Why Bill Clinton Rape Allegation Could Hurt Hillary Clinton’s Campaign

Juanita Broaddrick recently tweeted a reminder of her Bill Clinton rape accusation that allegedly occurred close to 40 years ago, later confirming the Twitter account to Vox by phone and giving some additional insight into why she is once again coming forward with her horrific story.

I was 35 years old when Bill Clinton, Ark. Attorney General raped me and Hillary tried to silence me. I am now 73….it never goes away.

— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) January 6, 2016

According to her Bill Clinton rape allegation, Broaddrick’s path crossed with Clinton’s in April 1978 when he was visiting his campaign office in Van Buren, Arkansas, during the gubernatorial campaign. She was a volunteer, and that set up their interactions.

It was later when she was staying at a hotel in Little Rock that Clinton allegedly set up a meeting in the lobby, which he later bumped to her room because there were “too many reporters” camped out. Broaddrick said that she agreed, and once Clinton was inside, he made small talk before starting to kiss her.

“She resisted his advances,” the Washington Post version of the story reports, “but soon he pulled her back onto the bed and forcibly had sex with her. She said she did not scream because everything happened so quickly. Her upper lip was bruised and swollen after the encounter because, she said, he had grabbed onto it with his mouth.”

“The last thing he said to me was, ‘You better get some ice for that.’ And he put on his sunglasses and walked out the door,” she told the newspaper in a 1999 interview.

Her alleged injuries were “witnessed” by multiple others, which Vox goes into more detail about in the full piece found at this link.

It’s a lengthy read but necessary for anyone wanting to understand why the Bill Clinton rape accusation could hurt Hillary’s campaign, as implied by Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.

But why is Juanita Broaddrick so angry with Hillary Clinton?

Prior to going public with her story, Broaddrick had maintained her silence amid accusations of other sexual misconduct on the former president’s part from other accusers.

The Vox analysis of Broaddrick’s case from journalist Dylan Matthews recounts that Hillary allegedly knew about what had happened and “thanked” Juanita Broaddrick in an intimidating manner for her silence.

Broaddrick says that the Democratic frontrunner for the 2016 general election “came directly to me as soon as she hit the door” upon arriving for a political rally.

“I had been there only a few minutes, I only wanted to make an appearance and leave,” said Broaddrick, who allegedly was still coming to terms with the idea of being a Bill Clinton rape victim.

“She caught me and took my hand and said ‘I am so happy to meet you. I want you to know that we appreciate everything you do for Bill.’ I started to turn away and she held onto my hand and reiterated her phrase — looking less friendly and repeated her statement — ‘Everything you do for Bill.'”

Broaddrick continued,

“I said nothing. She wasn’t letting me get away until she made her point. She talked low, the smile faded on the second thank you. I just released her hand from mine and left the gathering.”

Vox initially traced that allegation to a 1999 interview with the Drudge Report and mistakenly reported that it had never been a part of her initial claims. NBC’s Lisa Myers, however, wrote to the site and confirmed that the Hillary Clinton part of the story “was always a part of Broaddrick’s allegations,” the site later corrected.

Considering that earlier this year Hillary had tweeted that “Every survivor of sexual assault deserves to be heard, believed, and supported,” opponents are wondering why she does not extend the same courtesy to Juanita Broaddrick.

Matthews points out in his piece that while there is no evidence to support the Bill Clinton rape accusation, there have also been no contradictions in Broaddrick’s story as there reportedly have been with other accusers.

In other words, by Hillary’s own logic, a simple lack of evidence doesn’t mean the attack never happened, and Juanita Broaddrick deserves the same right to be believed as other rape accusers.

But what do you think, readers? Is this Bill Clinton rape allegation fair game to use against Hillary, and is Mrs. Clinton’s refusal to believe her husband’s accuser hypocritical?

Sound off in the comments section.

[Image via a katz / Shutterstock.com]