10 PM EST, approx 4
minutes
``
Good evening.
This
afternoon in this room, from this chair, I testified before the
Office of Independent Counsel and the grand jury.
I
answered their questions truthfully, including questions about my
private life, questions no American citizen would ever want to
answer.
Still,
I must take complete responsibility for all my actions, both public
and private. And that is why I am speaking to you tonight.
As you
know, in a deposition in January, I was asked questions about my
relationship with Monica Lewinsky. While my answers were legally
accurate, I did not volunteer information.
Indeed, I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not
appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse
in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely
and completely responsible.
But I
told the grand jury today and I say to you now that at no time did I
ask anyone to lie, to hide or destroy evidence or to take any other
unlawful action.
I know
that my public comments and my silence about this matter gave a
false impression. I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply
regret that.
I can
only tell you I was motivated by many factors. First, by a desire to
protect myself from the embarrassment of my own conduct.
I was
also very concerned about protecting my family. The fact that these
questions were being asked in a politically inspired lawsuit, which
has since been dismissed, was a consideration, too.
In
addition, I had real and serious concerns about an independent
counsel investigation that began with private business dealings 20
years ago, dealings I might add about which an independent federal
agency found no evidence of any wrongdoing by me or my wife over two
years ago.
The
independent counsel investigation moved on to my staff and friends,
then into my private life. And now the investigation itself is under
investigation.
This
has gone on too long, cost too much and hurt too many innocent
people.
Now,
this matter is between me, the two people I love most -- my wife and
our daughter -- and our God. I must put it right, and I am prepared
to do whatever it takes to do so.
Nothing is more important to me personally. But it is private, and I
intend to reclaim my family life for my family. It's nobody's
business but ours.
Even
presidents have private lives. It is time to stop the pursuit of
personal destruction and the prying into private lives and get on
with our national life.
Our
country has been distracted by this matter for too long, and I take
my responsibility for my part in all of this. That is all I can do.
Now it
is time -- in fact, it is past time to move on.
We
have important work to do -- real opportunities to seize, real
problems to solve, real security matters to face.
And so
tonight, I ask you to turn away from the spectacle of the past seven
months, to repair the fabric of our national discourse, and to
return our attention to all the challenges and all the promise of
the next American century.
Thank
you for watching. And good night.''
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