On November 13, 1998, U.S. President Bill Clinton reached an out-of-court settlement in a civil sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Paula Jones.
Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee, alleged that Clinton made unwanted sexual advances toward her in a hotel room in Little Rock, Arkansas, in May 1991 while he was serving as Governor of Arkansas.
Clinton denied the allegations and sought dismissal of the case on the grounds of presidential immunity. In 1997, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Clinton v. Jones that a sitting president does not have immunity from civil litigation for acts allegedly committed before taking office.
The case proceeded through pretrial discovery, during which Clinton gave sworn testimony. The litigation led to the disclosure of information concerning his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
The settlement agreement required Clinton to pay Jones $850,000 without admitting liability or wrongdoing. The payment was made to resolve the lawsuit and avoid further litigation.
In April 1998, a federal district court had dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Jones failed to demonstrate sufficient damages. Jones appealed the dismissal before the settlement was finalized.
