Introduction

Abstract

The presidency of William Jefferson Clinton was blighted by accusation of scandal, personal indiscretion, and inappropriate private conduct. For all the President’s public achievements, it appears likely that Clinton’s presidential legacy will be forever tarnished by scandal. Whether Clinton deserves a place in infamy alongside Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon as only the third President to face impeachment proceedings is debatable, each episode set against different contextual circumstances. Nevertheless, the mere fact that Clinton faced proceedings testifies to contemporaneous perceptions of high crimes and misdemeanors during his time in office. The fallout from scandal has left an indelible mark upon his personal legacy, and also influenced the wider development of the presidency as an institution. Clinton’s experiences in dealing with the Monica Lewinsky scandal were, however, far from exceptional or unique. Several Presidents had previously faced muted allegations of sexual indiscretion or had been subjected to subtle insinuations about their private lives. Similarly, Presidents in the late twentieth century have faced allegation of political scandal, all, barring Richard Nixon, having survived the experience. That said, the Lewinsky affair, as much as it reflected past episodes, was very much a Clinton scandal.