House Document 105--310 may or may not lead to the impeachment of President William Jefferson Clinton, but it will most certainly affect the legal, political, and social fabric of this country for years to come. Although most Americans would like the whole thing to go away and let the country move on, it isn't quite so simple. By submitting his report to Congress, Independent Counsel Starr has activated the constitutional impeachment machinery, which is difficult to stop once started. Officially titled the Referral From Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr in Conformity With the Requirements of Title 28, United States Code, Section 595(c), it certainly contains "substantial and credible information" of scandalous and punishable behavior by President Clinton. But does it contain grounds for impeachment?
From a lawyer's perspective, the referral is a masterpiece. A prosecutor, when accusing a defendant of a crime, must prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant committed the criminal act. Starr has met that standard.
In his 210-page report, there are 1,642 footnotes (an average of about 8 per page) microdetailing ad infinitum each action, almost minute by minute, establishing with near certainty who was where at what time, doing what with whom. As Starr notes, "Many of the details reveal highly personal information; many are sexually explicit."
The report is further substantiated by over 3,000 pages of appendices and exhibits. Was this overkill?
The Independent Counsel Act calls for the independent counsel to submit to Congress any substantial and credible information that may be grounds for impeachment--a standard far less rigorous than having to prove a
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