Gibbons says he’ll vote for impeachment

Friday, Dec. 18, 1998 | 11:07 a.m.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said today he expected to vote for three of the four articles of impeachment against President Clinton.

Gibbons laid out his position in an interview with the Sun this morning as the House began debating the impeachment articles.

The vote wasn't expected to take place until Saturday. Nevada's other congressman, Republican John Ensign, had not weighed in on the impeachment issue as of this morning.

"This was an enormously painful and agonizing process to go through," Gibbons said. "I have gotten very little sleep over the last several weeks."

Gibbons said he intended to support Articles 1, 3 and 4, which accuse the president of lying to a federal grand jury, obstructing justice and abusing his presidential powers through an effort to conceal his sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Gibbons said he couldn't vote for Article 2, which charges Clinton with perjury in the Paula Jones sexual-harassment lawsuit. He said he doesn't believe the president's testimony in the suit, in which he denied having sex with Lewinsky, rises to an impeachable offense.

But the other three articles, he said, provide evidence that Clinton's conduct has undermined the very pinnacle of American democracy -- the relationship between the president and the other two branches of government, Congress and the judiciary.

"Private conduct is not the issue here," Gibbons said. "Conduct between government bodies is the issue. His plan to conceal evidence that was subpoenaed by the judiciary and his lying under oath all constitute irreparable damage to our system of government."

Gibbons said he received no pressure from the Republican leadership, the White House or other special interests before making his decision.

"This is a decision I have come to based on my own examination and search of the evidence that is before us," he said.

Gibbons said he examined a good portion of the 60,000 pages of documentation presented to Congress by independent counsel Kenneth Starr.

"This is a tremendously sad time for the people of America, but America is a resilient country," Gibbons said. "We have been through this process only twice before.

"Today I would hope that America is stronger, not weaker, because of our effort to reaffirm that no person is above the law in this country."