that included those on high-ranking Republicans.
Accusations arose that Hillary Clinton requested the
files. After five years, independent counsel Kenneth
Starr exonerated the Clintons in Filegate.
Between 1994 and 2000, the Whitewater scandal
cast President Clinton and his wife in a harsh light.
In the 1970’s and 1980’s, the Clintons had invested
in the Whitewater Development Corporation with
James and Susan McDougal; they lost money. In
1993, claims were made that, while he was governor
of Arkansas, Bill Clinton pressured banker David
Hale into making a loan to Susan McDougal for
$300,000. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Com-
mission charged the McDougals but not the Clin-
tons. Susan McDougal refused to answer questions
about the Clintons’ role in the Whitewater affair and
spent time in prison for contempt. Ultimately, as a
result of insufficient evidence, no criminal charges
were brought against the Clintons.
In January, 1998, the public became aware of
twenty-two-year-old White House intern Monica
Lewinsky and her notorious affair with President
Clinton, which led to his impeachment trial for per-
jury under oath. Earlier, while governor of Arkansas,
Clinton had been accused of sexual misconduct with
Arkansas state employee Gennifer Flowers and of a
sexual encounter with another Arkansas state em-
ployee, Paula Jones. Jones’s charges resulted in the
outing of Lewinsky when federal prosecutor Starr re-
ceived recordings from Lewinsky’s friend Linda
Tripp that incriminated Clinton. Subsequently, in a
televised news conference, Clinton denied having
had sexual relations with Lewinsky. Ultimately,
Clinton admitted that he had lied, that he had in-
deed had an improper relationship with Lewinsky,
but he maintained his denial of perjury. Ultimately,
he was impeached but later acquitted by the Senate.
Jones’s lawsuit was dismissed after a settlement of
$850,000. In the Jones matter, Clinton was held in
contempt for lying and suspended from practicing
law for five years.
Nonpolitical Scandals Although political scandals
grabbed headlines during the 1990’s, scandals also
sprang up in other segments of society, in particular
the military Tailhook scandal and the O. J. Simpson
murder trial.
The Tailhook Association is a nonprofit organiza-
tion whose members are primarily associated with
aircraft carriers. In 1991, nearly five thousand mili-
tary men and women, many returning from Opera-
tion Desert Storm, attended the Tailhook annual
convention at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. After the
conference, eighty-three women and seven men re-
ported incidents of assault and sexual harassment.
The inspector general and the Naval Investigative
Service called for an investigation that culminated
in an unsatisfactory 2,000-page report. Subse-
quently, the Pentagon issued a report on the Navy’s
inquiry charging that Navy officials deliberately per-
formed an inadequate investigation in an effort to
avoid bad publicity. They also dismissed any involve-
ment of senior officers. In addition, the Pentagon
referred 140 officers for possible disciplinary action
for assault and indecent exposure and for lying un-
der oath. However, none of the 140 cases ever went
to trial. The most newsworthy Tailhook scandal case
involved Marine lieutenant Paula Coughlin, who
charged a Marine Corps captain with sexual assault;
the case was ultimately dismissed for insufficient evi-
dence.
In 1994, famous former professional football
player O. J. Simpson was charged for the murder of
his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald
Goldman. After he failed to turn himself in, police
pursued Simpson at low speed as he attempted to es-
cape in a white Ford Bronco. The pursuit, arrest,
and trial were among the most widely publicized
events in U.S. history. Simpson’s lengthy 1995 trial,
which contained high courtroom drama and an ar-
ray of colorful characters that included defense at-
torney Johnnie Cochran, prosecutor Marcia Clark,
and Judge Lance Ito, was called the “trial of the cen-
tury” by some. Although he was acquitted, in a 1997
civil case Simpson was subsequently found liable and
ordered to pay more than $30 million in restitution
to the victims’ families.Impact The 1992 House banking scandal dis-
turbed the nation and contributed to a major
change in the makeup of the House of Representa-
tives. Rostenkowski’s 1994 downfall after the con-
gressional post office scandal provided opportuni-
ties for Republicans to portray Democrats as
corrupt, led to a Republican victory in the House,
and paved the way for the emergence of Gingrich
and his Contract with America. Hill’s allegations
against Thomas highlighted the issue of sexual ha-
rassment and divided the country. The Lewinsky
scandal damaged Clinton’s presidency and conse-746 Scandals The Nineties in America