On February 12, 1999, the United States Senate acquitted President Bill Clinton of impeachment charges, bringing an end to a highly contentious political and legal battle that had gripped the nation for over a year. Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, had been impeached by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998, on two charges: perjury and obstruction of justice. These charges stemmed from his extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky and his subsequent efforts to conceal the relationship, which led to a perjury accusation during a deposition in the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones.
The impeachment process was the result of a wide-ranging investigation led by independent counsel Kenneth Starr. Originally focused on the Whitewater real estate dealings, Starr’s inquiry expanded to examine Clinton’s personal conduct. His report, submitted to Congress in September 1998, alleged that Clinton had misled investigators, encouraged Lewinsky to provide false testimony, and attempted to hide evidence. These findings served as the legal and political foundation for the Republican-led House of Representatives to proceed with impeachment, despite public opinion largely opposing the effort.
The House of Representatives voted along largely partisan lines to approve two articles of impeachment. The first, perjury before a grand jury, passed by a vote of 228–206, while the second, obstruction of justice, was approved 221–212. Two additional charges—another perjury count and an abuse of power allegation—failed to pass. With this vote, Clinton became only the second U.S. president, after Andrew Johnson in 1868, to be impeached.
When the case moved to the Senate, the debate centered on whether Clinton’s actions met the constitutional threshold of “high crimes and misdemeanors” necessary for removal from office. The trial, which began on January 7, 1999, was presided over by Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Over several weeks, House impeachment managers presented their case, arguing that Clinton’s conduct warranted removal, while the president’s defense team, led by White House Counsel Charles Ruff, contended that the charges were politically motivated and did not justify removing an elected president.
Despite the high-profile nature of the trial, Clinton’s removal was never a serious possibility. The Republican-controlled Senate lacked the two-thirds majority required for conviction. On February 12, the Senate voted on the two charges. The perjury charge was dismissed by a vote of 55–45, with ten Republicans joining all 45 Democrats in opposition. The obstruction of justice charge resulted in a 50–50 split, well short of the necessary threshold for removal. No Democrats voted to convict, and even among Republicans, there was no unified support for removal.
Although Clinton remained in office, the impeachment had significant political consequences. In a brief statement following his acquittal, he expressed regret for his actions, stating, “Now that the Senate has fulfilled its constitutional responsibility, I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did to trigger these events.” He pledged to focus on the nation’s business, including economic expansion, welfare reform, and foreign policy.
The impeachment further deepened partisan divisions in American politics, previewing the hyper-polarization that would characterize the 21st century. Despite the controversy, Clinton’s approval ratings remained strong, supported by a thriving economy. However, for Republicans, the impeachment effort backfired politically. In the 1998 midterm elections, the party lost seats in Congress, a rare setback for an opposition party during a president’s second term. In the aftermath, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich resigned, acknowledging the political cost of pursuing impeachment.
