Luna Harper
The Lincoln Bedroom refers to a bedroom within a guest suite in the southeast corner of the second floor of the White House. The room is named after President Abraham Lincoln, who used it as his office and cabinet room. During the Clinton administration in the 1990s, there was a controversy surrounding the alleged selling of overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom in exchange for political campaign contributions. Despite the allegations, no investigation or criminal charges were brought forward by the justice department.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of controversy | 1990s |
| Lincoln Bedroom location | Guest suite in the southeast corner of the second floor of the White House |
| Lincoln Bedroom history | Lincoln's cabinet room and office; he did not sleep there |
| Nature of the controversy | Alleged selling of overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom in exchange for political campaign contributions |
| Number of overnight guests at the White House during Clinton's first term | 938 |
| Number of overnight guests who stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom | 821 |
| Notable individuals who stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom during the Clinton Administration | Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Judy Collins, Doris Kearns Goodwin |
| Number of "Fat Cats" still contributing to the Clintons | 34 out of 66 |
| Amount contributed by "Fat Cats" to Hillary Clinton's campaign | $1.15 million |
| Amount contributed by 24 donors in 1995-96 | $5.4 million |
| Investigation outcome | No charges were brought forward by the justice department |
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What You'll Learn
The Lincoln Bedroom for contributors controversy
The Lincoln Bedroom, located in the White House, is named after President Abraham Lincoln, who used it as his office and cabinet room. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in this room in 1863, freeing the slaves in the southern confederacy. The room has since been refurbished and continues to be a famous part of the White House.
During the Clinton administration, there were allegations that overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom were offered to celebrities, big contributors, and friends of the Clintons in exchange for political campaign contributions. The controversy was fuelled by a document known as the "Lincoln Bedroom Memo", which included a Clinton annotation instructing the pursuit of top contributors for overnight stays. The memo was referenced in a Washington Post report, stating that Clinton authorised perks such as golf games, morning jogs, and overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom for top party contributors.
In response to the controversy, the Clinton administration released documents in February 1997 showing that between 1993 and 1996, there were 938 people who stayed overnight at the White House, with 821 located in the Lincoln Bedroom. Of these, 128 were public officials and dignitaries, 67 were from the arts and entertainment world, and the rest were mostly friends of the Clintons. The Center for Public Integrity, in its 1996 report titled "Fat Cat Hotel", examined the connection between overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom during Clinton's presidency and financial contributions. The report found that many of the guests were indeed donors to Clinton's campaigns, and some contributed significant amounts.
The controversy sparked investigations, including one by the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which concluded that the overnight stays were an important means for the Democratic National Committee to raise funds from contributors. Despite the findings, no charges were brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, with the Sydney Morning Herald describing the practice as "unseemly, but not illegal and not entirely unusual". The controversy highlighted the sensitive nature of using the Lincoln Bedroom for political fundraising, with critics arguing that it showed a lack of respect for the historical significance of the room.
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No investigation or charges
Despite the controversy surrounding the Lincoln Bedroom during the Clinton Administration, no investigation or criminal charges were brought forward by the US Department of Justice. The allegations centred on the purported selling of overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom in exchange for political campaign contributions. This practice was deemed "unseemly" by the Sydney Morning Herald but "not illegal and not entirely unusual".
The Clinton administration did release documents in February 1997, which showed that between 1993 and 1996, there were 938 people who stayed overnight at the White House, 821 of whom stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom. Of these, 128 were public officials and dignitaries, and 67 were people from the arts and entertainment world, including Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Judy Collins, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. The remaining guests were mostly friends of the Clintons, with over half hailing from the couple's Arkansas days, and the rest comprised a mix of non-friends and supporters.
The controversy was fuelled by a Clinton annotation on a Democratic National Committee memorandum from finance chair Terry McAuliffe, which referenced "overnights" and "100,000 or more [dollar contributors]". A Washington Post report stated that Clinton had authorised perks such as golf games, morning jogs, and overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom for top party contributors. In response to the controversy, McAuliffe referred to the situation as "the infamous Lincoln Bedroom Memo".
The Center for Public Integrity's 1996 report, titled "Fat Cat Hotel: How Democratic High-Rollers Are Rewarded with Overnight Stays at the White House", further sparked outrage and investigations into the Clinton administration's practices. Despite the uproar, the justice department did not pursue any legal action, and the Lincoln Bedroom continues to be a famous part of the White House, albeit with a refurbished look.
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Notable guests
During the Clinton administration in the 1990s, there was a controversy surrounding the alleged selling of overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom in exchange for political campaign contributions. Despite the allegations, no investigation or criminal charges were brought forward by the justice department.
The Lincoln Bedroom controversy was part of a larger discussion about campaign finance reform in the 1990s. In response to the allegations, President Clinton denied any wrongdoing, stating, "I did not have any strangers here. The Lincoln Bedroom was never sold." However, documents released by the Clinton administration in February 1997 showed that during the period 1993–96, there were 938 people who stayed overnight at the White House, with 821 of them staying in the Lincoln Bedroom.
The controversy surrounding the Lincoln Bedroom led to further scrutiny of the Clinton administration's fundraising practices and sparked discussions about the ethics of using government property for political campaigns. Despite the criticism and allegations, no legal action was taken, and the matter was ultimately resolved without any charges being brought forward.
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Ongoing donations from guests
During the Clinton administration in the 1990s, there was a controversy surrounding the alleged selling of overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom in exchange for political campaign contributions. The Lincoln Bedroom for contributors controversy was an American political controversy that referred to allegations that the Clintons sold overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom in return for political campaign contributions. Despite the allegations, no investigation or criminal charges were brought forward by the justice department.
The controversy arose from a document seen as potentially damning: a Clinton annotation on a Democratic National Committee memorandum from its finance chair, Terry McAuliffe. The annotation mentioned pursuing certain individuals and "overnights", which was interpreted as authorizing perks for top party contributors, including overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom. In response to the allegations, President Clinton stated in February 1997, "I did not have any strangers here. The Lincoln Bedroom was never sold."
The Clinton administration released documents in February 1997 showing that during the period 1993–1996, there were 938 people who stayed overnight at the White House, with 821 located in the Lincoln Bedroom. Of these, 128 were public officials and dignitaries, and 67 were from the arts and entertainment world, including Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Judy Collins, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. The majority of the remaining guests were friends of the Clintons, and a small fraction were non-friends who were supporters.
The Washington Post reported that wealthy individuals who raised millions of dollars for Clinton's campaign fund paid to spend a night in the White House and have dinner with the president and first lady. The Post also described how donors of $10,000 were included in a roomful of diners with the president, while those who contributed $100,000 dined at a table with the president. Other perks mentioned included golf outings, morning jogs with the president, and honorary commissions.
In addition to the overnight stays, there were also donations made in conjunction with White House coffees. A CNN report stated that during 1995-96, approximately $5.4 million was given to the DNC by overnight stayers, with 24 of them giving over $100,000. An investigation by the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform concluded that the overnights were "an important means by which the DNC raised funds from contributors."
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The Lincoln Bedroom's history
The Lincoln Bedroom is a bedroom that is part of a guest suite in the southeast corner of the second floor of the White House in Washington, D.C. The Lincoln Sitting Room makes up the other part of the suite. The room is named for President Abraham Lincoln, who used the rooms as his office. The first room in the White House to carry the name "Lincoln Bedroom" was in the northwest corner of the White House. It existed from 1929 until 1961, when First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy transformed it into the President's Dining Room.
During the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, what would become the Lincoln Bedroom was used by Roosevelt staffer Louis Howe. In 1945, newly inaugurated President Harry S. Truman learned that the "President's Office" had once been used by Abraham Lincoln. Truman had the bed, furniture, and other items in the Prince of Wales Room moved into the office. The new bedroom was decorated primarily in blue and became briefly known as the "Blue Bedroom." The White House underwent a complete reconstruction beginning in 1949, during which the rooms were rebuilt. Jacqueline Kennedy renovated much of the White House during the Kennedy administration, including the Lincoln Bedroom.
The Lincoln Bedroom achieved the status of a State Room, becoming as famous as any on the State or Ground Floor. In 2002, First Lady Laura Bush expressed an interest in refurbishing the Lincoln Bedroom along historical lines. The suite of bedroom furniture now used in the Lincoln Bedroom was one of Mrs. Lincoln's many costly acquisitions of household furnishings for the White House. Two separate channels of historical evidence were available for the refurbishing project: annotated drawings and photographs of the room in use as Lincoln's office, and a description of the Prince of Wales Room, where the furniture had originally been installed by Mrs. Lincoln.
In the 1990s, during the Clinton Administration, there was a controversy surrounding the Lincoln Bedroom. It was alleged that the Clintons were selling overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom in return for political campaign contributions. In response, the Clinton administration released documents in February 1997 showing that during the period 1993–96, there were 938 people who stayed overnight at the White House, of whom 821 were located in the Lincoln Bedroom. Of these, 128 were public officials and dignitaries, and 67 were people from the arts and entertainment world, including Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Judy Collins, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. Most of the rest were friends of the Clintons, and over half of those were from the couple's Arkansas days. In response to the allegations, President Clinton said in February 1997, "I did not have any strangers here. The Lincoln Bedroom was never sold." No charges were ever brought by the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with the matter.
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Frequently asked questions
There were allegations that the Clintons rented out the Lincoln Bedroom in exchange for political campaign contributions during Bill Clinton's presidency. However, no investigation or criminal charges were brought forward by the justice department.
Notable individuals who stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom during the Clinton Administration include Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Judy Collins, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. Many of the guests were also Clinton's friends from Arkansas.
The Lincoln Bedroom is a bedroom within a guest suite in the southeast corner of the second floor of the White House. The room is named after President Abraham Lincoln, who used it as his office and cabinet room. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in this room in 1863.
