Kathleen Willey
BornKathleen Elizabeth Matzuk
(1946-06-02) June 2, 1946
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationWhite House aide volunteer
Spouse
Richard Dolsey
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1970)​
    Edward Willey
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1973; died 1993)​
      Bill Schwicker
      ​
      ​
      (m. 1999; div. 2006)​
      Children3[lower-alpha 1]

      Kathleen Willey (born June 2, 1946) is a former White House volunteer aide who, on March 15, 1998, alleged on the TV news program 60 Minutes that Bill Clinton had sexually assaulted her on November 29, 1993, during his first term as President. She had been subpoenaed to testify in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.[2]

      Claims

      According to Willey, during an early afternoon meeting on November 29, 1993, in the private study of the Oval Office, Clinton had embraced her tightly, kissed her on the lips, grabbed her breast, and forced her hand on his genitals.[3] Clinton denied assaulting Willey. According to Monica Lewinsky's testimony, Clinton stated that the allegation was absurd because Willey is a small-breasted woman, so he would never pursue such a woman.[4] She had asked an acquaintance, Julie Hiatt Steele, to back up her claims to a Newsweek reporter; Steele at first reluctantly agreed, but soon recanted and then was subjected to a years-long attack by Willey's right-wing patrons and brought up on charges by Ken Starr's OIC.[5]

      According to Linda Tripp's grand jury testimony, she felt Willey pursued a romance with Clinton from the start of her White House affiliation. Willey had speculated with Tripp as to how she might be able to set up an assignation between herself and the president. She routinely attended events at which Clinton would be present and wore a black dress she believed he liked. According to Tripp's testimony, Willey wondered if she and Clinton could arrange to meet in a home to which she had access, on the Chesapeake Bay.[6]

      Investigation

      The Final Report of the U.S. Office of the Independent Counsel report noted that "Willey and President Clinton are the only direct witnesses to their meeting, and their accounts differ substantially on the crucial facts of what occurred." It also stated that she gave false information to the FBI about her sexual relationship with a former boyfriend and acknowledged having lied about it when the agents confronted her with contradictory evidence. The probative value of this last aspect of Willey's testimony is highly uncertain beyond the unfavorable light it casts on her general credibility. Her claims regarding Clinton do not involve her former boyfriend.

      There were also some differences in Paula Jones’ and her grand jury testimony, but in both, she stated she had been harassed.[7][8] Following Willey's acknowledgment of these lies about her boyfriend, "the Independent Counsel agreed not to prosecute Willey for any offense arising out of the investigation, including false statements in her Jones deposition, so long as she cooperated fully and truthfully with the investigation."[9]

      According to Independent Counsel Robert Ray's report, "Willey's Paula Jones deposition testimony differed from her grand jury testimony on material aspects of the alleged incident."[10]

      Ultimately, the Independent Counsel declined prosecution, and noted the absence of strong supporting evidence.[11]

      According to a book critical of Clinton by Candice E. Jackson, Tripp told Larry King in February 1999 that Willey is "an honest person" who was "telling the truth" about having been sexually assaulted by Clinton.[12] However, Tripp's grand jury testimony differs from Willey's claims regarding inappropriate sexual advances. She stated that Willey appeared excited about the alleged assault. Specifically, Tripp testified that Willey reported Clinton's sexual advances, which Clinton completely denied making. Tripp also noted that Willey stated that the force of the advances took her breath away, which is consistent with Willey's claim that she was not even given the opportunity to consent. However, Tripp further noted that Willey seemed pleased in some respects with what had happened.[13][14]

      The Independent Counsel believed that Willey told a boyfriend that she was pregnant and she had a miscarriage when she did not.[15] On the evening of March 19, 1998, Julie Hiatt Steele, a friend of Willey, released an affidavit, accusing the former White House aide of asking her to lie to corroborate Willey's account of being sexually groped by President Clinton in the Oval Office.[16]

      An attempt by Starr to prosecute Steele for making false statements and obstructing justice ended in a mistrial, and Starr declined to seek a retrial after Steele sought an investigation against the former Independent Counsel for prosecutorial misconduct.[17] Federal prosecutors are immune to such “misconduct” actions under longstanding Supreme Court precedent.

      In March 2000, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that President Clinton had "committed a criminal violation" of the Privacy Act of 1974 by releasing letters from Willey to the President that were written even after the alleged incident.[18] A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court of Appeals later criticized that aspect of Lamberth's ruling as “sweeping” and “superfluous,”[19] but denied the White House motion before them. Willey filed suit against the White House over the issue.[20]

      Target

      On November 6, 2007, her book Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton was published by WND Books, an imprint of World Ahead Media and WorldNetDaily. In her book, Willey claimed that on Labor Day weekend 2007, her house was burglarized, with the only thing stolen being a manuscript of her book. Willey stated that she believes individuals with ties to the Clintons were responsible for the break-in. She also filed a police report.[21]

      Willey draws similarities in her book between the circumstances of her husband's death on November 29, 1993, and of the death of Vincent Foster,[22] although she does not claim to know that any wrongdoing took place.[23]

      "A Scandal a Day" website

      In July 2015, Willey launched "A Scandal A Day," an anti-Clinton website;[24] the website was set up by an Arizona-based private detective company Maverick Investigations, owned by Tom Watson.[25]

      In 2016, Willey was interviewed by Larry King about the alleged incident.[26]

      Appearance with Trump

      In October 2016, Willey joined Donald Trump for a press conference before the second presidential debate to air grievances against Hillary and Bill Clinton. The conference also included Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, and Kathy Shelton.[27][28] She was paid $2,500 for the appearance by a Political Action Committee headed by Roger Stone.[29]

      Personal life

      While in high school, Willey became pregnant. She was sent to Ohio for the birth, and the child was placed for adoption. When she returned to school, it was said that her absence had been due to a car crash.[1]

      Her first marriage was to Richard Dolsey, a medical student at the time. They had a daughter before divorcing in 1970.[1]

      At the time of the alleged assault by President Clinton, Willey was married to Edward Eugene Willey Jr., a real estate lawyer. They had a son together.[1] Edward Willey committed suicide on November 29, 1993.[30]

      She was remarried in November 1999 to Bill Schwicker,[31] whom she divorced in 2006. As of 2008, she works and resides in Powhatan County, Virginia.[32]

      Willey works as a freelance writer and lives in Powhatan County, Virginia.[33]

      In 2021, Willey was portrayed by Elizabeth Reaser in Impeachment: American Crime Story, which focuses on the story of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and portrays Willey's relationship with Linda Tripp.

      See also

      Notes

      1. ↑ Her firstborn child was placed for adoption. She then had a daughter with her first husband and a son with her second husband.[1]

      References

      1. 1 2 3 4 Bellafante, Ginia (March 30, 1998). "The Lives Of Kathleen Willey". Time. Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via CNN.
      2. ↑ "Sparking the Scandal". TIME. February 2, 1998. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
      3. ↑ "Willey v. Clinton: Who's Lying? – March 15, 1998". www.cnn.com. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
      4. ↑ "The Starr Report". www.washingtonpost.com. 1998. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
      5. ↑ ""Federal trial is a Starr attraction", Leef Smith, Washington Post". May 3, 1999.
      6. ↑ "Office of the Independent Council documents" (PDF). January 27, 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2007.
      7. ↑ "Excerpts from Katheen Willey's Deposition". Washington Post. March 13, 1998. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
      8. ↑ Susan Schmidt (November 1, 1998). "Starr Probing Willey Allegations". Washington Post.
      9. ↑ Final Report of the Independent Council, Appendix B – Investigation of Allegations Made by Kathleen E. Willey (PDF). OIC & GPO.
      10. ↑ http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/clinton/icreport/appbwiley030602icrpt.pdf (p.7 pdf)
      11. ↑ Final Report of the Independent Council, Appendix B – Investigation of Allegations Made by Kathleen E. Willey (PDF). OIC & GPO.
      12. ↑ Candice E. Jackson (2004). Their Lives: The Women Targeted by the Clinton Machine. World Ahead Media. p. 48.
      13. ↑ "Stalking the president". Salon.com. January 1999. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
      14. ↑ Susan Schmidt (November 1, 1998). "Starr Probing Willey Allegations". Washington Post.
      15. ↑ "The Lives Of Kathleen Willey". CNN. March 30, 1998. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
      16. ↑ John M. Broader (March 19, 1998). "Friend Accuses Willey for Plea to her to Lie". New York Times. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
      17. ↑ Peter Levy (November 30, 2001). Encyclopedia of the Clinton Presidency. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 328–329. ISBN 978-0313312946. Retrieved February 15, 2014. julia hiatt steele.
      18. ↑ "Judge rules White House violated privacy of Kathleen Willey". CNN. March 29, 1998. Archived from the original on January 14, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
      19. ↑ Stout, David (May 27, 2000). "White House Loses and Gains in Ruling on a Privacy Act Case". New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
      20. ↑ "Willey Files Suit Against Clintons". CNN. September 21, 2000. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
      21. ↑ Willey, Kathleen (November 2007). Target: Caught in the cross hairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton. ISBN 978-0974670164.
      22. ↑ Goldberg, Michelle (November 13, 2017). "I Believe Juanita". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
      23. ↑ Willey, Kathleen (November 6, 2007). Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton (1 ed.). WND Books, an imprint of World Ahead Media. pp. 68-71. ISBN 978-0974670164. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
      24. ↑ ""a SCANDAL a day" Home". Kathleen Willey. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
      25. ↑ Tumulty, Karen; Sellers, Frances Stead (January 6, 2016). "The Bill Clinton scandal machine revs back up and takes aim at his wife". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
      26. ↑ "In an exclusive interview, Kathleen Willey discusses what it's like to be at ground zero in one of the biggest political and sex scandals of the century". Style Weekly. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
      27. ↑ Stack, Liam (October 9, 2016). "Donald Trump Featured Paula Jones and 2 Other Women Who Accused Bill Clinton of Sexual Assault". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
      28. ↑ Zeleny, Jeff (October 10, 2016). "Trump appears with Bill Clinton accusers before debate". CNN. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
      29. ↑ Horowitz, Jeff (October 10, 2016). "Trump Ally Paid Sexual Assault Victim Critical of Clinton". ABC. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
      30. ↑ Goldstein, Amy (March 19, 1998). "Discrepancies Emerging on Both Sides of Willey Story". Washington Post. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
      31. ↑ "Kathleen's Story – Part 3". Style Weekly. Richmond, Virginia. July 13, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
      32. ↑ Roop, Jason (February 20, 2008). "Kathleen's Crusade". Style Weekly. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
      33. ↑ "Here's what happened to "Impeachment's" Kathleen Willey". Newsweek. September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
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