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 an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat. She served as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, a U.S. Senator representing New York, and First Lady during Bill Clinton's presidency. As a member of the Democratic Party, she secured the party's nomination in the 2016 presidential election, making history as the first woman to win a presidential nomination from a major U.S. party and the only woman to win the popular vote in a U.S. presidential election. Notably, she is the only former First Lady to have run for elected office.

Sections (6)

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

1986: Accusation 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. The Clintons countered the charge by saying that state fees were walled off by the firm before her profits were calculated.

August 1992: Attack from conservatives

Beginning with Daniel Wattenberg's August 1992 The American Spectator article "The Lady Macbeth of Little Rock", Hillary Clinton's own past ideological and ethical record came under attack from conservatives.

1994: Republican Party highlighted Clinton health care plan

In 1994, the Republican Party negatively highlighted the Clinton health care plan in their campaign for the midterm elections, contributing to the Democrats' defeat.

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.

1996: Supported the Welfare Reform Act

In 1996, Hillary Clinton supported the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 as 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.

2000: Opposition to same-sex marriage

In 2000, Hillary Clinton was against same-sex marriages altogether.

2000: Whitewater Controversy Final Report

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

2000: Opposition during Senate run

When Hillary Clinton ran for Senate in 2000, several fundraising groups such as Save Our Senate and the Emergency Committee to Stop Hillary Rodham Clinton sprang up to oppose her.

October 2002: Vote in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq

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 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: "Anti-Clinton literature" virtual cottage industry

A 2006 survey by the New York Observer found "a virtual cottage industry" of "anti-Clinton literature" put out by Regnery Publishing and other conservative imprints.

January 2008: "Choked up moment" during New Hampshire primary

Following Hillary Clinton's "choked up moment" and related incidents in the run-up to the January 2008 New Hampshire primary, discussion of gender's role in the campaign moved into the national political discourse.

2011: Military Intervention in Libya

In 2011, Hillary Clinton favored military intervention in Libya, aligning with Susan Rice and Samantha Power, overcoming opposition within the administration. She testified that congressional authorization was not needed. Following the intervention, the country became a failed state, leading to considerable debate.

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 the U.S. Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. On October 15, Clinton took responsibility for the question of security lapses.

2012: Benghazi Attack

In 2012, Hillary Clinton was harshly 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 gave testimony to two congressional foreign affairs committees regarding the Benghazi attack, defending her actions. She responded to questions about the administration's "talking points" with the statement about the four dead Americans.

May 2014: Creation of House Select Committee on Benghazi

In May 2014, the Republican-led House Select Committee on Benghazi was created to conduct a two-year investigation related to 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, 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

In a joint statement released on July 15, 2015, the inspector general of the State Department and the inspector general of the intelligence community said their review of Hillary Clinton's emails found classified information that should not have been transmitted via an unclassified personal system or stored outside secure government computer systems.

September 2015: Favorability ratings slump

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 at an all-day and nighttime session before the House Select Committee on Benghazi and was widely seen as emerging largely unscathed.

2015: Reversal on Iraq War Resolution

By 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: Claim of No Classified Material Sent or Received

In 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."

February 2016: Retroactive Classification of Emails

The New York Times reported in February 2016 that nearly 2,100 emails stored on Hillary Clinton's server were retroactively marked classified by the State Department.

May 2016: State Department Criticism of 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 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 regarding the 2012 attack.

July 2, 2016: Repeated Claim of No Classified Material Sent or Received

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 Email Investigation

On July 5, 2016, the FBI concluded its investigation into Hillary Clinton's email practices. In a statement, FBI director James Comey spoke about the findings.

July 6, 2016: Email Probe Closed Without Charges

On July 6, 2016, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed the probe into Hillary Clinton's use of private email servers would be closed without criminal charges.

October 28, 2016: FBI Reopens Clinton Email Investigation

On October 28, 2016, FBI Director James Comey notified Congress that the FBI had begun looking into newly discovered emails related to Hillary Clinton. This event occurred two weeks before the presidential election.

2016: Loss of Credibility with Organized Labor

In the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton's past silence about Wal-Mart's anti-labor union practices became a factor in her loss of credibility with organized labor, contributing to her loss where slightly less than half of union members voted for Donald Trump.

2016: Email Server Controversy

Throughout her tenure as secretary of state, Clinton conducted official business exclusively through her private email server, as opposed to her government email account. The controversy occurred against the backdrop of Clinton's 2016 presidential election campaign and hearings held by the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

September 2019: State Department Completes Internal Review

In September 2019, the State Department concluded its internal review of Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server, finding an increased risk of compromised information but no evidence of systemic, deliberate mishandling of classified information.