First published 2000
Richard Posner examines President Bill Clinton's impeachment crisis in real time, beginning with the Monica Lewinsky scandal that erupted in January 1998. Posner dissects the legal complexities surrounding the investigation, clarifying the precise definitions of obstruction of justice and perjury that became central to the case. He evaluates Kenneth Starr's conduct as Independent Counsel, including his team's aggressive interrogation tactics with Lewinsky and her mother, and their coordination with Paula Jones's legal representatives. The author places Clinton's ordeal within historical context by comparing it to Watergate, Iran-Contra, and Andrew Johnson's impeachment. Posner explores how private misconduct intersects with public responsibility and analyzes impeachment's role within America's constitutional framework. He weighs the arguments for and against removing Clinton from office while examining the procedural questions that arose during both the House impeachment vote and Senate trial. This book offers readers a scholarly yet immediate analysis of a constitutional crisis, written with the advantage of unfolding events and legal expertise.
Genres: history, 20th-century, political-science, politics, non-fiction, biography-memoir, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: United States
Period: 1990s
288 pages · Paperback · Harvard University Press