Juneau -- Members of the Alaska Senate today urged the state's two U.S. senators to remove President Bill Clinton from office if the evidentiary record demonstrates he is guilty of the perjury and obstruction of justice offenses described in the Articles of Impeachment approved by the U.S. House.

"It is our belief that the outcome of the Senate trial will affect how the American public views not only the Presidency and the Congress, but to an extent all those who hold elected office," lawmakers wrote in a letter sent today to Senators Frank Murkowski and Ted Stevens. "The trial of the President has raised the most fundamental issue of equality under the law and whether all Americans, including those who hold public office, should be held accountable for their actions."

The letter, which was initiated by Senator Loren Leman (R-Anchorage), recalled the U.S. Senate's conviction and removal from office of three federal judges on grounds of perjury, and urged that the President not be held to a lower standard. In addition to Leman, the letter was signed by Senators Dave Donley (R-Anchorage), Lyda Green (R-Wasilla), Rick Halford (R-Chugiak), Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks), Tim Kelly (R-Anchorage), Jerry Mackie (R-Craig), Mike Miller (R-North Pole), Sean Parnell (R-Anchorage), Randy Phillips (R-Eagle River), Drue Pearce (R-Anchorage), Robin Taylor (R-Wrangell), John Torgerson (R-Kasilof), Jerry Ward (R-Anchorage), and Gary Wilken (R-Fairbanks).

In remarks on the Senate floor this morning, Senator Leman commented that the President should also not be held to a lower standard than military personnel who serve under his command. "My district includes Elmendorf Air Force Base. If an officer at Elmendorf had an adulterous affair with an enlisted person under his or her command, and then lied under oath about it, what do you think would happen to that officer's career? Well, we all know the answer. That person's career would be over. So the issue in this case is simple: do we hold the Commander-in-Chief to a lower standard of behavior than we hold the millions of Americans in military service?" asked Sen. Leman.

February 8, 1999

The Honorable Frank Murkowski
United States Senate
706 Hart Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0202

Dear Senator Murkowski:

We anticipate the U.S. Senate will determine this week whether President Bill Clinton should be convicted and removed from office. We fully appreciate the gravity of the choice before you and its impact on our country.

It is our belief that the outcome of the Senate trial will affect how the American public views not only the Presidency and the Congress, but to an extent all those who hold elected office. This is true because the trial of the President has raised the most fundamental issue of equality under the law and whether all Americans, including those who hold public office, should be held accountable for their actions.

The trial raises two distinct questions that are nevertheless interwoven. First, did President Clinton commit the crimes of perjury and obstruction of justice that are described in the Articles of Impeachment? Second, if the President is guilty, do these offenses rise to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors" that warrant removal from office?

On the first question we are, of course, in no position to draw formal conclusions. We recognize that only the members of the U.S. Senate who have reviewed the thousands of pages of evidence and witness depositions are in a position to render a fair judgment on the facts of the case.

However, all Americans are entitled to an opinion on the second question, which really asks us what standard of conduct we should expect from the President and all those who hold public office. As you are aware, in the 1980s the U.S. Senate convicted three impeached federal judges for, among other things, making perjurious statements. Also, in recent years several members of the U.S. military have lost their jobs for committing offenses less serious than those of which President Clinton stands accused.

We take very seriously the findings of the House Judiciary Committee, which concluded that the President's actions subverted the fundamental truth-seeking functions of the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Arkansas and for the District of Columbia and also served to deny an American citizen, Ms. Paula Corbin Jones, her rights as a litigant. The crimes of perjury and obstruction of justice cannot be reconciled with holding the Office of President of the United States.

We respectfully urge you to vote to remove the President from office if you conclude that the evidentiary record demonstrates conclusively that Mr. Clinton committed the crimes alleged in the House Articles of Impeachment.

Sincerely,

{signatures from all 15 majority senate members}