Perjury about when the affair began





One of the perjury charges against Clinton is that he lied about when his affair with Monica Lewinsky started. She testified that it started in November 1995, and he testified that it began in early 1996, about six weeks later. Republicans charge that it is Clinton who is lying, citing various evidence that Clinton and Lewinsky met in late 1995. However, meeting each other and starting a sexual relationship are two different things.

By all counts, this is the weakest perjury charge — a classic case of "he said – she said." And it’s not improbable that two and half years after the affair began, Clinton might have misremembered the starting date by six weeks. Furthermore, nothing material turns on the different starting dates — Ms. Lewinsky didn’t become a legal adult in the meantime. Even House Judicial Committee Chairman Henry Hyde has admitted, "It doesn't strike me as a terribly serious count."

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