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Panetta: Bill Clinton ‘more than paid’ for Lewinsky scandal

by Julia Manchester - 11/18/17 5:25 PM ET

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday that former President Bill Clinton “more than paid the price” for his affair with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky, which led to his impeachment in the House of Representatives.

“The mere fact that he went through an impeachment process as President means that there will always be a shadow on the legacy of his presidency, so at least from my point of view, he’s more than paid the price,” Panetta, who was Clinton’s chief of staff from 1994 to 1997, said on CNN.

{mosads}The former Obama official’s remarks come as various Democrats and Republicans have raised questions about the treatment of Clinton in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations made against him in the 1990s.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) sent shockwaves through Washington on Friday, when she said in an interview that Clinton should have resigned after the affair.

“I think that is the appropriate response,” Gillibrand said when asked whether Clinton should have stepped down.

“I think under those circumstances there should be a very different reaction,” she continued. “And I think in light of this conversation, we should have a very different conversation about President Trump, and a very different conversation about allegations against him.”

The topic of sexual misconduct has been on the national stage for weeks as women across the country continue coming forward to accuse influential men of sexual assault.

The conversation has re-entered the political realm in recent days with the numerous allegations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore and an allegation against Sen. Al Frankin (D-Minn.).

Tags Bill Clinton Kirsten Gillibrand