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, lawyer, and diplomat. She served as the 67th United States Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, a U.S. Senator for New York, and First Lady during Bill Clinton's presidency. As a member of the Democratic Party, Clinton made history as the first woman to secure a major party's presidential nomination in 2016 and the only woman to win the popular vote in a U.S. presidential election. Despite her popular vote victory, she lost the Electoral College to Donald Trump. Notably, she remains the only First Lady to have pursued elected office.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1978: Cattle futures trading

In 1978, Hillary Clinton engaged in cattle futures trading, which later became a subject of controversy. Allegations arose that she engaged in a conflict of interest, but no formal investigation was made, and she was never charged with any wrongdoing.

1979: Cattle futures trading

In 1979, Hillary Clinton continued cattle futures trading, which later became a subject of controversy. Allegations arose that she engaged in a conflict of interest, but no formal investigation was made, and she was never charged with any wrongdoing.

1986: Accusations of conflict of interest

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

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.

1992: Sustained national attention

In 1992, Hillary Clinton received sustained national attention for the first time when her husband became a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Before the New Hampshire primary, tabloid publications printed allegations that Bill Clinton had engaged in an extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers.

April 1994: Approval Ratings Fell

In April 1994, Hillary Clinton's approval ratings fell to 44 percent.

September 1994: The proposal was abandoned

In September 1994, Hillary Clinton's National Health Care Reform proposal was abandoned after failing to gather enough support for a floor vote in either the House or the Senate.

1994: Healthcare Plan Fails to Gain Approval

In 1994, Hillary Clinton's health care plan failed to gain approval from Congress.

1994: Healthcare plan contributed to the Democrats' defeat

In 1994, the Republican Party negatively highlighted the Clinton health care plan in their campaign for the midterm elections and saw strong success. Analysts and pollsters found the healthcare plan to be a major factor in the Democrats' defeat, especially among independent voters.

January 26, 1996: Testimony before 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.

June 1996: Discovery of improper White House access to FBI background reports

In June 1996, the "Filegate" scandal emerged, involving improper White House access to hundreds of FBI background reports on former Republican White House employees. Accusations were made that Hillary Clinton had requested these files, but a final report later found no substantial evidence of her involvement or misconduct.

1996: Supported Welfare Reform Act

In 1996, Hillary Clinton decided to support the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, which became the best political compromise available.

1998: Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal

In 1998, Hillary Clinton's marital relationship came under public scrutiny during the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal, which led her to publicly reaffirm her commitment to the marriage.

1998: Lewinsky scandal and impeachment of President Clinton

In 1998, investigations revealed President Bill Clinton's extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. Hillary Clinton initially dismissed the allegations as a "vast right-wing conspiracy" but later acknowledged she was misled. The events surrounding the Lewinsky scandal led to President Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives, though he was later acquitted by the Senate.

2000: Opposition to same-sex marriage

In 2000, Hillary Clinton was against same-sex marriage altogether, marking a different position than her later stance.

2000: Final report on Filegate issued

In 2000, the final Independent Counsel report on the Filegate controversy found no substantial or credible evidence that Hillary Clinton had any role or showed any misconduct in the matter.

2000: Final Whitewater report issued

In 2000, the final report on the Whitewater controversy was issued, stating that there was insufficient evidence that either Bill or Hillary Clinton had engaged in criminal wrongdoing.

October 2001: Vote for the USA Patriot Act

In October 2001, Hillary Clinton voted for the USA Patriot Act following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

2001: Controversy over gifts sent to the White House

In early 2001, a controversy arose regarding gifts sent to the White House, with questions over whether furnishings were White House or personal property. The gifts were shipped to the Clintons' private residence during Bill Clinton's last year in office.

October 2002: Vote in favor of Iraq War Resolution

In October 2002, Hillary Clinton voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution, authorizing President George W. Bush to use military force against Iraq.

October 2002: Vote in favor of military force against Iraq

In October 2002, as a Senator, Hillary Clinton voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, later expressing regret for the vote.

2005: Call for investigation of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

In 2005, Hillary Clinton called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how hidden sex scenes appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and she introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act with Senators Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh.

2005: Concerns with the USA Patriot Act Reauthorization Conference Report

In 2005, as the USA Patriot Act was up for renewal, Hillary Clinton expressed concerns with the USA Patriot Act Reauthorization Conference Report regarding civil liberties.

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. The attack and subsequent explanations became politically controversial.

2012: Benghazi Attack

In 2012, Hillary Clinton was harshly criticized by Republicans for the failure to prevent or adequately respond to the Benghazi attack.

2012: Attack on U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi

January 23, 2013: Testimony Regarding Benghazi Attack

On January 23, 2013, Hillary Clinton testified to congressional foreign affairs committees regarding the Benghazi attack. She defended her actions but said she had no direct role in specific discussions regarding consulate security.

February 1, 2013: Last Day as Secretary of State

February 1, 2013, marked Hillary Clinton's last day as U.S. Secretary of State. Analysts noted her focus on less tangible goals with lasting effects and criticized her for accepting millions in donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Foundation during her tenure.

May 2014: Creation of House Select Committee on Benghazi

In May 2014, the Republican-led House Select Committee on Benghazi was created to investigate the 2012 attack. The committee was criticized as 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 administration's response to the Benghazi attack.

2014: Reversal on Iraq War Resolution

By 2014 and 2015 Hillary Clinton had fully reversed herself on the Iraq War Resolution, saying she "got it wrong" and the vote in support had been a "mistake".

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: Inspector General's Report on Emails

On July 15, 2015, the inspector generals of the State Department and the intelligence community stated that their review of Hillary Clinton's emails found information that was classified when sent and should not have been transmitted via an unclassified system.

September 2015: Slump in favorability ratings

By September 2015, with her 2016 presidential campaign underway and beset by continued reports regarding her private email usage at the State Department, Hillary Clinton's favorability ratings had slumped to some of her lowest levels ever.

October 22, 2015: Testimony Before Benghazi Committee

On October 22, 2015, Hillary Clinton testified before the House Select Committee on Benghazi. She was widely seen as emerging largely unscathed from the hearing.

2015: Reversal on Iraq War Resolution

By 2014 and 2015 Hillary Clinton had fully reversed herself on the Iraq War Resolution, saying she "got it wrong" and the vote in support had been a "mistake".

February 4, 2016: Email Controversy Remarks During Debate

During a Democratic debate with Bernie Sanders on February 4, 2016, Hillary Clinton said, "I never sent or received any classified material—they are retroactively classifying it," regarding the email controversy.

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. Additionally, the intelligence community's inspector general wrote Congress to say that some of the emails "contained classified State Department information when originated".

May 2016: State Department Criticizes Email Use

In May 2016, the inspector general of the State Department criticized Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state, stating that she had not requested permission for this and would not have received it if she had asked.

June 2016: Release of Benghazi Committee 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: 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 Concludes Investigation

On July 5, 2016, the FBI concluded its investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

July 6, 2016: Email Probe Closed Without 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 Investigation into Clinton Emails

On October 28, 2016, just two weeks before the election, James Comey notified Congress that the FBI had begun looking into newly discovered Clinton emails.

2016: Awareness of Wal-Mart role became a factor in loss of credibility

According to the journalist Dan Kaufman, awareness of Hillary Clinton's role in Wal-Mart later became a factor in her loss of credibility with organized labor, helping contribute to her loss in the 2016 election.

2016: Presidential Run and Email Controversy

In 2016, during her second presidential run, Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as Secretary of State was the subject of intense scrutiny.

2016: Email Server Controversy

Throughout her time as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton used her private email server for official business, which led to controversy. It was argued that this violated State Department protocols and federal laws, especially during her 2016 presidential election campaign.

September 2019: State Department Completes Email Review

In September 2019, the State Department finished its internal review of Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server, finding that it increased the risk of information being compromised but concluding there was no evidence of "systemic, deliberate mishandling of classified information".

2022: Settlement in Federal Election Commission investigation

In 2022, Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee agreed to pay $113,000 to settle a Federal Election Commission investigation into campaign finance law violations related to spending on research that became the Steele dossier.