General Discussion

jberryhill

(62,444 posts) Tue Dec 11, 2018, 06:45 PM Dec 2018

Should Ken Starr Have Had The Authority To Criminally Indict Bill Clinton?

Ken Starr was the independent counsel charged with investigating various matters during the Clinton presidency. On the basis of his investigation, Bill Clinton was impeached, but was not convicted in the Senate.

As a federal prosecutor, should Ken Starr have had the authority and ability to indict President Clinton and proceed with a criminal trial on whatever charges he may have framed?

Why or why not?

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11 replies

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Should Ken Starr Have Had The Authority To Criminally Indict Bill Clinton? (Original Post) jberryhill Dec 2018 OP

For what exactly? nt DURHAM D Dec 2018 #1

I would just prefer that they impeach him again. Hillary too. Oh...wait. Nevermind. dameatball Dec 2018 #2

Wasn't it a civil case? XRubicon Dec 2018 #3

no one would ever be indicted for anything like that anyway. dawg day Dec 2018 #4

........ Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2018 #5

Did he commit a federal crime? Was lying to the FBI the reason for impeachment? AJT Dec 2018 #6

He lied under oath...committed perjury... cynatnite Dec 2018 #7

That misses the point jberryhill Dec 2018 #8

Well, that's an easy no... cynatnite Dec 2018 #11

Only the Senate can impeach. McCamy Taylor Dec 2018 #9

Good point about Hoover jberryhill Dec 2018 #10

DURHAM D

(32,610 posts)

1. For what exactly? nt

Reply to jberryhill (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 06:46 PM

Dec 2018

dameatball

(7,398 posts)

2. I would just prefer that they impeach him again. Hillary too. Oh...wait. Nevermind.

Reply to jberryhill (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 06:47 PM

Dec 2018

XRubicon

(2,212 posts)

3. Wasn't it a civil case?

Reply to jberryhill (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 06:49 PM

Dec 2018

dawg day

(7,947 posts)

4. no one would ever be indicted for anything like that anyway.

Reply to jberryhill (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 06:52 PM

Dec 2018

i'm pretty sure that if Ken Starr thought he could get an indictment, he would have tried. He was on a MISHUN.

Tommy_Carcetti

(43,182 posts)

5. ........

Reply to jberryhill (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 06:58 PM

Dec 2018

AJT

(5,240 posts)

6. Did he commit a federal crime? Was lying to the FBI the reason for impeachment?

Reply to jberryhill (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 07:25 PM

Dec 2018

I would think that he could have been indicted if lying to the FBI is a federal crime.

cynatnite

(31,011 posts)

7. He lied under oath...committed perjury...

Reply to jberryhill (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 07:29 PM

Dec 2018

Not the same.

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)

8. That misses the point

Reply to cynatnite (Reply #7)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 07:45 PM

Dec 2018

Perjury is a felony.

But the question is not "what, if anything, could Starr have indicted Clinton for". The question is, should he have had the authority to do so, since he would most certainly have used it if he believed he had it.

cynatnite

(31,011 posts)

11. Well, that's an easy no...

Reply to jberryhill (Reply #8)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 10:16 PM

Dec 2018

Starr spent years going after the Clintons and all he got was perjury about an affair. Prosecuting that would have been laughable at the very least, especially since Bill Clinton's approval ratings had only gotten higher. Starr actually did abuse his authority and made his scope never-ending, IMO. He was going until he found something...anything. Unfortunately, Bill had to be an idiot and got caught.

If my memory is wrong, feel free to correct me.

McCamy Taylor

(19,240 posts)

9. Only the Senate can impeach.

Reply to jberryhill (Original post)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 07:48 PM

Dec 2018

if the DOJ had the ability to indict a president, J Edgar Hoover would have ruled DC.

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)

10. Good point about Hoover

Reply to McCamy Taylor (Reply #9)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 08:10 PM

Dec 2018

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