Excerpts from 60 Minutes interview with Willey

Excerpts from Kathleen Willey's interview with Ed Bradley, which aired Sunday, March 15, 1998, on 60 Minutes:
Ed Bradley: So, let me ask you to take me through it, step by step. What happened when you went into the Oval Office?
Kathleen Willey: I went in, and the president was at his desk, and I sat down in the chair across from him, and I obviously looked very distraught. He asked me what was wrong. I told him I had a really serious problem and that I needed his help. And he said, "Would you like a cup of coffee?" And I said, "Yes, I would."
So he ... he walked to another ... a door on the other side of the Oval Office, which led into a hallway, into his small galley kitchen, and there was a ... a steward in there, I remember. And the president took a ... a coffee cup down out of the pantry, and ... a Starbucks coffee cup, I remember ... and he poured me a cup of coffee, poured himself a cup of coffee, and we started walking back down the hall towards the Oval Office, and he said, "Why don't you come in here into my study? We can talk better in here."
And I stood and leaned ... I was leaning against the doorjamb. He was in the office. We were standing facing each other, and I told him what had happened. I ... I didn't give him all the details. I just told him that my husband was in financial difficulty and that things were at a crisis point, and that my volunteer ... volunteer days were over, that ... that I needed a ... a regular paying job, and could he help me?
Bradley: And did he seem sympathetic? Did he say ...
Willey: Yes.
Bradley: ... he could help you?
Willey: Yeah, well, he did seem sympathetic. He ... he ... he was listening. I ... I had the feeling that he was somehow distracted when I was talking to him, but ... but he was not really ... really listening, but I know that he did. I know he knows how distraught I was and how upset I was, because I ... I was ... I was very worried. I was worried about my husband, and ... and ... and what was going to happen.
Bradley: And, what happened next?
Willey: Well, he ... he said he would do everything that he could to ... to ... to help, and I turned around and ... out of the ... out of the office, and he followed me to ... I thought he was gonna open the door to the ... to the Oval Office, and right as we got to the door, he stopped and he gave me a big hug and said that he was very sorry that this was happening to me, and ... I had ... I had no problem with that, because when I saw ... every time I saw him, he would hug me. He use ... just does that, is like that. And I remember I had ... still had this coffee cup in my hand, and it was kind of in between us, and I didn't want it to spill on him or me, and ... and it just was this ... it was very strange. And he ... he took the coffee cup out of my hand and he put it on a bookshelf, and ... and ... he ... this hug lasted a little longer than I thought necessary, but at the same time ... I mean, I was not concerned about it. And then he ... then he ... and then he kissed me on ... on my mouth, and ... and pulled me closer to him. And I remember thinking ... I just remember thinking, "What in the world is he doing?" I ... it ... I just thought, "What is he doing?" And, I ... I pushed back away from him, and. ... He ... he ... he ... he ... he's a big man. And he ... he had his arms ... they were tight around me, and he ... he ... he touched me.
Bradley: Touched you how?
Willey: Well, he ... he ... he touched my breasts with his hand, and, I ... I ... I ... I was ... I ... I was just startled. I was ... I was just...
Bradley: This ... this wasn't an accidental grazing touch?
Willey: No, no. And ... and then he ... he whispered ... he ... he ... he said in ... in my ears that, "I ... I've wanted to do this ever since I laid eyes on you." And ... and I remember ... I remember saying to him, "Aren't you afraid that somebody's gonna walk in here?" The ... and, he said ... he said, "No. No, I'm ... no, I'm not." And ... and then ... and ... and then he took my hand, and he ... and he put it on him. And that's when I pushed away from him and ... and decided it was time to get out of there.
Bradley: When you say he took your hand ...
Willey: Right.
Bradley: ... and put it on him ...
Willey: Hum-hum.
Bradley: Where on him?
Willey: On ... on his genitals.
Bradley: Was he a ... aroused?
Willey: (sighs) Uhn-Hum. (affirm)
Bradley: He was.
Willey: Uhm-hum. (affirm)
Bradley: What were you thinking?
Willey: Well, I ... I was ... there was ... I ... there were all kinds of things going through my mind. I th ... I think as ... when I think back on it, it was kind of like I was watching it in slow motion, and ... and thinking surely this is not happening. And at the same time, I ...I wanted to ... I thought, "Well, maybe I ought to just give him a good slap across the face." And then I thought, "Well, I don't think you can slap the president of the United States like that." And ...and I just decided it was just time to get out of there.
Bradley: Did you say anything to him, or was there anything about your behavior that invited an advance?
Willey: I ... I ... I have gone over this so many times, so very many times, because I think that is your natural instinct is to wonder, "Did I bring this on? Did I send a sign ... a ... the wrong signal? The only signals that I was sending that day was that I was very upset, very distraught, and I needed to help my husband.
Bradley: Did you feel intimidated?
Willey: I didn't feel intimidated. I just felt overpowered.
Bradley: Did you every say, "Stop. No. Get away from me?"
Willey: I just ... I ... I pushed him away. I pushed him away, and ... and I said, "I think I ... I'd better go."
Bradley: And what did he say?
Willey: He ... he ... he kept looking at his watch, 'cause he told me that he had a meeting , and he said ... he said that he could ... he said they could wait. And I said, "Well ..." I said, "Well, I'm leaving."
Bradley: When you walked out of there, what ... what were you thinking?
Willey: I just could not believe that that had happened in that office. I ... I just could not believe ... the recklessness of that act.
Bradley: Recklessness? What do you mean, recklessness?
Willey: Of ... of that ... of him ... of his doing that in the ... right outside the Oval Office. I mean, there are Secret Service people around, there are stewards around. there ... his staff is around. I ... I just thought it was extremely reckless. Later on, I think I ... I bec ... I was feeling angry. I was feeling that I had been taken advantage of. My circumstances had been taken advantage of.
Bradley: You think he betrayed your friendship?
Willey: Absolutely. Especially since he knew my husband also. I mean, he was my husband, and he was in trouble. And I was there, asking a friend, who also happened to be the president of the United States, for help.
Bradley: What you have said here ...
Willey: Yeah.
Bradley: ... Today, is essentially what you said before the grand jury as to what happened in the Oval Office, in the president's office that day?
Willey: Yes.
Bradley: And you said that you'd take an oath before the grand jury?
Willey: Yes.
Bradley: That it's the same as you take ... you ... you raise your right hand and you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing ...
Willey: Yes.
Bradley: ... but the truth ...
Willey: Yes.
Bradley: ... so help you God? You said that under oath?
Willey: Yes.
Bradley: And you say that today?
Willey: Yes.

This article was published on Monday, March 16, 1998

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