(2013-0628-F) "Troopergate"

The materials in FOIA 2013-0628-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. The January 1994 issue of The American Spectator included an article by David Brock titled “His Cheatin’ Heart: Living with the Clintons: Bill’s Arkansas bodyguards tell the story the press missed”. The article, better known as “Troopergate”, centered on the allegations of two Arkansas State Troopers, Larry Patterson and Roger Perry, who were assigned to then Governor Clinton’s security detail. In the article, the Troopers claimed that their duties included “facilitating Clinton’s cheating on his wife” and, more specifically, that “they were instructed by Clinton on a regular basis to approach women and to solicit their telephone numbers…to drive him in state vehicles to rendezvous points…and to help Clinton cover up his activities by keeping tabs on Hillary’s whereabouts and lying to Hillary about her husband’s whereabouts.” The article also briefly mentions an alleged “encounter” Clinton had with a woman “the trooper remembered only as Paula”. This in turn triggered Paula Jones’ sexual harassment lawsuit against the President. In April 1998, David Brock published an open letter to President Clinton in Esquire magazine apologizing for his “Troopergate” article, saying that it was not “in the interest of good government or serious journalism”. Records responsive to this FOIA include memoranda, correspondence, notes, and news articles. Many copies of David Brock’s article are included along with many related news articles. Correspondence consists of letters from R. Emmitt Tyrell, Jr. and Cliff Jackson to the President. In addition, there is a statement from Bruce Lindsey concerning the President’s interaction with Perry and Patterson. There is also a small amount of unrelated materials related to the Whitewater investigation in this collection.