The Scope of “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” After the Impeachment of President Clinton

Kinkopf believes that the House of Representatives' decision to impeach Pres Clinton on the charge that he committed perjury before the grand jury, a charge that did not involve official conduct, was proper. Even though Pres Clinton's misconduct was not a proper basis for impeachment or conviction, his case demonstrates that if would be terribly unwise to understand official misconduct to be a necessary element of a high crime or misdemeanor.