September 1998

[admin]

September 1998 was one of the most intense and politically charged months of Bill Clinton’s presidency because it was the peak of the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the run-up to the House of Representatives voting on impeachment. Here’s a concise timeline of key Clinton administration and Democratic Party activities during that month:Key Events in September 1998September 9, 1998
Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr delivered his 445-page Starr Report (officially the “Referral to the United States House of Representatives”) to Congress. The report explicitly detailed 11 possible grounds for impeachment, centered on Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky and alleged perjury/obstruction of justice. The graphic sexual details shocked the public.
September 11, 1998
The House of Representatives voted (363–63 and 338–93) to release the full Starr Report and thousands of pages of supporting documents (including Lewinsky’s grand jury testimony) to the public via the internet—the first time such explicit material was released in this way.
September 18, 1998
The House voted to release Clinton’s videotaped grand jury testimony from August 17. On September 21, the four-hour video was broadcast on television, showing Clinton angrily parsing the definition of “is” and defending his earlier “I did not have sexual relations” statement.
September 21–24, 1998
House Judiciary Committee (chaired by Rep. Henry Hyde, R-IL) began holding hearings on whether to recommend impeachment. Democrats on the committee (and in leadership) adopted a strategy of:Acknowledging Clinton’s personal misconduct was wrong and shameful.
Arguing that it did not rise to the constitutional level of “high crimes and misdemeanors” required for impeachment.
Accusing Republicans of partisan overreach and a “sexual McCarthyism.”

Democratic leadership response President Clinton: On September 11, he gave a penitential speech at a White House prayer breakfast, saying “I have sinned.” He and his team shifted from outright denial to admitting a “inappropriate relationship” while still denying perjury.
Dick Gephardt (House Minority Leader) and Tom Daschle (Senate Minority Leader) tried to contain political damage by calling for censure rather than impeachment.
Many Democratic lawmakers were furious with Clinton privately but publicly defended the principle that private sexual misconduct shouldn’t overturn an election.

Other administration activity
Despite the scandal dominating headlines, the administration continued normal governance:September 14–18: Clinton attended the UN General Assembly in New York and held bilateral meetings.
September 22: Signed the Iraq Liberation Act into law (making regime change in Iraq official U.S. policy).
Ongoing efforts to broker Middle East peace (Wye River talks would happen in October).

Political Atmosphere in September 1998Democrats were bracing for major losses in the upcoming November 1998 midterms (conventional wisdom predicted a “sixth-year itch” wipeout plus scandal backlash).
Instead, the public increasingly viewed the Republican pursuit of impeachment as excessive; polls showed most Americans wanted censure, not removal.
This perception is widely credited with Democrats unexpectedly gaining five House seats in November—one of only two times in the 20th century the president’s party gained seats in a midterm (the other being 1934).

In short: September 1998 was the month the Lewinsky scandal went fully public in graphic detail, the Clinton White House was in full crisis/survival mode, and Democrats scrambled to defend the president while distancing themselves from his behavior—setting the stage for the December 1998 impeachment vote.

https://x.com/i/grok/share/eSGvn3KdHWp6QZMFkIZTQaijF