white_house travel office controversy white_house travel office controversy referred major ethics controversy clinton administration began seven employees fired action unusual theoretically staff employees serve pleasure president dismissed cause practice employees usually remain posts years white_house stated financial operation previous revealed fbi investigation critics contended allow friends president bill_clinton lady travel business involvement fbi heavy media attention forced white_house employees jobs remove clinton associates travel role investigations fbi white_house took place subsequent years director charged found guilty independent counsel bill_clinton involvement matter hillary_clinton gradually came scrutiny allegedly having played central role making false statements role independent counsel issued final report sought charges saying clinton statements false insufficient evidence statements false understood statements led known officially dates administration serves handle travel arrangements white_house press corps costs billed participating news organizations time start clinton administration seven employees yearly budget million serve pleasure president practice career employees cases worked 1960s 1970s democratic republican travel office director held position serving reagan started handle frequent minute arrangements presidential travel specialized requirements press conduct competitive bidding travel services relied charter company called airline americas actions according white_house incoming clinton administration heard reports irregularities possible office employee charter air company looked review discovered kept book checks kept chaotic office records white_house chief staff white_house decided fire staff actual white_house director administration feeling white_house supporters investigated media close relationship press corps members accommodations afforded favors congress later discover october alleged financial reagan white_house counsel looked claim took action republicans critics saw events differently alleged friends president bill_clinton including cousin sought order business staff replaced arkansas based company substantial reputation industry ties addition hollywood producer inauguration chairman friend business partner looking air charter company white_house business place airline americas clinton campaign sole client collecting commissions booking charter flights campaign wanted white_house award contract aircraft seeking charter business planes attention initially focused role fbi week associate white_house counsel requested fbi look possible operation fbi agents went initially reluctant authorized preliminary investigation deputy white_house counsel worried place ordered review asking fbi hold meantime accounting review started report given white_house unable actual records office use double entry system based representative later described office mess terms records years material closet review came reports irregularities went ahead investigations travel office affair quickly major ethics controversy clinton presidency embarrassment new administration criticism political opponents especially news media intense white_house later described having paralyzed week effect intensified cable television news advent hour news cycle days voluntarily withdrew white_house travel operation replaced temporary basis later competitive bid received permanent role book press charters investigations took place fbi role white_house staff fbi launch investigation heavily criticized fbi issued report saying wrong contacts white_house conclusion reiterated march report fbi investigation practices continued soon focusing summer office informed longer target investigation clinton white_house report july white_house issued page report new_york_times termed self critical written chief staff criticized white_house officials included kennedy dismissing members appearing pressure fbi involvement allowing friends involved matter business stake said employees instead placed administrative leave white_house said illegal actions occurred officials terminated satisfy senate minority leader called independent investigation chief staff personally apologized fired employees personal documents travel photographs related years service thrown firing process said given jobs assistant director retired white_house report contained initial indications lady involvement saying taken interest informed days advance place indication involvement president clinton earlier taken broad public responsibility happened travel office controversy subsequently judged factor depression july suicide torn resignation note days wrote white_house knowledge violated law standard conduct including action intent benefit individual specific group press covering illegal benefits received travel staff foster referring customs treatment goods brought foreign trips reporters report july congress requested non partisan investigate concluded white_house legal authority terminate employees cause served pleasure president concluded potential business interests involved possibly influenced decision report indicated lady hillary_clinton played larger role previously thought saying urged action taken people travel office lady given written statement inquiry said recall conversation level detail investigation begins special prosecutor investigated travel office events half investigating circumstances surrounding foster death august independent counsel took investigating indirectly travel office matter july hillary_clinton gave deposition oath touched travel office questions denied having role unable recall conversations investigation begins late following congressional elections switched congress democratic republican control chaired pennsylvania republican launched investigation october committee began hearings matter soon accused white house documents sought witnesses appear private investigations investigations governmental bodies magazine established couple focused story clinton related matters thought describing story influence deal making clinton white house spectator publisher claim magazine early stories provided useful material congressional investigations general clinton administration controversies allowed opinion magazines political debate television shows attract subscribers viewers prosecution consequence fbi investigation director indicted federal grand jury december counts criminal conversion charged bank account checks media organizations traveling president period faced years prison convicted attorneys conceded funds stated stolen substantial tips book payments job required especially foreign countries left future trips day trial october november prominent journalists testified character witnesses behalf trial focused details movement funds personal account political overtones case jury acquitted charges november following hours memo surfaces hillary_clinton january new development thrust travel office matter forefront year old memo white_house director administration surfaced identified lady force additional involvement foster regularly informed lady concerned desired action action desired firing staff written fall apparently intended memo said know hell pay failed swift decisive action lady wishes memo contradicted lady previous statements investigation played role consulted white_house found difficult explain memo late previous investigations requested relevant materials house committee chair charged cover taking place vowed pursue new material developments following hillary_clinton prior disputed statements cattle dealings led famous exchange high profile new_york_times columnist endorsed bill_clinton previous election wrote americans coming sad realization lady woman talents role model generation followed white_house press secretary saying president president delivered forceful response bridge nose result discovery memo based suggestion march attorney general requested counsel expand inquiry specifically include travel office affair particular allegations white_house employees lied hillary_clinton role hillary_clinton false statements previous testimony congress independent counsel congressional investigation continued march hillary_clinton submitted deposition oath acknowledging concern irregularities denying direct role expressing lack number questions battle took place legislative executive branches president clinton refused turn additional documents related matter claiming executive privilege house committee chair threatened contempt congress resolution president white_house partially backed surrendering documents committee asked seven dismissed employees picture march house voted legal expenses september democratic senator led unsuccessful attempt block measure seven filed million lawsuit alleging unlawful interference employment emotional distress june announced committee investigations discovered white_house requested access fbi background check report seven months said improper effort justify rapidly discovered white_house additionally gotten improper access hundreds fbi background reports white_house employees republican born controversy senator chaired begun previous year issued findings majority report june investigate directly clinton learning foster death realized connection scandal matter dispatched trusted contain potential embarrassment political damage minority democratic members committee derided findings legislative witch hunt political game issued majority report september accused clinton administration having committee efforts investigate scandal portrayed bill_clinton heavily involved travel office affair investigation report chapter titles white house investigations related matters white house initiated aftermath president days foster death shattered white house recovering months administration forth democratic members committee walked protest report ranking member calling embarrassment chairman committee congress partisan campaign president clinton clinton administration following month report suggesting testimony witnesses looked possible justice democrats said politically motivated attempt influence presidential election findings years passed independent continued investigation wanted access notes attorney took conversation foster travel office affair shortly foster suicide june ruled united_states stating attorney client privilege extends grave september independent released famous concerning offenses committed president clinton scandal mention travel office matter november testified connection bill_clinton charges related scandal time president clinton travel office affair saying investigations complete president involved investigation chose occasion clear president clinton matter committed wrongdoing matter democrats committee immediately criticized findings congressional elections explicitly hillary_clinton case remained unsettled time passed candidate united_states senator new_york replaced prosecutor worked clinton opponent senate race regardless ray vowed investigation effect political process ray determined wrap case end bill_clinton term june suspense ended ray submitted final report travel office affair seal judicial panel charge investigation publicly announced seek criminal charges hillary_clinton ray said contrary statements ultimately influenced decision fire employees evidence insufficient prove jury reasonable doubt clinton statements testimony involvement travel office false prosecution declined white_house press secretary critical ray statement results legally sealed report investigation dragged far long ray page report public october weeks election confirmed hillary_clinton indicted included new detail including somewhat claim friend saying lady told fire sons ray cited separate conversations lady senior staff concluded clinton input process significant significant factor influencing pace events ultimate decision fire employees ray determined hillary_clinton given false testimony questioned congress travel office reiterated evidence insufficient prove reasonable doubt knew statements false understood prompted immediate reactions report differed hillary_clinton lawyer said ray words highly unfair misleading ray conclusions inconsistent evidence innocence buried document report confirmed fears financial hand chair new_york said report makes question clinton congressman republican opponent senate election said believe character counts public service new_york_times columnist updated description hillary_clinton saying evidence lying comparing dark richard_nixon white_house worked regardless years finally legacy legal aftermath united_states important supreme_court decision length expense results investigations grouped umbrella turned public independent counsel mechanism independent counsel law expired critics saying cost results favored law demise opinions differ legacy affair agreed said hillary_clinton power player fbi ruin lives people standing way patronage conservative commentator highly book hell pay story reference clinton phrase little effect hillary_clinton career won election senate won election strong contender democratic_party nomination presidential election served secretary state ran president bill_clinton later described allegations investigation fraud autobiography hillary_clinton gave short matter mentioning saying worthy week life span instead partisan political climate manifestation obsession investigation persisted millennium clinton inner circle believe political motivations investigation including attempt hillary_clinton role health care reform plan associate white_house counsel later reflect pure hatred started quit
White House travel office controversy