Senate, the trial against president bill clinton. Joining us here is alexis simmon burgers. We had never seen anything like this before. The last trial was in the 1860s. No television with Andrew Johnson. What do you remember about what happened and how this transpired . The senate trial was fascinating. A trial that it called but its not a legal proceeding. It is very political. It had so many interesting dynamic characters involved in it. Robert byrd, senator byrd of was virginia, stalwart constitutional scholar. Not a supporter or friend of bill clinton in any particular way. He ended up at one point just throwing up his hands and saying , this should not have even happened. The trial was misguided. That hehis colleagues was going to introduce a motion to dismiss the whole thing. Senators played different roles. The house managers were fascinated to listen to the president legal team. Array of legal representation there. Adalso tried to sort of english on the ball. He wanted to represent, he had women as his legal representation. He had his own personal attorney. Chuck ross was the white House Counsel and was representing him. Them to giveied on this really passionate idea about how log headed this enterprise was, to remove a president for what they were arguing was personal failings. And that the president had not failed the American People. He had worked for them. It really helped the president that he was not in any way denigrating Monica Lewinsky or any of the witnesses. He tried to stay out of that. He played it politically in a different way than we are seeing right now with President Trump. Yet, the biography on president clinton, the first paragraph includes, only the second president to face impeachment proceedings in the house and senate. But as a mark that will be forever part of his presidency. It has been. There are so many unusual things about it. Bill clinton actually turned to his wife to carry the banner. If you remember, when the articles of impeachment failed, Hillary Clinton was sitting down in the white house with one of the president s advisers talking about the senate race that she launched in new york, a state she has never lived in. Bill clinton was counting on the idea of being absorbed by the senate, not convicted. He turned to his wife in some ways to present herself to the electorate. He left office more popular than when he came in. Impeached in the house, he was at 73 approval. Hillary clinton went on to compete for a seat in the senate and one. Founds considered she that probably discomforting. Considered awas sympathetic figure and a very accomplished senator when she served. The role of the chief justice of the United States, i remember seeing him with the black robes and the gold bars. That was his own personal touch in the Supreme Court. Borrowed this idea from one of his favorite operas and he actually had them custommade and as i said, he publico retreat from the perspective of being the manager and so if this goes to the senate, we are seeing a senate trial, chief Justice John Roberts would be in the chair managing what would become a trial. Time, no other agendas to the senate, this was priority one and the Supreme Court on hold until the chief justice could return. All of that did not get freed thinkil february and i they were able to keep up and manage behindthescenes, but the actual action was on pause. One of the reasons we are talking about this in an interesting way now is because we are not exactly sure where this timeline will go and we are heading into an election curated if you are talking about senators serving as jurors, we are talking about five president ial candidates anchored to their 10 anchored to their chair. Congressman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, we talked about them in previous conversations, set up there role and what you remember. He was one of the managers and one of the managers who presented the case. He felt very strongly and gave very passionate speeches about the idea that the president has violated his oath of office and impeachment was a way to cleanse the office. The idea that impeachment was not envisioned by the framers to cleans the office, but that is what voters do. Because the independent counsel of thee with the details president s effort to obstruct justice would he was obviously impeach for, he felt strongly it needed to be moved forward. A democrat was willing to defend that itident by arguing was despicable, poor judgment of theird a long list negative adjectives for what president clinton had done as United States. E he said whenever you hear someone say it is not about sex, it is about sex. He argued this was a personal behavior, and he said all of us, we are all imperfect. And he looked around the room and scanned the eyes of his peers in the senate. He made a very persuasive case as someone from the same state, a southern state, as someone the senators knew very well over decades, and someone who had left the senate in strong repute just days before, literally. It was 20 something days before he left. This is all playing out on television. You are at the white house. As this is all playing out, you are at the white house. What is president clinton doing . President clinton was following this very intensively. We look back now and say, thank goodness that social media did not exist because he was not tempted to try he left it to the surrogates to opine about the injury and the injustice of all of this and complain about it. But he saw that a very strong part of his tactic was because he was so popular, his job approval was so high, the economy was doing so well, he kept arguing again and again, look what i am doing. I am traveling around the country, i am still the commander in chief. I am dealing with international affairs. He was trying to persuade the American People that he was doing a good job as president and he had not betrayed them. He may have betrayed his wife, but not them. And he was still doing the job he was elected to do. And he said this after he was acquitted as well, that he would continue to represent their interests until the last hour of the last day. What was interesting, though, was while he left office very popular, it was the case that after impeachment democrats were hamstrung to get more legislation through congress. His final two years may have looked like he was very popular, but it wasnt as if they had enough juice with congress to get a lot of legislation through. We thank you for your perspective, and more from the senate trial, january of 1999. We carried it live on cspan2. Lindsey graham, and democrat dale bumpers mr. President and members of the senate, i announce the presence of the managers on the part of the house of representatives to conduct proceedings on behalf of the house concerning the impeachment of William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States. The managers on the part of the house will be received and escorted to the senate. Sergeant at arms will make the pluck relation will make the proclamation. All persons are commanded to keep silent on pain of imprisonment while the house of representatives is exhibiting to the senate of the United States articles of impeachment against William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States. Managers of the house will proceed. Mr. President , the managers on the part of the house of representatives are here and present, and ready to present the articles of impeachment which has been confirmed by the house of representatives against William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States. The house adopted the following resolution, which with the permission of the senate, i will read. House resolution 10 resolves that in continuance of the authorities conferred inhouse resolution 614 of the 105th congress, adopted by the house of representatives and delivered to the senate on december 19, 1998, mr. Mccollum of florida, mr. Kennedy of florida, mr. Bryant of tennessee, mr. Barr of georgia, mr. Hutchinson of arkansas, mr. Cannon of utah, mr. Rogan of california, and mr. Graham of South Carolina are managers to conduct the impeachment trial against William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States. A message be sent to the senate to inform the senate of these appointments, and that the managers so appointed a in preparation in the conduct of the trial exhibit the articles of impeachment to the senate and take all other actions necessary, which may include the following one, employing legal, clerical, and other necessarily insistence and expenses that may be necessary to pay under applicable expense resolutions or from the applicable accounts from the house of representatives. Two, sending for persons and papers and filing with the secretaries of senate on the part of the house of representatives any pleadings in conjunction with or subsequent to the exhibition of the articles of impeachment that the managers consider necessary. With the permission of the senate, i will now read the articles of impeachment. House resolution 611 resolved that William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States senate. Articles of impeachment exhibited by the house of representatives by the United States of america in the name of this house and the people of the United States of america against William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States of america, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors, article one. In his conduct while president of the United States, William Jefferson clinton, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of president of the United States and to the best of his ability preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has willfully corrupted and manipulated judicial process of the United States for his personal gain and exoneration, impeding the administration of justice in that. On august 17, 1998, William Jefferson clinton swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before a federal grand jury of the United States. Contrary to that oath, William Jefferson clinton willfully provided perjurious, false, and misleading testimony to the grand jury concerning one or more of the following. One, the nature and details of his relationship with a government employee. Two, prior perjurious testimony he gave in a federal civil Rights Action brought against him. Three, prior false and misleading statements he allowed his attorney to make to a federal judge in that civil Rights Action. And four, his corrupt efforts to influence the testimony of witnesses and to impede the discovery of evidence in that civil Rights Action. In doing this, William Jefferson clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the presidency, has betrayed his trust as president , and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and the justice of the manifest injury of the people of the United States. Therefore, William Jefferson clinton by such conduct warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office, and his qualification to hold and enjoy any office or profit under the United States. Article two, in his conduct while president of the United States, William Jefferson clinton, in violation of his constitute constitutional oath to faithfully implement the constitution of the United States and preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, and has to that end engaged personally and through his agents and a course of conduct or scheme designed to delay, impede, coverup, and conceal evidence and testimony related to a federal civil Rights Action brought against him in a duly instituted judicial proceeding, the means used to implement this course of conduct or scheme including one or more of the following acts. One, on or about december 17, 1997, William Jefferson clinton encouraged a witness in a civil Rights Action against him to swear in that proceeding that he knew to be perjurious, false, and misleading. Two, William Jefferson clinton corruptly encouraged a witness in a federal civil Rights Action brought against him to give perjurious, false, and misleading testimony if and when called to test testify personally in that proceeding. Three, William Jefferson clinton corruptly engaged in, encourage, or supported a scheme to conceal evidence that had been subpoenaed in a federal civil Rights Action brought against him. Four, beginning on or about december 7, 1997 and continuing through and including january 14, 1998, William Jefferson clinton intensified and succeeded in an effort to secure job assistance to a witness in a federal civil Rights Action brought against him in order to corruptly prevent the truthful testimony of that witness in that proceeding at a time when the truthful testimony of that witness would have been harmful to him. Five, on january 17, 1998, in his deposition in a federal civil Rights Action brought against him, William Jefferson clinton corruptly allowed his attorney to make false statements to a federal judge, characterizing an affidavit in order to prevent questioning deemed relevant by the judge. Such false and misleading statements were subsequently acknowledged by his attorney in a communication to that judge. On or about january 18, january 21, 1998, William Jefferson clinton relayed a false and misleading account of events related to a federal civil Rights Action brought against him to a potential witness in that proceeding in order to corruptly influence the testimony of that witness. On or about january 20 1, 20 three, and 26, 19 98, William Jefferson clinton made false and misleading statements to potential witnesses in a federal grand jury proceeding in order to corruptly influence the testimony of those witnesses. The false and misleading statements made by William Jefferson clinton were repeated by the witnesses to the grand jury, causing the grand jury to receive false and misleading information. In all this, William Jefferson clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the presidency, has betrayed his trust as president , and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice to the manifest injury of the people of the United States. Wherefore William Jefferson clinton by such conduct warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and just qualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States, passed by the house of representatives december 19, 1998. Newt gingrich, speaker of the house of representatives. Mr. President , that completes the exhibition of the articles of impeachment against William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States. The managers request that the senate take order for the trial. The managers now request leave to withdraw. Thank you, mr. Manager huyde. Thank you, mr. Manager huyde. The managers will notify the house of representatives when it is ready to proceed. The senate will come to order. The senators will take their seats. All others will remove themselves from the floor. Under the previous order, 1 00 p. M. Has arrived and a quorum has been established. We will proceed to consideration of articles of impeachment against William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States. Mr. President , at this time pursuant to rule four on the senate rules o