Bill Clinton Had A Scandalous Incident Years Before His Monica Lewinsky Affair

When it comes to scandals involving Bill Clinton, most people's minds instantly recall the fallout surrounding his illicit affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Between 1995 and 1997, Lewinsky, a woman in her early 20s, had multiple sexual encounters with Clinton while he was president. After news of the scandal broke, Lewinsky faced painful repercussions. She took the brunt of the heat from the media despite the clear power imbalance and age difference between her and the president. Meanwhile, Clinton was ultimately impeached, although not removed from office.

The sordid details of Clinton's sex scandal with Lewinsky became ingrained in the fabric of pop culture and media — from her infamous blue dress to Clinton's recounting of events to the fiery tabloid storm that raged in the months that followed. It's easy to understand how that controversy has overshadowed Clinton's previous sex scandals.

However, Clinton's impeachment may never have happened if it wasn't for a lawsuit brought forward by a woman named Paula Jones in 1994. Jones claimed she was sexually harassed by Clinton in 1991, and her lawsuit allowed prosecutor and independent counsel Kenneth Starr to expand his investigation into Clinton's alleged misconduct. During a deposition in which Clinton was under oath, Starr asked about his sexual conduct with Lewinsky, which Clinton denied. Clinton's perjury regarding Lewinsky led to his eventual impeachment. 

In May 1991, Paula Jones was working at the Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock, where then-governor Bill Clinton was staying for a conference. In a 1997 testimony, she said that she was asked up to Clinton's hotel room and that Clinton repeatedly attempted to kiss her. She rebuffed his advances, but he continued to pressure her. Finally, she claimed he exposed himself and asked her to perform oral sex on him, which she rejected.

When asked why she didn't leave the room when Clinton made his first move, Jones answered, "This is the Governor we're talking about ... A state trooper [is] sitting outside the door with a gun. I know that. I'm terrified" (via The New York Times). These alleged actions came a year before Clinton's presidential election. But, even as Clinton campaigned in 1992, he was facing allegations leveled by a woman named Gennifer Flowers, who claimed to have had a 12-year affair with him.

In January 1992, Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, sat down to address the allegations in an interview with "60 Minutes." While Bill denied Flowers' specific claims, he said, "I have acknowledged wrongdoing. I have acknowledged causing pain in my marriage. I have said things to you tonight ... that no American politician ever has" (via Washington Post). His words served as an ominous foreshadowing of the sex scandals that would later shake the political landscape and reshape its culture for years to come.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).