Troopergate (Bill Clinton)

For other uses, see Troopergate (disambiguation).

Troopergate is the popular name for an alleged scandal in which two Arkansas State Troopers claimed they had arranged sexual liaisons for then-Governor Bill Clinton. The allegations by state troopers Larry Patterson and Roger Perry were first reported by David Brock in the conservative magazine American Spectator in 1993.

The story mentioned a woman named Paula, a reference to Paula Jones, who later sued Clinton for sexual harassment in Jones v. Clinton. Brock has since apologized to Clinton, saying the exposé based on the troopers was politically motivated "bad journalism" and said "The troopers were greedy and had slimy motives."

History

In his book, Blinded by the Right, David Brock claimed that in order to maintain journalistic integrity, he agreed to write the Troopergate article only if the four troopers whom he interviewed were not paid. In 1998, a conservative fundraiser admitted that he had paid each of the troopers $6,700 after the articles were published. The payments were made without Brock's knowledge. Following the admission, Brock publicly apologized to President Clinton for his Troopergate story, which he stated was written not "in the interest of good government or serious journalism," but as part of an "anti-Clinton crusade."

This reference was cited by Paula Jones in her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton. According to Gennifer Flowers's deposition in Jones v. Clinton, she claimed that Clinton told her to contact Larry Patterson or Roger Perry to communicate. The lawsuit, Jones v. Clinton, was initially dismissed, whereupon Jones appealed. In 1998, Clinton settled with Jones for $850,000, the entire amount of her claim, but without an apology, in exchange for her agreement to drop the appeal.

See also

• Arkansas Project
• Clinton Chronicles
• Vast right-wing conspiracy