Troopergate

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Troopergate is the popular name of an alleged scandal involving allegations by two Arkansas state troopers that they 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 American Spectator in 1993. The story mentioned a woman named "Paula".

1 History
2 "Distinguishing characteristic" origins
3 Arkansas state troopers
4 Related
5 Sources

[edit] History

In his book, Blinded by the Right, David Brock claimed that in order to maintain a journalistic integrity, he agreed to write the Troopergate article only if the four troopers he interviewed were not paid. In 1998, a conservative fundraiser admitted that he had paid the troopers $6,700 each after the articles were published. The payments were done behind Brock's back, so 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". [1]

This reference was cited by Paula Jones in her sexual harassment lawsuit against the President. The case was summarily dismissed as groundless by Judge Susan Webber Wright because Jones could not show that she had suffered any damages whatsoever, even should all her charges prove true. Jones threatened to appeal the decision. On November 13, 1998, Clinton settled with Jones for $850,000 (one third the size she asked for) and no apology, in exchange for dropping the appeal. All but $151,000 went to pay her now considerable legal expenses; meanwhile, her marriage had broken apart.

[edit] "Distinguishing characteristic" origins

Ann Coulter, working as unpaid legal advisor for the attorneys representing Jones, leaked questionable information about Clinton to the press. David Daley wrote an interview piece for the Hartford Courant in which he noted

“

Coulter played one particularly key role in keeping the Jones case alive. In Newsweek reporter Michael Isikoff's new book Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter's Story, Coulter is unmasked as the one who leaked word of Clinton's "distinguishing characteristic" — his reportedly bent penis that Jones said she could recognize and describe — to the news media. Her hope was to foster mistrust between the Clinton and Jones camps and forestall a settlement...

I thought if I leaked the distinguishing characteristic it would show bad faith in negotiations. [Clinton lawyer] Bob Bennett would think Jones had leaked it. Cammaratta would know he himself hadn't leaked it and would get mad at Bennett. It might stall negotiations enough for me to get through to [Jones adviser] Susan Carpenter-McMillan to tell her that I thought settling would hurt Paula, that this would ruin her reputation, and that there were other lawyers working for her. Then 36 hours later, she returned my phone call.

I just wanted to help Paula. I really think Paula Jones is a hero. I don't think I could have taken the abuse she came under. She's this poor little country girl and she has the most powerful man she's ever met hitting on her sexually, then denying it and smearing her as president. And she never did anything tacky. It's not like she was going on TV or trying to make a buck out of it.(1999)

”

[edit] Arkansas state troopers

In 1994 and 1995 Jerry Falwell paid $200,000 to Citizens for Honest Government who in turn paid two Arkansas state troopers to make allegations supporting a conspiracy about Vincent Foster in the Clinton Chronicles video.^[1] These two troopers were Roger Perry and Larry Patteson who also were paid for their allegations Jones-Clinton trial.^[1] In March 2005, trooper Patterson was convicted of lying to the FBI about an unrelated incident.