Major Controversies Surrounding Hillary Clinton: A Detailed Timeline
Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is a prominent American politician and diplomat. She served as the 67th United States Secretary of State under President Barack Obama (2009-2013), a U.S. Senator for New York (2001-2009), and First Lady during Bill Clinton's presidency (1993-2001). As a member of the Democratic Party, Clinton secured the party's nomination in the 2016 presidential election, marking her as the first woman to achieve this milestone from a major U.S. party. Although she won the popular vote, she did not win the election. Notably, she remains the only First Lady to have pursued elected office.
1986: Conflict of interest accusations
In 1986, Bill Clinton's Republican opponent in his gubernatorial reelection campaign accused the Clintons of conflict of interest because Rose Law did state business.
August 1992: The Lady Macbeth of Little Rock Article
Beginning with Daniel Wattenberg's August 1992 The American Spectator article "The Lady Macbeth of Little Rock", Hillary's own past ideological and ethical record came under attack from conservatives.
April 1994: Approval Ratings Fell
In April 1994, Hillary Clinton's approval ratings fell to 44 percent as a result of her inexperience.
September 1994: Health Care Plan Abandoned
In September 1994, the Clinton health care plan was abandoned due to lack of support in Congress, and Hillary Clinton's approval ratings fell.
1994: Healthcare Plan Failed to Gain Approval
In 1994, Hillary Clinton's health care plan failed to gain approval from Congress.
1994: Health Care Plan Negatively Highlighted
In 1994, the Republican Party negatively highlighted the Clinton health care plan in their campaign for the midterm elections, which resulted in a Republican victory.
1995: Characterized as a Rorschach Test
In 1995, Hillary Clinton was characterized by Todd S. Purdum of The New York Times as a Rorschach test, reflecting diverse interpretations.
January 26, 1996: Testifying before a federal grand jury
On January 26, 1996, Hillary Clinton became the first spouse of a U.S. president to be subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury as part of the Whitewater controversy investigation.
1998: Lewinsky Scandal and Commitment to Marriage
In 1998, the Lewinsky scandal brought Hillary Clinton's marital relationship under public scrutiny, leading her to publicly reaffirm her commitment to her marriage.
1999: Supported NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia
In 1999, Hillary Clinton supported the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
2000: Against Same-Sex Marriage
In 2000, Hillary Clinton was against same-sex marriage.
2000: Opposition During Senate Run
When Hillary Clinton ran for Senate in 2000, several fundraising groups emerged to oppose her candidacy.
October 2002: Vote on Iraq War Authorization
In October 2002, Hillary Clinton voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, a vote she later regretted.
October 2002: Vote in favor of the Iraq War Resolution
In October 2002, Hillary Clinton voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution, which authorized President George W. Bush to use military force against Iraq.
2006: Support for State Decisions on Same-Sex Marriage
In 2006, Hillary Clinton stated she would support a state's decision to permit same-sex marriages but opposed a federal amendment to permit it.
2006: Anti-Clinton Literature Cottage Industry
In 2006, a New York Observer survey found a "virtual cottage industry" of "anti-Clinton literature" published by Regnery Publishing and other conservative imprints.
March 2007: Called for Alberto Gonzales to Resign
In March 2007, Hillary Clinton called for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign in response to the U.S. attorneys controversy.
April 2007: Liquidated Blind Trust
In April 2007, the Clintons liquidated their blind trust to avoid potential ethical conflicts during Hillary Clinton's presidential race.
September 2007: Response to General Petraeus's Report on Iraq
In September 2007, Hillary Clinton responded to General David Petraeus's Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq by expressing skepticism, stating that the reports required "a willing suspension of disbelief."
2007: Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage
While running for president in 2007, Hillary Clinton reiterated her opposition to same-sex marriage but expressed support for civil unions.
January 2008: New Hampshire Primary and Gender Discussion
Following Hillary Clinton's "choked up moment" and related incidents in the run-up to the January 2008 New Hampshire primary, discussions of gender's role in the campaign entered national political discourse.
September 2008: Supported the Bailout of the U.S. Financial System
In September 2008, as the financial crisis reached its peak, Hillary Clinton supported the proposed bailout of the U.S. financial system, voting in favor of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
2009: Debate over Afghanistan Surge
In 2009, Hillary Clinton sided with the military's recommendations for a maximal "Afghanistan surge" in an internal Obama administration debate, but eventually supported a compromise plan.
August 2011: Called for Assad to Resign
In August 2011, amidst escalating government violence during the Syrian Civil War, Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign from the presidency.
2011: Advocated Military Intervention in Libya
In 2011, Hillary Clinton responded to the Arab Spring by advocating the military intervention in Libya.
September 11, 2012: Attack on U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi
On September 11, 2012, the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked, resulting in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
2012: Plan to Arm Syrian Rebels Rejected
During mid-2012, Clinton created a plan with CIA Director David Petraeus to arm and train vetted groups of Syrian rebels. The White House officials rejected the proposal fearing that extremists hidden among the rebels might turn the weapons against other targets.
2012: Favored Arming Syria's Rebel Fighters
In 2012, Hillary Clinton favored arming Syria's rebel fighters and called for the removal of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
2012: Benghazi Attack
In 2012, Hillary Clinton was criticized by Republicans for the failure to prevent or adequately respond to the Benghazi attack.
January 23, 2013: Testimony on Benghazi Attack
On January 23, 2013, Hillary Clinton testified before two congressional foreign affairs committees regarding the Benghazi attack. She defended her actions and, while accepting formal responsibility, stated she had no direct role in specific discussions regarding consulate security beforehand.
May 2014: House Select Committee on Benghazi Created
In May 2014, the Republican-led House Select Committee on Benghazi was created to conduct an investigation related to the 2012 attack, criticized for being partisan.
November 2014: House Intelligence Committee Report on Benghazi
In November 2014, the House Intelligence Committee issued a report that concluded there had been no wrongdoing in the Obama administration's response to the Benghazi attack.
2014: Statement on Unaccompanied Children Crossing the Border
In 2014, Hillary Clinton stated that unaccompanied children crossing the border "should be sent back".
July 15, 2015: Inspectors General Release Joint Statement on Emails
On July 15, 2015, the inspectors general of the State Department and the intelligence community released a joint statement indicating their review of Hillary Clinton's emails found information that was classified when sent and should never have been transmitted via an unclassified personal system.
September 2015: Favorability Ratings Slump
By September 2015, with her 2016 presidential campaign underway and amidst continued reports regarding her private email usage at the State Department, Hillary Clinton's favorability ratings slumped to some of her lowest levels ever.
October 22, 2015: Testified Before Benghazi Committee
On October 22, 2015, Hillary Clinton testified at an all-day and nighttime session before the House Select Committee on Benghazi and was widely seen as emerging largely unscathed from the hearing.
February 4, 2016: No Classified Material Sent or Received
During a Democratic debate with Bernie Sanders on February 4, 2016, Hillary Clinton stated, "I never sent or received any classified material—they are retroactively classifying it."
February 2016: Retroactive Classification of Emails
In February 2016, The New York Times reported that nearly 2,100 emails stored on Hillary Clinton's server were retroactively marked classified by the State Department.
May 2016: State Department Inspector General Criticizes Email Use
In May 2016, the inspector general of the State Department criticized Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, stating that she had not requested permission for this and would not have received it if she had asked.
June 2016: Benghazi Committee Issues Final Reports
In June 2016, the House Select Committee on Benghazi issued competing final reports; the Republican report offered no evidence of culpability by Hillary Clinton.
July 2, 2016: Repeated Statement on Classified Material
On July 2, 2016, Hillary Clinton stated: "Let me repeat what I have repeated for many months now, I never received nor sent any material that was marked classified."
July 5, 2016: FBI Concluded Investigation
On July 5, 2016, the FBI concluded its investigation into Hillary Clinton's email practices.
July 6, 2016: No Criminal Charges
On July 6, 2016, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed that the probe into Hillary Clinton's use of private email servers would be closed without criminal charges.
October 28, 2016: FBI Reopens Email Investigation
On October 28, 2016, just weeks before the election, FBI Director James Comey notified Congress that the FBI had begun looking into newly discovered emails related to Hillary Clinton's private email server.
2016: Clinton's Email Controversy during Presidential Campaign
During the 2016 presidential election campaign, the controversy surrounding Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state became a prominent issue.
2016: Lost General Election to Donald Trump
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination, but lost the general election to Donald Trump in the Electoral College, while winning the popular vote. Her use of a private email server was the subject of intense scrutiny.
2016: Reference to Trump's chants during his campaign
In 2016, Trump's chants of 'Lock her up!' were in reference to Clinton's email scandal during his campaign.
2016: Loss of credibility with organized labor
In 2016, awareness of Hillary Clinton's stance on Wal-Mart's anti-labor union practices became a factor in her loss of credibility with organized labor, contributing to her loss in the election.
2016: Polling Lead and Email Investigation
Throughout most of 2016, Hillary Clinton held a significant lead in national polls over Donald Trump. However, in early July, they were tied following the FBI's conclusion of its investigation into her emails.
2017: Favored More Aggressive Action Against Assad
In a 2017 interview, Hillary Clinton said she favored more aggressive action against Bashar al-Assad, suggesting taking out his airfields to prevent the bombing of innocent people.
September 2019: State Department Finished Internal Review
In September 2019, the State Department finished its internal review of Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server, concluding that while it increased the risk of information being compromised, there was no evidence of "systemic, deliberate mishandling of classified information."
August 2024: Speech at 2024 Democratic National Convention
In August 2024, Hillary Clinton spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, referencing Donald Trump's felony convictions, which prompted chants of 'Lock him up!'
