Clintons Escape Convictions Despite Decades of Scandals

Decades of investigations, millions in legal fees, and a presidential impeachment yielded precisely zero criminal convictions for Bill and Hillary Clinton despite allegations spanning sexual misconduct, financial fraud, and obstruction of justice.

Story Overview

Bill Clinton faced impeachment in 1998 for perjury and obstruction but was acquitted by the Senate in February 1999, with no criminal charges resulting from the Lewinsky affair or related investigations
Multiple Independent Counsel investigations from 1994 to 1999, including Kenneth Starr’s probe of Whitewater and sexual misconduct allegations, failed to produce convictions despite identifying potentially impeachable offenses
Paula Jones received an $850,000 settlement in her sexual harassment lawsuit against Clinton with no admission of guilt, exemplifying how civil settlements replaced criminal accountability
The collapse of prosecutions against the Clintons contributed to the expiration of the Independent Counsel statute in 1999 and fueled enduring skepticism about equal justice for political elites

When Investigations Became a Political Industry

The Clinton scandals transformed federal investigations into theatrical productions that consumed resources without delivering verdicts. Kenneth Starr’s mandate expanded from examining Arkansas land deals in the Whitewater controversy to probing perjury in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case and obstruction surrounding Monica Lewinsky’s testimony. His September 1998 report identified eleven potentially impeachable offenses, yet the Senate acquitted Clinton five months later on party-line votes that fell short of the required 67-vote threshold. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton faced scrutiny over mysteriously appearing Rose Law Firm billing records and her alleged influence over investigations, yet prosecutors never charged her with crimes.

The Settlements That Replaced Justice

Paula Jones filed her sexual harassment lawsuit in May 1994, alleging Clinton propositioned her in an Arkansas hotel room three years earlier while he was governor. Judge Susan Webber Wright initially dismissed the case for lack of merit, but the emergence of Monica Lewinsky’s affair revived it as evidence of a pattern. Rather than face trial, Clinton settled for $850,000 in November 1998 without apologizing or admitting wrongdoing. This became the template: allegations serious enough to threaten presidencies resolved through financial transactions that left accusers compensated but the public without definitive answers about guilt or innocence.

The Accountability That Never Arrived

Juanita Broaddrick’s February 1999 NBC interview detailed her allegation that Clinton raped her in 1978, yet prosecutors never pursued charges due to statute of limitations and evidentiary challenges. Kathleen Willey claimed Clinton groped her in the Oval Office, but Independent Counsel investigations found inconsistencies in her account. Gennifer Flowers alleged a twelve-year affair beginning during Clinton’s governorship. The pattern repeated: serious allegations followed by investigations that questioned accusers’ credibility or ran into procedural obstacles, leaving cases unresolved rather than adjudicated. Clinton eventually surrendered his Arkansas law license after admitting false testimony, a professional sanction far removed from criminal consequences.

Why the System Failed to Deliver Convictions

The Senate’s acquittal votes of 55-45 and 50-50 on perjury and obstruction articles respectively revealed how partisan politics trumped evidence evaluation. Republicans controlled the House that impeached Clinton along party lines in December 1998, but lacked the Senate supermajority needed for removal. Democrats rallied around a president whose approval ratings remained near 60 percent throughout the scandal, prioritizing political survival over institutional accountability. The Independent Counsel statute, renewed by Clinton himself in 1994, expired in 1999 amid bipartisan exhaustion with investigations that cost millions yet produced no incarcerations of principals. Critics argued the system protected connected elites through procedural complexity and political calculation.

The Legacy of Unfinished Business

The Clinton investigations established precedents that haunt American justice. Settlements became substitutes for trials, allowing wealthy defendants to avoid admissions of guilt while compensating accusers enough to withdraw claims. The collapse of the Independent Counsel framework left future presidential misconduct investigations dependent on Justice Department officials answerable to the presidents they investigate. Retrospective examination through the lens of the MeToo movement highlights how allegations from Jones, Broaddrick, and Willey received dismissive treatment that would provoke outrage today. The phrase “If the system is so fouled up that you can’t convict the Clintons” captures enduring frustration that extensive investigations involving credible allegations, documented lies under oath, and impeachment proceedings concluded without criminal accountability for either Clinton.