Considering Nixon's impeachment
Twenty-five years before his own impeachment, Clinton offers his thoughts on the potential impeachment of Richard Nixon. If Nixon violated the law, Clinton believes members of Congress have a "constitutional obligation" to vote for impeachment.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with William J. (Bill) Clinton, June 15, 1974. Interview A-0027. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- WALTER DE VRIES:
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How about the vote on impeachment?
- WILLIAM J. (BILL) CLINTON:
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Ehn. It's not really an issue unknown in the district, although I have given—
- JACK BASS:
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You think it will be?
- WILLIAM J. (BILL) CLINTON:
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It might. It might become one. I've given a number of speeches as a law professor. Been invited, even just two days ago . . . I gave one. On impeachment and the impeachment process. What my views are? What are impeachable offenses and all that. But I have said many times that I thought that under any sort of definition of any impeachment that [if Nixon is] in violation of specific statutes that he was impeachable. Five months ago I said that. It hasn't been hurting me very much. And I said yesterday, two days ago, that unless there was some reason to doubt the grand jury report that I thought that probably when the time came for the vote that every member of Congress would have a constitutional obligation to vote for it. They say there's something wrong with the grand jury report.
[Unclear.]
