IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS: Starr's Testimony

From the independent prosecutor's testimony:

"The President repeatedly used the machinery of government and the powers of his office to conceal his relationship with Monica Lewinsky from the American people, from the judicial process in the [Paula] Jones case, and from the grand jury..."

"I want to emphasise that our [impeachment] referral never suggests that the relationship between the President and Ms Lewinsky in and of itself could be a high crime or misdemeanour... The propriety of a relationship is not the concern of our office. The [impeachment] referral is instead about obstruction of justice, lying under oath tampering with witnesses and misuse of power."

"The President had taken an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. By making false statements under oath, the President, the chief executive of our nation, failed to adhere to that oath and to his presidential oath to faithfully execute the laws."

"The key point about [Clinton's] conduct is this. On at least six different occasions ... the President had to make a decision. He could choose truth, or deception. On all six occasions, the President chose deception."

"The President did not explicitly instruct Ms Lewinsky to lie. He did not have to."

"History and practice support the conclusion that perjury, in particular, is a high crime and misdemeanour..."

"We go to court and not the talkshow circuit. And our record shows that there is a bright line between law and politics, between courts and polls. It leaves the polls to the politicians and spin doctors. We are officers of the court who live in the world of the law."

"This investigation was unpleasant because our office knew that some Americans ... would be opposed to our work. But we would not, could not, allow ourselves to be deterred from doing our work."