Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States (1993–2001)
- Entries
- 14
- On the record
- 9
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Feb 27, 2026
The record
Bill Clinton was elected Arkansas attorney general in 1976 and governor in 1978. He lost re-election in 1980, won the office back in 1982 and was re-elected through 1990. He was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993. Beyond the grand jury testimony, contempt finding and disbarment covered in the stories on this file, his own record runs through the Supreme Court, Congress and, in 2026, a House committee.
In 1997 the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that a sitting president is not entitled to have a private civil suit over his earlier conduct put on hold until he leaves office. That let a former Arkansas state employee's civil rights suit, which alleged unwanted sexual advances while he was governor and which his representatives publicly denied, go forward. A federal judge dismissed it in April 1998. In June 1998 the Court struck down the Line Item Veto Act's cancellation procedures, 6-3.
The House impeached him on December 19, 1998 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. The Senate acquitted him on both articles on February 12, 1999: 45 senators voted to convict on perjury and 50 on obstruction. In February 2026 he gave a deposition on Jeffrey Epstein to the House Oversight Committee, saying he learned of Epstein's crimes in 2008 and denying that he saw any sign of trafficking.
Roles and honours on the record
- 1976 Elected Attorney General of Arkansas source
- 1978, 1982-1990 Elected Governor of Arkansas in 1978, lost in 1980, re-elected in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1990 source
- 1993 Inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States, January 20, 1993 source
- 1997 Petitioner in the U.S. Supreme Court case over a former Arkansas state employee's civil suit, 520 U.S. 681 source
- 1998 Appellant as President, Clinton v. City of New York, U.S. Supreme Court, 524 U.S. 417 source
Every entry, newest first
- Ruled
U.S. Supreme Court ordered him disbarred from its bar and gave him 40 days to contest, per AP. Biggest cheating scandals ranked: Clinton's $90,686 fine tops
- Ruled
Judge Wright ordered him to pay $90,686 in sanctions; his lawyers said they would not challenge it. Biggest cheating scandals ranked: Clinton's $90,686 fine tops
- Ruled
Judge Susan Webber Wright held him in civil contempt for false testimony in a civil deposition. Biggest cheating scandals ranked: Clinton's $90,686 fine tops
- Admitted
Told a federal grand jury he had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky, per New York Times report. Biggest cheating scandals ranked: Clinton's $90,686 fine tops
Stories in this file
The record, entry by entry
- 1976 Official Clinton was elected Attorney General of Arkansas, three years after graduating from Yale Law School. Miller Center, University of Virginia, presidential biography
- 1978 Official He was elected Governor of Arkansas, lost the 1980 election to Frank White, and was re-elected in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1990. Miller Center, University of Virginia, presidential biography
- 1993-01-20 Official Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States. Miller Center, University of Virginia, key events
- 1997-05-27 Ruled The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that separation of powers does not require federal courts to stay a private suit against a sitting president until his term ends. The suit, by a former Arkansas state employee, alleged unwanted sexual advances while he was governor; his representatives had publicly denied the incident. U.S. Supreme Court opinion, 520 U.S. 681 (LII copy)
- 1998-04-02 Ruled A federal judge dismissed the former state employee's suit against Clinton. Miller Center, University of Virginia, key events
- 1998-06-25 Ruled In Clinton v. City of New York, the Supreme Court held 6-3 that the Line Item Veto Act's cancellation procedures violated the Constitution's Presentment Clause, because the Constitution does not authorize the President to repeal parts of duly enacted statutes. U.S. Supreme Court opinion, 524 U.S. 417 (LII copy)
- 1998-09-11 Official Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's report was released, two days after he told the House he had uncovered information that may be grounds for impeachment. Miller Center, University of Virginia, key events
- 1998-12-19 Filed The House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton on charges of perjury in his grand jury testimony and obstruction of justice. Miller Center, University of Virginia, key events
- 1999-02-12 Ruled The Senate acquitted Clinton on both articles of impeachment. On perjury, 45 senators voted to convict and 55 to acquit; on obstruction of justice, the vote was 50 to 50. Miller Center, University of Virginia, domestic affairs
- 2026-02-27 Reported Clinton gave a deposition to the House Oversight Committee on Jeffrey Epstein, a day after Hillary Clinton's. He said he learned of Epstein's crimes in 2008 and denied seeing anything that suggested trafficking or visiting Epstein's island; the committee released the videos in March, CBS News reported. CBS News report