Yeah, I know, legally speaking. But the lie and perjury were over sexual misconduct. So the two are tied together.
If you’ll recall, the original investigation was over White Water. Ken Starr went after him hard and relentlessly on that but could not find enough there to impeach him other than putting him on the spot over the affair with Monica Lewinsky.
His relationship with her was consensual, not harassment, and not rape. It was inappropriate and therefore sexual misconduct.
Let’s not kid ourselves though. Nobody cared about Monica Lewinsky in this. She was a tool to get at him by political enemies, namely Starr. That situation exemplifies how the only time men of power face responsibility for untoward sexual misconduct on ANY level is when it ties into something else. It highlights exactly how little women and their safety mean to society.
Still, it’s consequences in a way. Like how Capone was taken down for tax evasion rather than murder.
Clinton faced some consequences; the embarrassment of exposure as a sexual abuser because it all came out during the investigation and impeachment, loss of his legal license, censure, loss of some power and ability to push his agenda the remainder of his time in office, loss of prestige in that it is what he is known for more than anything he accomplished in office, etc.
Trump has faced no consequences for similar behavior in regards to Stormy Daniels. It was consensual, not harassment, but misconduct and also illegal. So slightly worse. The consequences that should have led to an impeachment were violations of election finance law. He had her paid off for silence with election funds. That’s also illegal alongside the prostitution. But the GOP protected him from investigation more than the Democrats protected Clinton from Ken Starr.
That’s not counting the many accusations and accounts of rape, assault, harassment, peeping, menacing, and all the other creepy behavior, etc that have never had or will ever have a proper investigation.
None of those accusations will ever be investigated because it’s not about the crimes committed against women. It never is. It’s about using those accusations as political leverage and fodder Both sides do this.
Women get the crumbs of justice from both sides. Sexual assaults happen in the dark and the shadows. There is seldom proof, or enough proof. There is misinformation on both sides of the gender divide about what constitutes sexual misconduct and where the lines are. There is constant gaslighting and blaming of victims. Cases are hard to build and often complicated. Victims face severe repercussions for coming forward. Lots of times assaults are long cons where (mostly young and inexperienced) women are groomed.
Until these issues are resolved within society and the legal code, the best women can hope for in ending rape culture and creating safe space for themselves is the occasional crumb of justice.
It’s a false equivalency to suggest that because any kind of consequence may be pursued because of or tied to political motivations that it didn’t happen. That the women are lying. The truth and the fact is that political considerations give women who otherwise would never have had a chance at justice a chance. A chance to be heard. A chance to say, you did this to me, you hurt me, and it was wrong.
Men who sexually exploit and abuse women will also be more likely to engage in malfeasance of office. Some women come forward because they want people to know the sort of person they are putting their faith and vote into. It’s a warning. People do the same with other crimes, like theft and fraud, so it’s not about ruining the life of “promising” men. It’s about warning their fellow citizens not to vote for someone who might steal from and abuse the public trust.
At some point, all the people who donated to Trump are going to realize how badly they’ve been had. They were warned. Do you really think that someone who would pay off a hooker with money meant for campaign expenses would be honest, prudent, and responsible with any other money you trust to his grubby little hands? In time, all the malfeasance of office and lining of pockets will come out. Much of it already has.
What were these people thinking? They were warned by many women who bravely came forward to tell the public exactly the sort of man he is. For their trouble they have been harassed, maligned, slandered, called crazy, accused of politicing, and stalked or threatened in some cases. None of those things happened at large scale (that we know of) to the people who tried to warn the electorate over the Trump University fraud. Or the charity scam. Or the bankruptcies. Or the stiffing of vendors. Or the slum lording. I could go on.
Think about that.
