
But much of it was just
downright silly,
726
00:32:08,674 --> 00:32:10,674
a waste of taxpayers' money,
727
00:32:10,757 --> 00:32:13,006
uh, and an exercise
in partisanship.
728
00:32:13,090 --> 00:32:16,674
Nothing ever gets pinned
on the Clintons.
729
00:32:16,757 --> 00:32:21,674
Nevertheless, there's
a continual hue and cry.
730
00:32:21,757 --> 00:32:26,090
The call of the bloodhounds
arises every morning
731
00:32:26,173 --> 00:32:28,215
with the idea that
there's something there.
732
00:32:28,298 --> 00:32:30,465
There must be something there.
733
00:32:30,548 --> 00:32:31,340
♪♪♪
734
00:32:31,423 --> 00:32:32,924
[gavel banging]
735
00:32:33,006 --> 00:32:35,340
There apparently was
a systematic influx
736
00:32:35,423 --> 00:32:40,173
of illegal money in our
presidential race last year.
737
00:32:40,256 --> 00:32:43,507
We will be wanting to know
who knew about it,
738
00:32:43,590 --> 00:32:45,382
who should have known about it,
and whether or not
739
00:32:45,465 --> 00:32:47,465
there was an attempt
to cover it up.
740
00:32:47,548 --> 00:32:50,590
[Weiner] There was
a broad accusation
741
00:32:50,674 --> 00:32:55,548
that the government of
the People's Republic of China
742
00:32:55,632 --> 00:32:59,382
was attempting to buy influence
in the Clinton White House
743
00:32:59,465 --> 00:33:02,590
by funneling cash into the
president's reelection campaign
744
00:33:02,674 --> 00:33:04,715
in 1996.
745
00:33:04,799 --> 00:33:07,590
And Bill Clinton
forcefully said,
746
00:33:07,674 --> 00:33:09,548
"There's nothing here."
747
00:33:09,632 --> 00:33:12,757
And Louis Freeh...
748
00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:15,256
said the White House was lying.
749
00:33:15,340 --> 00:33:17,507
[man] Fund-raising practices
by the president
750
00:33:17,590 --> 00:33:19,757
involving foreign contributors
751
00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,465
are being looked into
by the Justice Department.
752
00:33:22,548 --> 00:33:25,715
[Barr] Foreign influence
and particularly foreign money
753
00:33:25,799 --> 00:33:30,173
provides opportunity
for blackmail,
754
00:33:30,256 --> 00:33:34,048
avenues for national security
information
755
00:33:34,131 --> 00:33:36,298
to be sold abroad.
756
00:33:36,382 --> 00:33:39,507
So anytime that you have
serious allegations
757
00:33:39,590 --> 00:33:44,006
of direct foreign meddling
in an election,
758
00:33:44,090 --> 00:33:46,507
it should be taken
very seriously.
759
00:33:46,590 --> 00:33:48,840
[Lampinski] My marching orders
from Director Freeh
760
00:33:48,924 --> 00:33:51,548
was to follow the evidence
wherever it led.
761
00:33:51,632 --> 00:33:53,173
Now, one thing he did want--
762
00:33:53,256 --> 00:33:56,006
and he was very specific
about this--
763
00:33:56,090 --> 00:34:00,298
was that he wanted us to go
directly at what he considered
764
00:34:00,382 --> 00:34:03,090
the core group:
the president himself,
765
00:34:03,173 --> 00:34:05,006
the vice president,
leadership within
766
00:34:05,090 --> 00:34:07,882
the Democratic
National Committee.
767
00:34:07,965 --> 00:34:09,924
We learned through
768
00:34:10,006 --> 00:34:11,840
tracing the money
through grand jury subpoenas
769
00:34:11,924 --> 00:34:13,340
that these people
that contributed
770
00:34:13,423 --> 00:34:14,882
to the Democratic
National Committee
771
00:34:14,965 --> 00:34:16,298
were not the true donors.
772
00:34:16,382 --> 00:34:18,131
These donors were
reimbursed through cash.
773
00:34:18,215 --> 00:34:19,757
If you went
to the source of the cash,
774
00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:21,548
you found that
that money came in
775
00:34:21,632 --> 00:34:24,131
typically through
foreign wires from overseas.
776
00:34:24,215 --> 00:34:26,465
[La Bella]
You would inspect the checks,
777
00:34:26,548 --> 00:34:28,924
and they'd all be dated
the same day.
778
00:34:29,006 --> 00:34:31,298
They'd all have
the same amount.
779
00:34:31,382 --> 00:34:33,840
And they'd all be Asian names
that were associated
780
00:34:33,924 --> 00:34:35,632
with the checks.
781
00:34:35,715 --> 00:34:37,340
The one thing
they were all buying
782
00:34:37,423 --> 00:34:40,173
and the one common denominator
that was here
783
00:34:40,256 --> 00:34:41,632
was access.
784
00:34:41,715 --> 00:34:43,840
Access equals ability
785
00:34:43,924 --> 00:34:46,632
to get what you want done
done.
786
00:34:46,715 --> 00:34:48,131
I want access to the president.
787
00:34:48,215 --> 00:34:50,131
I want access
to the vice president.
788
00:34:50,215 --> 00:34:53,590
I want access to the high
levels of people at the DNC.
789
00:34:54,799 --> 00:34:57,882
[Lampinski] Charlie Trie
operated a Chinese restaurant
790
00:34:57,965 --> 00:35:00,840
in Little Rock and began
contributing heavily
791
00:35:00,924 --> 00:35:03,465
to the Democratic
National Committee.
792
00:35:03,548 --> 00:35:06,215
[La Bella] Charlie Trie
was in the White House,
793
00:35:06,298 --> 00:35:10,924
and he had a bag of checks,
and he gave it to them.
794
00:35:11,006 --> 00:35:13,632
Bag of checks.
I mean...
795
00:35:13,715 --> 00:35:16,173
ugh! I mean, really?
796
00:35:16,256 --> 00:35:19,173
[Isikoff] John Huang,
who was seeking
797
00:35:19,256 --> 00:35:21,507
Asian-American money
798
00:35:21,590 --> 00:35:25,340
that had close ties
to the Chinese government
799
00:35:25,423 --> 00:35:29,548
and indeed Chinese military
intelligence as well.
800
00:35:29,632 --> 00:35:32,131
We knew who the bad guys were,
all right?
801
00:35:32,215 --> 00:35:34,256
We started with
the-the bundlers, okay?
802
00:35:34,340 --> 00:35:36,674
And we could work up the chain.
803
00:35:36,757 --> 00:35:41,048
But unlike other cases,
we can only go so high.
804
00:35:41,131 --> 00:35:44,006
There was something called
the Independent Counsel Act,
805
00:35:44,090 --> 00:35:46,340
and the Independent Counsel Act
was the law of the land
806
00:35:46,423 --> 00:35:48,548
at the time.
It has since sunset.
807
00:35:48,632 --> 00:35:51,632
And it basically said that
the Department of Justice
808
00:35:51,715 --> 00:35:56,298
cannot investigate
certain covered persons.
809
00:35:56,382 --> 00:35:57,840
[Lampinski] The President
of the United States,
810
00:35:57,924 --> 00:35:59,965
the vice president,
cabinet-level positions
811
00:36:00,048 --> 00:36:02,090
within any administration
812
00:36:02,173 --> 00:36:05,006
were then considered
covered persons
813
00:36:05,090 --> 00:36:07,215
such that if a credible
and specific
814
00:36:07,298 --> 00:36:11,048
allegation of criminal
misconduct was made,
815
00:36:11,131 --> 00:36:13,465
it would trigger
this requirement
816
00:36:13,548 --> 00:36:16,548
that the matter be investigated
by an independent counsel
817
00:36:16,632 --> 00:36:19,882
as opposed to
the Department of Justice,
818
00:36:19,965 --> 00:36:22,256
uh, or the attorney general.
819
00:36:22,340 --> 00:36:25,590
Louis Freeh called forcefully
for the appointment
820
00:36:25,674 --> 00:36:27,757
of yet another
independent counsel
821
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,298
to look into the Chinese
cash allegations.
822
00:36:31,382 --> 00:36:33,256
[Barr] Looking at all
of the evidence,
823
00:36:33,340 --> 00:36:36,715
are there facts there that,
as you understand them,
824
00:36:36,799 --> 00:36:41,674
indicate that covered persons
may have violated federal laws?
825
00:36:41,757 --> 00:36:44,882
Under the facts and the law
as I understand them to be,
826
00:36:44,965 --> 00:36:47,674
uh, the matter, in my opinion,
should be referred
827
00:36:47,757 --> 00:36:49,507
to an independent counsel.
828
00:36:49,590 --> 00:36:51,090
Numerous allegations
have been made
829
00:36:51,173 --> 00:36:53,507
against
high government officials.
830
00:36:53,590 --> 00:36:56,006
We have reviewed every one
of them to see if there's
831
00:36:56,090 --> 00:36:59,340
specific and credible
information that a crime
832
00:36:59,423 --> 00:37:02,590
may have been committed
by a covered person.
833
00:37:02,674 --> 00:37:06,048
Today, following the law's
letter, I have decided
834
00:37:06,131 --> 00:37:08,423
that the allegations
against President Clinton,
835
00:37:08,507 --> 00:37:10,465
Vice President Gore,
836
00:37:10,548 --> 00:37:13,090
and former energy secretary
Hazel O'Leary
837
00:37:13,173 --> 00:37:16,048
do not at this time
warrant the appointment
838
00:37:16,131 --> 00:37:17,548
of an independent counsel.
839
00:37:17,632 --> 00:37:19,298
[tape rewinding]
840
00:37:19,382 --> 00:37:21,882
Do not at this time
warrant the appointment
841
00:37:21,965 --> 00:37:23,590
of an independent counsel.
842
00:37:25,131 --> 00:37:26,715
There's no doubt in my mind
843
00:37:26,799 --> 00:37:29,256
that Janet Reno
was protecting the president.
844
00:37:29,340 --> 00:37:32,048
One of the things that I found
very interesting--
845
00:37:32,131 --> 00:37:35,090
which I believe to this day--
is, if you, uh,
846
00:37:35,173 --> 00:37:36,298
are going to make
appointments
847
00:37:36,382 --> 00:37:38,423
as President
of the United States,
848
00:37:38,507 --> 00:37:40,757
the most important appointment
that you will make
849
00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:43,340
for your cabinet or for
his admin--your administration
850
00:37:43,423 --> 00:37:46,382
is the attorney general,
because if the attorney general
851
00:37:46,465 --> 00:37:48,256
will cover your back
and protect you,
852
00:37:48,340 --> 00:37:51,090
you can get away
with almost anything.
853
00:37:51,173 --> 00:37:54,548
We can prove that foreign money
was, uh, placed into
854
00:37:54,632 --> 00:37:56,382
the, uh, uh, Democratic
National Committee,
855
00:37:56,465 --> 00:37:57,715
uh, coffers.
856
00:37:57,799 --> 00:37:59,924
We can prove
that money was laundered
857
00:38:00,006 --> 00:38:03,215
through the nuns conduit
violations of the law.
858
00:38:03,298 --> 00:38:06,340
Is he knowledgeable about
these things that went on
859
00:38:06,423 --> 00:38:09,090
all around him?
Uh, that's the question.
860
00:38:09,173 --> 00:38:12,131
And it's easy for someone
to say, "I didn't know."
861
00:38:12,215 --> 00:38:15,590
But a good investigator and
good prosecutor, in my opinion,
862
00:38:15,674 --> 00:38:19,173
in my experience, has to be
prepared to go further
863
00:38:19,256 --> 00:38:21,256
and to look at other evidence.
864
00:38:21,340 --> 00:38:25,131
[Isikoff] There are parallels
between what happened in '96
865
00:38:25,215 --> 00:38:28,799
and what happened in 2016.
866
00:38:28,882 --> 00:38:33,799
They are both instances
of a foreign adversary,
867
00:38:33,882 --> 00:38:38,757
um, uh, making efforts
to influence our election.
868
00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:41,715
But, um, you know,
clearly the Russian effort
869
00:38:41,799 --> 00:38:45,382
in 2016 was, uh,
870
00:38:45,465 --> 00:38:47,548
much broader,
871
00:38:47,632 --> 00:38:52,131
much more aggressive,
uh, much more encompassing,
872
00:38:52,215 --> 00:38:55,048
and, in many ways
much more diabolical
873
00:38:55,131 --> 00:38:59,173
than what took place in '96.
874
00:38:59,256 --> 00:39:02,298
[Podesta] Some people ended up
being found criminally liable
875
00:39:02,382 --> 00:39:05,548
but nobody at a senior level
that would have triggered,
876
00:39:05,632 --> 00:39:08,674
uh, and tripped the
Independent Counsel Statute.
877
00:39:08,757 --> 00:39:11,006
To Freeh, it didn't really
matter what the facts were.
878
00:39:11,090 --> 00:39:14,382
It was always, uh, substitute
your own ad hoc judgment,
879
00:39:14,465 --> 00:39:16,632
uh, for what, uh, is right,
880
00:39:16,715 --> 00:39:19,340
and-and as I believe, uh,
881
00:39:19,423 --> 00:39:21,382
rightness turned
into righteousness
882
00:39:21,465 --> 00:39:23,632
which turned into arrogance.
883
00:39:23,715 --> 00:39:25,840
I don't think there was anybody
in law enforcement that--
884
00:39:25,924 --> 00:39:30,215
that was working on this
that felt,
885
00:39:30,298 --> 00:39:31,965
"Hey, there's no crime here.
886
00:39:32,048 --> 00:39:34,131
This is all okay.
887
00:39:34,215 --> 00:39:36,173
This is just 'politics.'"
888
00:39:36,256 --> 00:39:37,674
We would hit
that glass ceiling,
889
00:39:37,757 --> 00:39:40,006
which was
the Independent Counsel Act.
890
00:39:40,090 --> 00:39:41,382
Okay.
891
00:39:41,465 --> 00:39:43,256
We-we can't go any further.
892
00:39:43,340 --> 00:39:45,632
We can't issue a subpoena
that--to that person
893
00:39:45,715 --> 00:39:47,840
because he or she's
a covered person.
894
00:39:47,924 --> 00:39:49,632
We can't issue a subpoena
to that person
895
00:39:49,715 --> 00:39:51,674
because he or she's
a covered person.
896
00:39:51,757 --> 00:39:54,465
Or it's too close a call.
897
00:39:54,548 --> 00:39:57,256
It was clear that there
was there, there.
898
00:39:57,340 --> 00:39:58,965
[laughs]
There was there, there.
899
00:39:59,048 --> 00:40:01,965
There was something going on.
900
00:40:02,048 --> 00:40:04,840
♪ Unforgettable ♪
901
00:40:04,924 --> 00:40:07,548
♪♪♪
902
00:40:07,632 --> 00:40:09,256
♪ That's what you are... ♪
903
00:40:09,340 --> 00:40:10,423
[La Bella]
The Whitewater investigation
904
00:40:10,507 --> 00:40:14,674
was stalling out by 1997.
905
00:40:14,757 --> 00:40:16,840
♪ Unforgettable... ♪
906
00:40:16,924 --> 00:40:19,840
[La Bella] In the view
of the Starr prosecutors,
907
00:40:19,924 --> 00:40:22,757
it was because people
like Jim McDougal
908
00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:25,382
and Webb Hubbell were
refusing to cooperate.
909
00:40:25,465 --> 00:40:26,924
In the view
of the Clinton people,
910
00:40:27,006 --> 00:40:29,006
it was because
there was no evidence
911
00:40:29,090 --> 00:40:31,757
and the Starr prosecutors
just had to give up.
912
00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:35,298
♪ How the thought of you
does things to me... ♪
913
00:40:35,382 --> 00:40:36,548
[Schmidt]
The Clinton White House
914
00:40:36,632 --> 00:40:38,507
was feeling very much
915
00:40:38,590 --> 00:40:41,548
like they were out
of the woods with Ken Starr
916
00:40:41,632 --> 00:40:45,173
and feeling like
they had, uh, defeated him.
917
00:40:45,256 --> 00:40:48,757
♪ Unforgettable ♪
918
00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:50,131
♪ In every-- ♪
919
00:40:50,215 --> 00:40:52,799
♪ dramatic music ♪
920
00:41:10,173 --> 00:41:11,882
Move back!
Move back!
921
00:41:11,965 --> 00:41:13,965
[woman] New allegations
that President Clinton
922
00:41:14,048 --> 00:41:16,382
had an affair with a former
White House intern and then...
923
00:41:16,465 --> 00:41:18,507
[man] Just who is
Monica Lewinsky?
924
00:41:18,590 --> 00:41:20,048
- CBS News...
- [woman] A whirlpool
925
00:41:20,131 --> 00:41:21,340
of charges, reports,
and rumors
926
00:41:21,423 --> 00:41:23,006
has kept on spinning.
927
00:41:23,090 --> 00:41:26,924
[man] speaking French
928
00:41:27,006 --> 00:41:28,465
[woman] Then there's
the dress, which could have
929
00:41:28,548 --> 00:41:30,173
possible DNA evidence.
Lewinsky left...
930
00:41:30,256 --> 00:41:31,757
[man] Monica!
931
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:33,298
[woman] Monica, look over here!
932
00:41:33,382 --> 00:41:35,006
[Starr] The name
Monica Lewinsky
933
00:41:35,090 --> 00:41:39,382
was utterly unknown to us
until January of 1998
934
00:41:39,465 --> 00:41:42,298
when information came to us
935
00:41:42,382 --> 00:41:44,507
that there might very well be,
936
00:41:44,590 --> 00:41:49,382
uh, an activity underway
to bring about
937
00:41:49,465 --> 00:41:51,965
perjury
and subornation of perjury
938
00:41:52,048 --> 00:41:53,632
by the President
of the United States
939
00:41:53,715 --> 00:41:57,006
in the Paula Corbin Jones
litigation.
940
00:41:57,090 --> 00:41:59,757
[man] In sworn testimony
that Mr. Clinton gave
941
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:02,465
in the Paula Jones
sexual harassment suit,
942
00:42:02,548 --> 00:42:05,757
Mr. Clinton says he never
had sexual relations
943
00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:07,840
with Monica Lewinsky,
saw her only...
944
00:42:07,924 --> 00:42:10,757
[Gormley] The Starr team felt
that they had been thwarted
945
00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:13,590
at every turn by the Clintons.
946
00:42:13,674 --> 00:42:16,757
The Monica Lewinsky matter
seemed like the one chance
947
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:20,507
to pin it down
that he had openly lied
948
00:42:20,590 --> 00:42:23,006
in a federal case.
949
00:42:23,090 --> 00:42:27,006
[whirring]
950
00:42:27,090 --> 00:42:29,882
[Barr] Monica Lewinsky
story broke.
951
00:42:29,965 --> 00:42:33,799
My concern immediately was
that this is gonna overshadow
952
00:42:33,882 --> 00:42:36,423
the campaign finance scandal.
953
00:42:36,507 --> 00:42:38,632
And of course it did.
954
00:42:38,715 --> 00:42:41,674
And I think that's
very unfortunate because
955
00:42:41,757 --> 00:42:45,006
what was brushed aside,
I think, was more important
956
00:42:45,090 --> 00:42:48,715
than the Monica Lewinsky
scandal.
957
00:42:48,799 --> 00:42:52,215
I think it's a factor that
the underlying, uh, activity
958
00:42:52,298 --> 00:42:56,298
was not, um, uh, a crime or
wasn't alleged to be a crime.
959
00:42:56,382 --> 00:42:59,674
But the underlying activity
was alleged to be a violation
960
00:42:59,757 --> 00:43:02,632
of the federal and civil rights
of a human being.
961
00:43:02,715 --> 00:43:06,965
And let's--let's get rid
of those laws.
962
00:43:07,048 --> 00:43:10,674
Uh, let's get rid of litigation
as a mechanism for alleged
963
00:43:10,757 --> 00:43:13,131
victims of sexual harassment
in the workplace--
964
00:43:13,215 --> 00:43:15,423
which is what that
was all about--
965
00:43:15,507 --> 00:43:17,757
and just say, "Well, we don't
wanna handle it that way,
966
00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:19,757
and we don't wanna have
to put people under oath,"
967
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:23,674
Or, "We don't want people
to-to be, uh, embarrassed."
968
00:43:23,757 --> 00:43:25,674
This was a serious context
969
00:43:25,757 --> 00:43:30,131
of a duly authorized,
uh, lawsuit
970
00:43:30,215 --> 00:43:33,423
involving the civil rights
of a human being.
971
00:43:33,507 --> 00:43:36,840
I wanna say one thing
to the American people.
972
00:43:36,924 --> 00:43:40,131
I want you to listen to me.
I'm gonna say this again.
973
00:43:40,215 --> 00:43:45,131
I did not have sexual relations
with that woman,
974
00:43:45,215 --> 00:43:46,757
Miss Lewinsky.
975
00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:50,590
I never told anybody to lie,
not a single time.
976
00:43:50,674 --> 00:43:54,173
Never.
These allegations are false.
977
00:43:54,256 --> 00:43:57,298
And I need to go back to work
for the American people.
978
00:43:57,382 --> 00:43:58,382
Thank you.
979
00:43:58,465 --> 00:44:01,590
[applause]
980
00:44:03,965 --> 00:44:08,507
My reactions through
that entire, um, saga,
981
00:44:08,590 --> 00:44:12,548
including his testimony, um,
982
00:44:12,632 --> 00:44:16,715
on that afternoon and then
watching him that evening
983
00:44:16,799 --> 00:44:20,006
was one of profound
disappointment.
984
00:44:20,090 --> 00:44:23,173
Can't we come clean?
985
00:44:23,256 --> 00:44:25,173
Can't this get over?
986
00:44:25,256 --> 00:44:27,799
Does this have to continue,
987
00:44:27,882 --> 00:44:32,090
uh, this--what I'm calling
this self-inflicted, uh, wound?
988
00:44:32,173 --> 00:44:34,382
Can't the nation be spared?
989
00:44:34,465 --> 00:44:37,256
It was as if you were
on this very...
990
00:44:37,340 --> 00:44:41,548
uh, unpleasant journey
991
00:44:41,632 --> 00:44:45,090
and you just
want it to stop.
992
00:44:45,173 --> 00:44:47,382
And it's so easy
for it to stop.
993
00:44:49,006 --> 00:44:50,799
Just do the right thing.
994
00:44:50,882 --> 00:44:53,090
Straighten it out.
995
00:44:53,173 --> 00:44:55,882
Better late than never.
996
00:44:55,965 --> 00:44:58,757
As you know,
in a deposition in January,
997
00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:01,173
I was asked questions
about my relationship
998
00:45:01,256 --> 00:45:03,090
with Monica Lewinsky.
999
00:45:03,173 --> 00:45:05,548
While my answers
were legally accurate,
1000
00:45:05,632 --> 00:45:08,882
I did not volunteer
information.
1001
00:45:08,965 --> 00:45:11,298
Indeed, I did have a
relationship with Miss Lewinsky
1002
00:45:11,382 --> 00:45:13,423
that was not appropriate.
1003
00:45:13,507 --> 00:45:15,882
In fact, it was wrong.
1004
00:45:15,965 --> 00:45:18,799
I know that my public comments
and my silence
1005
00:45:18,882 --> 00:45:22,340
about this matter
gave a false impression.
1006
00:45:22,423 --> 00:45:24,590
I misled people,
1007
00:45:24,674 --> 00:45:27,298
including even my wife.
1008
00:45:27,382 --> 00:45:30,548
[Schmidt] I think that that
was a very revealing moment
1009
00:45:30,632 --> 00:45:32,548
when the public could see
1010
00:45:32,632 --> 00:45:35,131
this guy is a liar.
1011
00:45:35,215 --> 00:45:37,548
I mean, he lied to me.
1012
00:45:37,632 --> 00:45:40,131
♪ dramatic music ♪
1013
00:45:40,215 --> 00:45:42,215
Governor, are you ready
to take the oath?
1014
00:45:42,298 --> 00:45:44,215
- I am.
- Will you please raise...
1015
00:45:44,298 --> 00:45:47,256
[Clinton] I can only tell you
I was motivated by a desire
1016
00:45:47,340 --> 00:45:49,757
to protect myself
from the embarrassment
1017
00:45:49,840 --> 00:45:52,131
of my own conduct.
1018
00:45:52,215 --> 00:45:54,006
The fact that these questions
were being asked
1019
00:45:54,090 --> 00:45:56,590
in a politically inspired
lawsuit--
1020
00:45:56,674 --> 00:45:58,340
which has since
been dismissed--
1021
00:45:58,423 --> 00:46:01,298
was a consideration too.
1022
00:46:01,382 --> 00:46:04,131
[Isikoff]
I think, as a general rule,
1023
00:46:04,215 --> 00:46:07,256
the American public
would like to be able to trust
1024
00:46:07,340 --> 00:46:09,507
what their presidents
have to say.
1025
00:46:09,590 --> 00:46:13,256
There will be times of crises,
and if our government
1026
00:46:13,340 --> 00:46:15,757
or at least the head
of our government
1027
00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,507
has a track record
of continually saying
1028
00:46:18,590 --> 00:46:23,340
false things, um,
then we don't know when,
1029
00:46:23,423 --> 00:46:28,215
if at all,
we can trust him or her.
1030
00:46:28,298 --> 00:46:30,465
...preserve, protect,
and defend
1031
00:46:30,548 --> 00:46:32,632
the Constitution
of the United States...
1032
00:46:32,715 --> 00:46:34,799
...preserve, protect,
and defend
1033
00:46:34,882 --> 00:46:36,840
the Constitution
of the United States...
1034
00:46:36,924 --> 00:46:38,340
[man] ...so help me God.
1035
00:46:38,423 --> 00:46:40,090
...so help me God.
1036
00:46:40,173 --> 00:46:42,507
- [man] Congratulations.
- [cheers and applause]
1037
00:46:42,590 --> 00:46:45,298
[Clinton] I had real
and serious concerns
1038
00:46:45,382 --> 00:46:48,465
about an independent counsel
investigation
1039
00:46:48,548 --> 00:46:50,715
that began with
private business dealings
1040
00:46:50,799 --> 00:46:54,340
20 years ago,
then into my private life.
1041
00:46:54,423 --> 00:46:58,382
The truth will come out...
one way or the other.
1042
00:46:58,465 --> 00:46:59,882
You can try to hide it.
1043
00:46:59,965 --> 00:47:01,382
You can try
to play games with it.
1044
00:47:01,465 --> 00:47:03,674
You can try to avoid it.
1045
00:47:03,757 --> 00:47:07,674
Uh, but in the end,
the truth is gonna come out.
1046
00:47:07,757 --> 00:47:11,173
Better that it be done
on your terms, uh,
1047
00:47:11,256 --> 00:47:15,173
in speaking honestly, uh,
to the people who elected you
1048
00:47:15,256 --> 00:47:20,215
than to have, uh, a special
prosecutor or an indictment
1049
00:47:20,298 --> 00:47:24,632
or an impeachment, uh,
do that for you.
1050
00:47:25,632 --> 00:47:27,757
[man] This is where Starr's
possible grounds
1051
00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:29,548
for impeachment begin.
1052
00:47:29,632 --> 00:47:31,840
There are 11 counts.
1053
00:47:31,924 --> 00:47:34,215
Count one, that the president
lied under oath
1054
00:47:34,298 --> 00:47:37,340
in the Jones case when he
denied his sexual affair.
1055
00:47:37,423 --> 00:47:39,757
Two, he lied under oath
to the grand jury
1056
00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:41,548
about his sexual relationship.
1057
00:47:41,632 --> 00:47:43,256
[Starr] The facts
were the facts,
1058
00:47:43,340 --> 00:47:45,674
and as I said to
the House of Representatives,
1059
00:47:45,757 --> 00:47:47,590
to the Judiciary Committee,
1060
00:47:47,674 --> 00:47:50,215
"This is yours.
This is what we've found.
1061
00:47:50,298 --> 00:47:53,924
My duty as a law officer is
to bring this to your attention
1062
00:47:54,006 --> 00:47:57,340
because there's substantial
and credible information
1063
00:47:57,423 --> 00:48:01,006
that an impeachable offense
may have been, uh, committed.
1064
00:48:01,090 --> 00:48:03,090
[gavel bangs]
1065
00:48:03,173 --> 00:48:05,882
The unfinished business
is further consideration
1066
00:48:05,965 --> 00:48:08,465
of House Resolution 611,
1067
00:48:08,548 --> 00:48:10,757
which the clerk
will report by title.
1068
00:48:10,840 --> 00:48:13,840
[Hays] A resolution impeaching
William Jefferson Clinton,
1069
00:48:13,924 --> 00:48:15,882
President of the United States,
1070
00:48:15,965 --> 00:48:18,590
for high crimes
and misdemeanors.
1071
00:48:18,674 --> 00:48:23,465
Today Republicans with
a small handful of Democrats
1072
00:48:23,548 --> 00:48:27,173
will vote to impeach
President Clinton. Why?
1073
00:48:27,256 --> 00:48:31,006
We believe he assaulted
our legal system in every way.
1074
00:48:31,090 --> 00:48:33,006
Let it be said that
any president who cheats
1075
00:48:33,090 --> 00:48:35,715
our institutions
shall be impeached.
1076
00:48:35,799 --> 00:48:37,757
[Livingston] But to
the president, I would say
1077
00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:40,340
you, sir, may resign your post.
1078
00:48:40,423 --> 00:48:44,840
[people shouting]
1079
00:48:44,924 --> 00:48:48,298
It is our laws--the criminal
code of the United States
1080
00:48:48,382 --> 00:48:51,048
of America--which,
based on exhaustive evidence,
1081
00:48:51,131 --> 00:48:52,965
this president has violated
1082
00:48:53,048 --> 00:48:55,382
pursuant to a pattern
of activity.
1083
00:48:55,465 --> 00:48:58,590
To me, there is no doubt
that the impeachment
1084
00:48:58,674 --> 00:49:00,256
of William Jefferson Clinton,
1085
00:49:00,340 --> 00:49:03,340
uh, was helpful
to our national health.
1086
00:49:03,423 --> 00:49:06,840
It stood very clearly
for the proposition
1087
00:49:06,924 --> 00:49:09,340
that there is such a thing
as rule of law,
1088
00:49:09,423 --> 00:49:11,590
that there is
1089
00:49:11,674 --> 00:49:14,632
a standard below which
1090
00:49:14,715 --> 00:49:17,674
presidents
shall not be allowed,
1091
00:49:17,757 --> 00:49:21,215
at least without
paying a price for it to act.
1092
00:49:21,298 --> 00:49:24,590
The Senate meets today
to conclude this trial
1093
00:49:24,674 --> 00:49:26,632
by voting on the articles
of impeachment,
1094
00:49:26,715 --> 00:49:28,757
thereby fulfilling
its obligation
1095
00:49:28,799 --> 00:49:30,090
under the Constitution.
1096
00:49:30,173 --> 00:49:32,006
[man] Article one.
1097
00:49:32,090 --> 00:49:35,215
In his conduct while
President of the United States,
1098
00:49:35,298 --> 00:49:37,840
William Jefferson Clinton,
in violation
1099
00:49:37,924 --> 00:49:40,465
of his constitutional oath
faithfully to execute
1100
00:49:40,548 --> 00:49:43,006
the office of President
of the United States,
1101
00:49:43,090 --> 00:49:45,131
has willfully corrupted
and manipulated
1102
00:49:45,215 --> 00:49:47,715
the judicial process
of the United States
1103
00:49:47,799 --> 00:49:50,215
for his personal gain
and exoneration.
1104
00:49:50,298 --> 00:49:52,507
Senators, how say you?
1105
00:49:52,590 --> 00:49:55,548
Is the respondent,
William Jefferson Clinton,
1106
00:49:55,632 --> 00:49:57,423
guilty or not guilty?
1107
00:49:57,507 --> 00:49:59,548
- [man] Mr. Abraham.
- [Abraham] Guilty.
1108
00:49:59,632 --> 00:50:01,840
[man] Mr. Abraham, guilty.
1109
00:50:01,924 --> 00:50:05,465
[Gormley] It's very dangerous
when either party
1110
00:50:05,548 --> 00:50:07,757
uses impeachment proceedings
1111
00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:11,256
to try to push a political end,
1112
00:50:11,340 --> 00:50:14,298
to try to push a palace coup.
1113
00:50:14,382 --> 00:50:18,256
On the other hand,
it's equally dangerous
1114
00:50:18,340 --> 00:50:22,882
if either political party
refuses to stand up
1115
00:50:22,965 --> 00:50:26,131
to the facts
if there is evidence
1116
00:50:26,215 --> 00:50:28,924
of some high crime
or misdemeanor
1117
00:50:29,006 --> 00:50:31,507
that threatened
the well-being of the state
1118
00:50:31,590 --> 00:50:35,090
that requires a president's
removal from office.
1119
00:50:35,173 --> 00:50:37,715
Either scenario
1120
00:50:37,799 --> 00:50:40,757
is, uh, a failure
1121
00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:43,882
to fulfill
the constitutional role
1122
00:50:43,965 --> 00:50:46,882
that one has
as elected officials.
1123
00:50:46,965 --> 00:50:49,465
[woman] Mr. Allard, guilty.
1124
00:50:49,548 --> 00:50:51,757
Mr. Grassley, guilty.
1125
00:50:51,840 --> 00:50:54,465
Mr. Domenici, guilty.
1126
00:50:54,548 --> 00:50:56,048
Mr. Allard...
1127
00:50:56,131 --> 00:50:57,632
[Giuliani] If perjury
was committed,
1128
00:50:57,715 --> 00:51:00,340
if there was a statement
that turns out to be
1129
00:51:00,423 --> 00:51:03,131
provably untrue later,
then I think the president
1130
00:51:03,215 --> 00:51:05,215
has to be treated
like everyone else.
1131
00:51:05,298 --> 00:51:06,715
'Cause I think,
under the criminal law,
1132
00:51:06,799 --> 00:51:08,423
everybody should be
treated the same.
1133
00:51:08,507 --> 00:51:12,757
If the president
is asked to testify,
1134
00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:16,090
subpoenaed to testify
before a grand jury,
1135
00:51:16,173 --> 00:51:19,590
and says,
"No, not gonna do it"?
1136
00:51:19,674 --> 00:51:21,048
You gotta do it.
1137
00:51:21,131 --> 00:51:22,632
You don't have
a choice about that.
1138
00:51:22,715 --> 00:51:24,757
We've gone through this
terrible four-year--
1139
00:51:24,840 --> 00:51:27,090
this last four-year cycle
with Monica
1140
00:51:27,173 --> 00:51:29,965
and the-the worst of all,
the Linda Tripps of the world,
1141
00:51:30,048 --> 00:51:32,965
and I-I just--
I just hate what I see.
1142
00:51:33,048 --> 00:51:34,674
I hate what it represents
for the country.
1143
00:51:34,757 --> 00:51:36,131
We've been a--
been a laughingstock
1144
00:51:36,215 --> 00:51:37,340
all over the world.
1145
00:51:37,423 --> 00:51:38,965
And you're talking about lies
1146
00:51:39,048 --> 00:51:40,382
where you look into a camera
and you say,
1147
00:51:40,465 --> 00:51:42,507
"I did not have sex
with blah, blah, blah."
1148
00:51:42,590 --> 00:51:45,006
And it's--what's happened
in the last three or four years
1149
00:51:45,090 --> 00:51:47,256
is truly disgraceful.
1150
00:51:47,340 --> 00:51:50,256
♪ dramatic music ♪
1151
00:51:50,340 --> 00:51:55,215
♪♪♪
88961
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