American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was sworn into office as U.S. President on 20 January 1993 at 11:59 AM EST in Washington DC, and inaugurated for a second term on 20 January 1997 at 12:05 PM EST in Washington, DC. Prior to the presidency, he was the governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981, and again from 1983 to 1992, and the attorney general of Arkansas from 1977 to 1979.
Born three months after his dad died, he was raised by an alcoholic step-father whose name he took. At about 13, he stood up to his father and told him to never hit his mother again. His mother, always a fun-loving friend and his biggest fan, died of breast cancer on 6 January 1994.
He married Hillary Rodham and they had one daughter, Chelsea.
His administration was fraught with suspicions of corruption and associates who went to jail. The accusation by cabaret singer Gennifer Flowers, 42, of a 12-year affair led off his presidential race followed by continual rumors about his womanizing. In early 1999, public health administrator, Juanita Broderich, alleged that he had raped her on a date which was later deduced to be 25 April 1978 in her hotel room at a medical conference.
On 17 August 1998 he testified to the grand jury that he had “misled” his family and the nation when he had emphatically claimed several months prior that he had never had a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky from mid-1996 to January 1998. He had not only humiliated his wife and daughter but had turned his personal flaws into a public matter when he made the whole country complicit in his cover story.
On 9 September 1998, the Starr report reached Congress, recommending impeachment for lying under oath, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
On 19 December 1998 at 1:25 PM EST in Washington, DC, the motion was passed to adopt impeachment proceedings. The president was acquitted on 12 February 1999 as the Senate did not reach the two-thirds majority vote in spite of ferocious partisan passions.
On 20 January 2001, the presidency was turned over to the Republican candidate, George W. Bush. On his last day in office, Clinton struck a deal with Independent Counsel Robert Ray in which he acknowledged for the first time that he had made false statements under oath about Monica Lewinsky and he surrendered his license to practice law for five years in exchange for the end of the investigation (that had cost tax-payers $55 million) and an agreement that the grand jury not seek an indictment. Both parties agreed that the matter was now concluded. Former president Clinton agreed to pay a fine of $25,000 and to pay his own legal costs.

Among the deals and pay-offs garnered in his administration (or perhaps in a spirit of Christian forgiveness?), in his final two hours of office the president granted 140 pardons to a range of individuals accused or convicted of crimes, including his brother for a 1985 drug conviction; Susan McDougal, who had served 18 months in jail rather than testify about the Clinton business affairs to Ken Starr; and perhaps most notoriously, Marc Rich along with his partner Pincus Green, charged with owing the government $48 million in taxes. In the latter case, the pardons were made without consulting Justice Department officials, who may inquire about the $450,000 that Marc Rich’s former wife and personal friend of the Clintons has contributed to the Clinton Library between July 1998 and May 2000.
When the former president and first lady moved out of the White House, they removed about $28,000 of gifts which they felt were personal, but when the government disagreed, the gifts were returned in early February.
Clinton hit the lucrative lecture circuit in early February 2001 with his delivery of a pair of speeches in Florida, including one at a Morgan Stanley Dean Witter financial services convention for a reported $100,000.
As investigation continued about the presidential pardons, it was revealed on 20 February 2001 that Former President Bill Clinton’s brother-in-law Hugh Rodham received nearly $400,000 in fees for lobbying for a presidential pardon and a prison commutation for two wealthy felons. On the following day, reports broke that Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate campaign treasurer, New York attorney William Cunningham III, helped obtain from former President Clinton last-minute pardons for two men convicted on tax felony charges in the ’80s. The pardon of two Jewish felons was linked to a block of votes from the Jewish community for Hillary Clinton’s senatorial bid, a news break to which Hillary reacted with the statement that she was “shocked.” Pardons were also in order for Harvey Weinig, 53, who helped launder at least $19 million for the Cali drug cartel; Edward Downe Jr., a publishing and financial executive guilty of insider trading (who had contributed $21,500 to Democrats since 1991, including $1,000 to Hillary’s Senate campaign); and William Fugazy, convicted of hiding $75 million from creditors. He also pardoned Susan Rosenberg and Linda Sue Evans, both convicted of carrying explosives and weapons for the Weather Underground, and former Arizona governor John Fife Symington, convicted of fraud. Symington once saved Clinton from drowning at ’60s beach party. Several of Jesse Jackson associates were on the pardon list, in spite of convictions on sex crimes, fraud and embezzlement. Clinton commuted the sentence of Carlos Vignali, 30, who had been convicted of cocaine trafficking in 1994: Carlos’ father donated more than $150,000 to Democratic causes. The list goes on.
On 1 October 2001 the Supreme Court suspended former President Clinton from practicing law before the high court and gave him 40 days to say why he should not be permanently disbarred. The court did not explain its reasons, but Supreme Court disbarment often follows disbarment in lower courts. The court acted after it was notified by the Arkansas Supreme Court that Clinton’s Arkansas law license was suspended for five years.
His mother, Virginia Dell Cassidy was born on 6 June 1923 in Sherman, Texas. His father, William Jefferson Blythe III, was born on 27 February 1918 in Sherman, Texas, or on 21 February 1917, which he gave in his Army records. Bill’s half-brother, Roger, was born on 25 July 1955 and his father, Bill’s step-father, was born on 25 July 1909. Virginia Kelley died of cancer in early January 1994.
His book, “My Life,” was released on 22 June 2004 with much fanfare, putting Clinton back in the limelight. In an hour-long episode of “60 Minutes” aired on 20 June 2004, a contrite and reflective Clinton spoke to interviewer Dan Rather about the Lewinsky escapade and its impact on his family, Ken Starr’s dogged pursuit of crimes that Clinton claims never occurred, the impeachment trial and the former president’s political, social and economic record.
The former President underwent coronary artery bypass surgery on the morning of 6 September 2004 in New York, beginning at about 8 AM and ending around noon according to a CNN report. He entered the New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Friday, 3 September after experiencing mild chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue. An angiogram showed blockages in four coronary arteries. He was expected to make a full recovery, and indeed, six weeks later, looking trim, he once again was on the campaign trail, stumping for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential race.
The former president underwent surgery to remove fluid build-up and scar tissue that formed in his chest after his heart surgery a few months prior. He was admitted to the New York-Presbyterian Hospital on 10 March 2005 and was discharged four days later. Ever in the limelight, Clinton is considered one of the most popular Democrats in the 21st century and one of the most prolific fund-raisers. He and former President George H. W. Bush were sent by President George W. Bush to Indonesia and Thailand to assist with relief efforts after the terrible tsunami in 2005.
Clinton’s stepfather, Richard Kelley, died on 31 January 2007 at about 5:45 PM local time in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Kelley, age 91, was the fourth husband of Clinton’s mother. He and the former president had enjoyed a warm and close relationship.
Clinton underwent surgery to place two stents in a coronary artery on 11 February 2010 in New York City. He was released from hospital the following day.
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