April 12, 1999
Web posted at: 7:24 p.m. EDT (2324 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, April 12) -- U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright found President Bill Clinton in civil contempt of court Monday for his "willful failure" to obey her repeated orders to testify truthfully in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit.

Wright has referred her ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court to see if any disciplinary action should be taken, CNN has learned.

"Simply put, the president's deposition testimony regarding whether he had ever been alone with Ms. (Monica) Lewinsky was intentionally false and his statements regarding whether he had ever engaged in sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky likewise were intentionally false," the judge wrote of Clinton's January 17, 1998 deposition.

Wright also ordered Clinton to pay Jones "any reasonable expenses including attorneys' fees caused by his willful failure to obey this court's discovery orders," directing Jones' lawyers to submit an accounting of their expenses and fees within 20 days.

She also ruled Clinton must reimburse to the court $1,202 for the judge's travel expenses. Wright traveled to Washington at Clinton's request to preside over what she now calls "his tainted deposition."

"The court takes no pleasure whatsoever in holding this nation's president in contempt of court," the 32-page opinion read.

Referring to the professional rule that states it is misconduct for a lawyer to engage in conduct involving "dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation," Wright also referred matter to the Arkansas Supreme Court's Committee on Professional Conduct to review Clinton's action and impose any disciplinary action it thinks is appropriate, including possible disbarment as a lawyer.

Bob Bennett, Clinton's attorney in the Paula Jones case, is withholding any comment until he can study the ruling.

Clinton has 30 days to request a hearing or file a notice of appeal of Wright's ruling. If the president's legal team does not respond, the court will enter an order setting out the time and manner by which Clinton must comply with the sanctions.

Wright first raised the possibility of contempt in a footnote to her September 1 decision to release a transcript of Clinton's testimony in the Jones case, but said she wanted to wait to address the issue until after the president's impeachment trial.

At the time, Wright said she "has concerns about the nature of the president's January 17, 1998, deposition" but "makes no findings at this time regarding whether the president may be in contempt."

In the deposition, Clinton said: "I have never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky." He acknowledged August 17 before a federal grand jury -- and again in a nationally televised address -- that he had an inappropriate relationship with Lewinsky.

However, he has said that the statements he made in the Jones deposition were "legally accurate."

Clinton testified to the grand jury that he might not have been paying attention when his lawyer told the judge about Lewinsky's affidavit in which she said there was no sex of any kind with Clinton.

Landmark Legal Foundation, a conservative legal group in Washington, filed a formal petition with Wright months ago seeking a court hearing on whether Clinton was in contempt of court because of what the private organization called his "apparently false testimony." The foundation said "the court has the right, if not the duty, to defend itself against obstructive acts committed in its presence."

Jones filed her lawsuit in 1994. Wright dismissed the lawsuit April 1, but Jones appealed the decision. The appeal was pending when she and Clinton reached a settlement November 13.

Jones' lawsuit brought to light the president's affair with Lewinsky and set in motion a criminal investigation that resulted in the House vote to impeach Clinton.

Jones alleged that Clinton, when he was governor of Arkansas, made a crude advance in a room at a Little Rock hotel in 1991, and that her career suffered because she rejected his overtures. She was a state worker at the time.

CNN's Bob Franken and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Monday, April 12, 1999

• Clinton found in civil contempt for Jones testimony
• House, Senate GOP leaders reach budget compromise
• McDougal not guilty on one count; mistrial declared on other two charges
• The trials and tribulations of Susan McDougal
• Congress returns to talk Kosovo
• Capitol statues may be replaced
• Congress approves disaster aid bill
• As recess ends, Kosovo could overwhelm GOP tax-cut message
• Gore schedules 'house parties' to soften VIP image
• Blockbuster congressional hearings a thing of the past?
• With eyes on Giuliani, Lazio is the other Republican

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