Pursuant to Section 595(c) of Title 28, the Office of Independent Counsel (OIC) hereby submits substantial and credible information that President Clinton obstructed justice during the Jones v. Clinton sexual harassment lawsuit by lying under oath and concealing evidence of his relationship with a young White House intern and federal employee, Monica Lewinsky. After a federal criminal investigation of the President's actions began in January 1998, the President lied under oath to the grand jury and obstructed justice during the grand jury investigation. There also is substantial and credible information that the President's actions with respect to Monica Lewinsky constitute an abuse of authority inconsistent with the President's constitutional duty to faithfully execute the laws.

There is substantial and credible information supporting the following eleven possible grounds for impeachment:

1. President Clinton lied under oath in his civil case when he denied a sexual affair, a sexual relationship, or sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky.

2. President Clinton lied under oath to the grand jury about his sexual relationship with Ms.Lewinsky.

3. In his civil deposition, to support his false statement about the sexual relationship, President Clinton also lied under oath about being alone with Ms.Lewinsky and about the many gifts exchanged between Ms.Lewinsky and him.

4. President Clinton lied under oath in his civil deposition about his discussions with Ms.Lewinsky concerning her involvement in the Jones case.

5. During the Jones case, the President obstructed justice and had an understanding with Ms. Lewinsky to jointly conceal the truth about their relationship by concealing gifts subpoenaed by Ms. Jones's attorneys.

6. During the Jones case, the President obstructed justice and had an understanding with Ms.Lewinsky to jointly conceal the truth of their relationship from the judicial process by a scheme that included the following means: (i)Both the President and Ms.Lewinsky understood that they would lie under oath in the Jones case about their sexual relationship; (ii)the President suggested to Ms.Lewinsky that she prepare an affidavit that, for the President's purposes, would memorialize her testimony under oath and could be used to prevent questioning of both of them about their relationship; (iii)Ms.Lewinsky signed and filed the false affidavit; (iv)the President used Ms.Lewinsky's false affidavit at his deposition in an attempt to head off questions about Ms.Lewinsky; and (v)when that failed, the President lied under oath at his civil deposition about the relationship with Ms.Lewinsky.

7. President Clinton endeavored to obstruct justice by helping Ms.Lewinsky obtain a job in New York at a time when she would have been a witness harmful to him were she to tell the truth in the Jones case.

8. President Clinton lied under oath in his civil deposition about his discussions with Vernon Jordan concerning Ms.Lewinsky's involvement in the Jones case.

9. The President improperly tampered with a potential witness by attempting to corruptly influence the testimony of his personal secretary, Betty Currie, in the days after his civil deposition.

10. President Clinton endeavored to obstruct justice during the grand jury investigation by refusing to testify for seven months and lying to senior White House aides with knowledge that they would relay the President's false statements to the grand jury -- and did thereby deceive, obstruct, and impede the grand jury.

11. President Clinton abused his constitutional authority by (i)lying to the public and the Congress in January 1998 about his relationship with Ms.Lewinsky; (ii)promising at that time to cooperate fully with the grand jury investigation; (iii)later refusing six invitations to testify voluntarily to the grand jury; (iv)invoking Executive Privilege; (v)lying to the grand jury in August 1998; and (vi)lying again to the public and Congress on August 17, 1998 -- all as part of an effort to hinder, impede, and deflect possible inquiry by the Congress of the United States.

The first two possible grounds for impeachment concern the President's lying under oath about the nature of his relationship with Ms.Lewinsky. The details associated with those grounds are, by their nature, explicit. The President's testimony unfortunately has rendered the details essential with respect to those two grounds, as will be explained in those grounds.

I. There is substantial and credible information that President Clinton lied under oath as a defendant in Jones v. Clinton regarding his sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

(1) He denied that he had a "sexual relationship" with Monica Lewinsky.

(2) He denied that he had a "sexual affair" with Monica Lewinsky.

(3) He denied that he had "sexual relations" with Monica Lewinsky.

(4) He denied that he engaged in or caused contact with the genitalia of "any person" with an intent to arouse or gratify (oral sex performed on him by Ms.Lewinsky).

(5) He denied that he made contact with Monica Lewinsky's breasts or genitalia with an intent to arouse or gratify.

On May 6, 1994, former Arkansas state employee Paula Corbin Jones filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against President Clinton claiming that he had sexually harassed her on May 8, 1991, by requesting her to perform oral sex on him in a suite at the Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock. Throughout the pretrial discovery process in Jones v. Clinton, United States District Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled, over the President's objections, that Ms.Jones's lawyers could seek various categories of information, including information about women who had worked as government employees under Governor or President Clinton and allegedly had sexual activity with him. Judge Wright's rulings followed the prevailing law in sexual harassment cases: The defendant's sexual relationships with others in the workplace, including consensual relationships, are a standard subject of inquiry during the discovery process. Judge Wright recognized the commonplace nature of her discovery rulings and stated that she was following a "meticulous standard of materiality" in allowing such questioning.

At a hearing on January 12, 1998, Judge Wright required Ms.Jones to list potential trial witnesses. Ms.Jones's list included several "Jane Does."⁽¹⁾ Ms.Jones's attorneys said they intended to call a Jane Doe named Monica Lewinsky as a witness to support Ms.Jones's claims. Under Ms.Jones's legal theory, women who had sexual relationships with the President received job benefits because of the sexual relationship, but women who resisted the President's sexual advances were denied such benefits.⁽²⁾

On January 17, 1998, Ms.Jones's lawyers deposed President Clinton under oath with Judge Wright present and presiding over the deposition. Federal law requires a witness testifying under oath to provide truthful answers. The intentional failure to provide truthful answers is a crime punishable by imprisonment

and fine.⁽³⁾ At the outset of his deposition, the President took an oath administered by Judge Wright: "Do you swear or affirm ... that the testimony you are about to give in the matter before the court is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The President replied: "I do."⁽⁴⁾ At the beginning of their questioning, Ms.Jones's attorneys asked the President: "And your testimony is subject to the penalty of perjury; do you understand that, sir?" The President responded, "I do."⁽⁵⁾

Based on the witness list received in December 1997 (which included Ms. Lewinsky) and the January 12, 1998, hearing, the President and his attorneys were aware that Ms.Jones's attorneys likely would question the President at his deposition about Ms.Lewinsky and the other "Jane Does." In fact, the attorneys for Ms.Jones did ask numerous questions about "Jane Does," including Ms.Lewinsky.

There is substantial and credible information that President Clinton lied under oath in answering those questions.

A. Evidence that President Clinton Lied Under Oath During the Civil Case

1. President Clinton's Statements Under Oath About Monica Lewinsky

During pretrial discovery, Paula Jones's attorneys served the President with written interrogatories.⁽⁶⁾ One stated in relevant part:

Please state the name, address, and telephone number of each and every [federal employee] with whom you had sexual relations when you [were] ... President of the United States.⁽⁷⁾

The interrogatory did not define the term "sexual relations." Judge Wright ordered the President to answer the interrogatory, and on December 23, 1997, under penalty of perjury, President Clinton answered "None."⁽⁸⁾

At the January 17, 1998, deposition of the President, Ms.Jones's attorneys asked the President specific questions about possible sexual activity with Monica Lewinsky. The attorneys used various terms in their questions, including "sexual affair," "sexual relationship," and "sexual relations." The terms "sexual affair" and "sexual relationship" were not specially defined by Ms.Jones's attorneys. The term "sexual relations" was defined:

For the purposes of this deposition, a person engages in "sexual relations" when the person knowingly engages in or causes ... contact with the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks of any person with an intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.... "Contact" means intentional touching, either directly or through clothing.⁽⁹⁾

President Clinton answered a series of questions about Ms.Lewinsky, including:

Q: Did you have an extramarital sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky?

WJC: No.

Q: If she told someone that she had a sexual affair with you beginning in November of 1995, would that be a lie?

WJC: It's certainly not the truth. It would not be the truth.

Q: I think I used the term "sexual affair." And so the record is completely clear, have you ever had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky, as that term is defined in Deposition Exhibit 1, as modified by the Court?

Mr.Bennett:⁽¹⁰⁾

I object because I don't know that he can remember --

Judge Wright:

Well, it's real short. He can -- I will permit the question and you may show the witness definition number one.

WJC: I have never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky. I've never had an affair with her.⁽¹¹⁾

President Clinton reiterated his denial under questioning by his own attorney:

Q: In paragraph eight of [Ms.Lewinsky's] affidavit, she says this, "I have never had a sexual relationship with the President, he did not propose that we have a sexual relationship, he did not offer me employment or other benefits in exchange for a sexual relationship, he did not deny me employment or other benefits for rejecting a sexual relationship." Is that a true and accurate statement as far as you know it?

WJC: That is absolutely true.⁽¹²⁾

2. Monica Lewinsky's Testimony

Monica Lewinsky testified under oath before the grand jury that, beginning in November 1995, when she was a 22-year-old White House intern, she had a lengthy relationship with the President that included substantial sexual activity. She testified in detail about the times, dates, and nature of ten sexual encounters that involved some form of genital contact. As explained in the Narrative section of this Referral, White House records corroborate Ms.Lewinsky's testimony in that the President was in the Oval Office area during the encounters. The records of White House entry and exit are incomplete for employees, but they do show her presence in the White House on eight of those occasions.⁽¹³⁾

The ten incidents are recounted here because they are necessary to assess whether the President lied under oath, both in his civil deposition, where he denied any sexual relationship at all, and in his grand jury testimony, where he acknowledged an "inappropriate intimate contact" but denied any sexual contact with Ms.Lewinsky's breasts or genitalia. When reading the following descriptions, the President's denials under oath should be kept in mind.

Unfortunately, the nature of the President's denials requires that the contrary evidence be set forth in detail. If the President, in his grand jury appearance, had admitted the sexual activity recounted by Ms.Lewinsky and conceded that he had lied under oath in his civil deposition, these particular descriptions would be superfluous. Indeed, we refrained from questioning Ms. Lewinsky under oath about particular details until after the President's August 17 testimony made that questioning necessary. But in view of (i) the President's denials, (ii) his continued contention that his civil deposition testimony was legally accurate under the terms and definitions employed, and (iii) his refusal to answer related questions, the detail is critical. The detail provides credibility and corroboration to Ms.Lewinsky's testimony. It also demonstrates with clarity that the Pres ident lied under oath both in his civil deposition and to the federal grand jury.⁽¹⁴⁾ There is substantial and credible information that the President's lies about his relationship with Ms. Lewinsky were abundant and calculating. >

(i) Wednesday, November 15, 1995

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she had her first sexual contact with the President on the evening of Wednesday, November 15, 1995, while she was an intern at the White House. Two times that evening, the President invited Ms.Lewinsky to meet him near the Oval Office.⁽¹⁵⁾ On the first occasion, the President took Ms.Lewinsky back into the Oval Office study, and they kissed.⁽¹⁶⁾ On the second, she performed oral sex on the President in the hallway outside the Oval Office study.⁽¹⁷⁾ During this encounter, the President directly touched and kissed Ms.Lewinsky's bare breasts.⁽¹⁸⁾ In addition, the President put his hand down Ms.Lewinsky's pants and directly stimulated her genitalia (acts clearly within the definition of "sexual relations" used at the Jones deposition).⁽¹⁹⁾

(ii) Friday, November 17, 1995

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she met with the President again two days later, on Friday, November 17, 1995.⁽²⁰⁾ During that encounter, Ms.Lewinsky stated, she performed oral sex on the President in the private bathroom outside the Oval Office study.⁽²¹⁾ The President initiated the oral sex by unzipping his pants and exposing his genitals. Ms.Lewinsky understood the President's actions to be a sign that he wanted her to perform oral sex on him.⁽²²⁾ During this encounter, the President also fondled Ms.Lewinsky's bare breasts with his hands and kissed her breasts.⁽²³⁾

(iii) Sunday, December 31, 1995

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she met with the President on New Year's Eve, Sunday, December 31, 1995, after the President invited her to the Oval Office.⁽²⁴⁾ Once there, the President lifted Ms.Lewinsky's sweater, fondled her bare breasts with his hands, and kissed her breasts. She stated that she performed oral sex on the President in the hallway outside the Oval Office study.⁽²⁵⁾

(iv) Sunday, January 7, 1996

Monica Lewinsky testified that she performed oral sex on the President in the bathroom outside the Oval Office study during the late afternoon on Sunday, January 7, 1996.⁽²⁶⁾ The President arranged this encounter by calling Ms.Lewinsky at home and inviting her to visit.⁽²⁷⁾ On that occasion, the President and Ms.Lewinsky went into the bathroom, where he fondled her bare breasts with his hands and mouth. During this encounter, the President stated that he wanted to perform oral sex on Ms.Lewinsky, but she stopped him for a physical reason.⁽²⁸⁾

(v) Sunday, January 21, 1996

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she and the President had a sexual encounter on the afternoon of Sunday, January 21, 1996, after he invited her to the Oval Office.⁽²⁹⁾ The President lifted Ms.Lewinsky's top and fondled her bare breasts.⁽³⁰⁾ The President unzipped his pants and exposed his genitals, and she performed oral sex on him in the hallway outside the Oval Office study.⁽³¹⁾

(vi) Sunday, February 4, 1996

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she and the President had sexual contact in the Oval Office study and in the adjacent hallway on the afternoon of Sunday, February 4, 1996.⁽³²⁾ That day, the President had called Ms.Lewinsky.⁽³³⁾ During their encounter, the President partially removed Ms.Lewinsky's dress and bra and touched her bare breasts with his mouth and hands. He also directly touched her genitalia.⁽³⁴⁾ Ms.Lewinsky performed oral sex on the President.⁽³⁵⁾

(vii) Sunday, March 31, 1996

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she and the President had sexual contact in the hallway outside the Oval Office study during the late afternoon of Sunday, March 31, 1996.⁽³⁶⁾ The President arranged this encounter by calling Ms.Lewinsky and inviting her to the Oval Office. During this encounter, Ms.Lewinsky did not perform oral sex on the President. The President fondled Ms.Lewinsky's bare breasts with his hands and mouth and fondled her genitalia directly by pulling her underwear out of the way. In addition, the President inserted a cigar into Ms.Lewinsky's vagina.⁽³⁷⁾

(viii) Sunday, April 7, 1996

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she and the President had sexual contact on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1996, in the hallway outside the Oval Office study and in the study itself.⁽³⁸⁾ On that occasion, the President touched Ms.Lewinsky's breasts, both through her clothing and directly. After the President unzipped his pants, Ms.Lewinsky also performed oral sex on him.⁽³⁹⁾

This was their last in-person sexual encounter for over nine months.

(ix) Friday, February 28, 1997

Ms.Lewinsky testified that her next sexual encounter with the President occurred on Friday, February 28, 1997, in the early evening.⁽⁴⁰⁾ The President initiated this encounter by having his secretary Betty Currie call Ms.Lewinsky to invite her to the White House for a radio address. After the address, Ms.Lewinsky and the President kissed by the bathroom. The President unbuttoned her dress and fondled her breasts, first with her bra on and then directly. He touched her genitalia through her clothes, but not directly, on this occasion. Ms.Lewinsky performed oral sex on him.⁽⁴¹⁾ On this day, Ms.Lewinsky was wearing a blue dress that forensic tests have conclusively shown was stained with the President's semen.⁽⁴²⁾

(x) Saturday, March 29, 1997

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she and the President had sexual contact on the afternoon of March 29, 1997, in the Oval Office study.⁽⁴³⁾ On that occasion, the President unbuttoned Ms.Lewinsky's blouse and touched her breasts through her bra, but not directly. He also put his hands inside Ms.Lewinsky's pants and stimulated her genitalia.⁽⁴⁴⁾ Ms.Lewinsky performed oral sex on him, and they also had brief, direct genital-to-genital contact.⁽⁴⁵⁾

(xi) Two Subsequent Meetings

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she met with President Clinton in the Oval Office study on the morning of Saturday, August 16, 1997. They kissed, and Ms.Lewinsky touched the President's genitals through his clothing, but he rebuffed her efforts to perform oral sex. No other sexual acts occurred during this encounter.⁽⁴⁶⁾

On Sunday, December 28, 1997, three weeks before the President's civil deposition in the Jones case, the President and Ms.Lewinsky met in the Oval Office. In addition to discussing a number of issues that are analyzed below, they engaged in "passionate" kissing -- she said, "I don't call it a brief kiss." No other sexual contact occurred.⁽⁴⁷⁾

3. Phone Sex

Ms.Lewinsky testified that she and the President engaged in "phone sex" approximately fifteen times. The President initiated each phone sex encounter by telephoning Ms.Lewinsky.⁽⁴⁸⁾

4. Physical Evidence

>Ms.Lewinsky produced to OIC investigators a dress she wore during the encounter on February 28, 1997, which she believed might be stained with the President's semen. At the request of the OIC, the FBI Laboratory examined the dress and found semen stains.⁽⁴⁹⁾ At that point, the OIC requested a DNA sample from the President. On August 3, 1998, two weeks before the President's grand jury testimony, a White House physician drew blood from the President in the presence of a senior OIC attorney and a FBI special agent.⁽⁵⁰⁾ Through the most sensitive DNA testing, RFLP testing, the FBI Laboratory determined conclusively that the semen on Ms.Lewinsky's dress was, in fact, the President's.⁽⁵¹⁾ The chance that the semen is not the President's is one in 7.87 trillion.⁽⁵²⁾

5. Testimony of Ms.Lewinsky's Friends, Family Members, and Counselors

During her relationship with the President, Monica Lewinsky spoke contemporaneously to several friends, family members, and counselors about the relationship. Their testimony corroborates many of the details of the sexual activity provided by Ms.Lewinsky to the OIC.

1. The pseudonym Jane Doe was used during discovery to refer to certain women whose identities were protected from the public.

2. For a discussion of the procedural background to the Jones case, see Appendix, Tab C.

3. Sections 1621 and 1623 of Title 18 (perjury) carry a penalty of imprisonment of not more than five years for knowingly making a false, material statement under oath, including in any ancillary court proceeding. An "ancillary proceeding" includes a deposition in a civil case. United States v. McAfee, 8 F.3d 1010, 1013 (5th Cir. 1993); United States v. Scott, 682 F.2d 695, 698 (8th Cir. 1982). The perjury statutes apply to statements made during civil proceedings. As one United States Court of Appeals recently stated, "we categorically reject any suggestion, implicit or otherwise, that perjury is somehow less serious when made in a civil proceeding. Perjury, regardless of the setting, is a serious offense that results in incalculable harm to the functioning and integrity of the legal system as well as to private individuals." United States v. Holland, 22 F.3d 1040, 1047 (11th Cir. 1994); see also United States v. Wilkinson, 137 F.3d 214, 225 (4th Cir. 1998).

4. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo.; see also Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 18.

5. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 19.

6. Written interrogatories are a common discovery device in federal civil cases by which a party serves written questions on the opposing party. The rules require that they be answered under oath and therefore under penalty of perjury. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 33.

7. V002-DC-00000016-32 (Plaintiff's Second Set of Interrogatories, see Interrogatory no. 10). The interrogatory in the text reflects Judge Wright's order, dated December 11, 1997, limiting the scope of the question to cover only women who were state or federal employees at the relevant times.

8. V002-DC-00000052-55 (President Clinton's Supplemental Responses to Plaintiff's Second Set of Interrogatories, see Response to Interrogatory no. 10).

9. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo., Exh. 1.

10. Robert S. Bennett, counsel for President Clinton.

11. Clinton 1/17/98 Depo. at 78 (emphasis added).

12. Id. at 204 (emphasis added). The full text of Ms.Lewinsky's affidavit is set forth in the Doc. Supp. B, Tab 7.

13. White House records reflecting entry and exit are incomplete. For Ms.Lewinsky, there are no records for January 7, 1996, and January 21, 1996.

14. The President's false statements to the grand jury are discussed in Ground II.

15. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 6-7.

16. Id. at 7.

17. Id. at 8. Ms.Lewinsky stated that the hallway outside the Oval Office study was more suitable for their encounters than the Oval Office because the hallway had no windows. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 34-35.

18. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 8.

19. Id. at 8, 21. Ms.Lewinsky testified that she had an orgasm. Id. at 8.

20. Id. at 11-12.

21. Id. at 12-13.

22. Id. at 14.

23. Id. at 12-13.

24. Id. at 15-16.

25. Id. at 17. After the sexual encounter, she saw the President masturbate in the bathroom near the sink. Id. at 18.

26. Id. at 18.

27. Id. at 18.

28. Id. at 19. They engaged in oral-anal contact as well. See Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 18-20.

29. Id. at 21-22. This was shortly after their first phone sex encounter, which occurred on January 16, 1996. Id. at 22; Lewinsky 7/30/98 Int. at 9. Phone sex occurs when one or both parties masturbate while one or both parties talk in a sexually explicit manner on the telephone.

30. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 25.

31. Id. at 26. As Ms.Lewinsky departed, she observed the President "manually stimulating" himself in Ms.Hernreich's office. Id. at 27.

32. Id. at 28-32.

33. Id. at 28.

34. Id. at 30-31. Ms.Lewinsky testified that she had an orgasm. Id.

35. Id. at 30-32. They engaged in oral-anal contact as well. See Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 29-33.

36. Id. at 34-38.

37. Id. at 37-38. The President then put the cigar in his mouth and said to Ms.Lewinsky: "it tastes good." Lewinsky 7/30/98 Int. at 12-13; see also Lewinsky Depo. at 38.

38. Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 91, 94-97; Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 40-42.

39. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 40-43.

40. Id. at 45-49. They had engaged in phone sex a number of times in the interim, according to Ms.Lewinsky. Lewinsky 7/30/98 Int. at 14-15.

41. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 47. On this occasion, the President ejaculated. Id.

42. FBI Lab Report, Lab Nos. 980730002SBO and 980803100SBO, 8/17/98.

43. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 49-51.

44. Ms.Lewinsky testified that she had multiple orgasms. Id. at 50.

45. Id. at 50-51; Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 21. On this occasion, the President ejaculated. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 50-51.

46. Lewinsky 8/26/98 Depo. at 51-53.

47. Id. at 53. See also Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 35-36.

48. Lewinsky 7/30/98 Int. at 11-16; Lewinsky 8/6/98 GJ at 24. The summary chart of contacts between the President and Ms.Lewinsky, GJ Exhibit ML-7, which is based on information provided by Ms.Lewinsky, lists 17 separate phone sex calls. Id. at 27-28. Ms.Lewinsky also gave the President Vox, a novel about phone sex. Id.

While phone sex may not itself constitute a "sexual relationship," it adds detail to Ms.Lewinsky's testimony and underscores the sexual and intimate nature of the relationship between the President and Ms.Lewinsky.

Ms.Lewinsky also said that the President left a few messages on her home answering machine (although he told her he did not like to leave messages). Ms.Lewinsky provided four microcassettes of four messages to the OIC on July 29, 1998. FBI Receipt for Property Received, dated 7/29/98.

49. FBI Lab Report, Lab No. 9800730002SB0, 8/3/98.

50. FBI Observation Report (White House), 8/3/98.

51. FBI Lab Report, Lab No. 980730002SBO and 980803100SBO, 8/17/98.

52. Id.

Continued