When the White House was gutted and rebuilt during the Truman administration, this room was rebuilt and rededicated to Abraham Lincoln. Heady hues of emerald green, golden yellow and deep purple will carpet the floor, drape the windows and envelop the massive, six-foot-tall carved headboard. The massive rosewood bed known as the "Lincoln Bed" is believed to have been purchased by Mrs. Lincoln in 1861 for use in the principal guest bedroom of the White House. [11] Furthermore the first year and a half of the Presidency of George W. Bush also saw some instances of big-money contributors staying over at the White House. That was one more false story we have had to endure, and the facts will show what the truth is. [2] The latter group included the likes of Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Judy Collins, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. No … [4], 1996 United States campaign finance controversy, United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History, United States Senate election in New York, 2000, Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016, "Clinton Ok'd Using Lincoln Bedroom for Contributors", "President Had Big Role in Setting Donor Perks", "The Lincoln Bedroom Is Still Paying Dividends", "Cuccinelli overstates McAuliffe's role in Lincoln Bedroom scandal", "AllPolitics - Bedroom Bucks - Feb. 26, 1997", "Worse Than Watergate? This report, written by Margaret Ebrahim, went on to win an award from the Society of Professional Journalists. And I'm deeply disappointed and I'm sure the American people will be too. Named for Abraham Lincoln and used by him as an office, this room is known for alleged ghost sightings. When Herbert Hoover decided to move his private office here, the "Blue Suite" became the "Lincoln Study." Making reference to legal proceedings, Spencer Overton, as a lawyer at Debevoise & Plimpton, represented the Democratic National Committee in the Lincoln Bedroom matter before the Congressional investigators. [1], In response, documents were released by the Clinton administration in February 1997. Before the construction of the West Wing in 1902, this room was used as either an office or a meeting room for the president's Cabinet. Of these, 128 were public officials and dignitaries of some kind and 67 were people from the arts and entertainment world. [3] Of the rest, most were friends of the Clintons, of which over half were from the couple's Arkansas days; the number of non-friends who were supporters was some fraction of 111. "[2], Senator John McCain was not convinced, saying of the documents, "It does corroborate what we already suspected and what circumstantially was already known to us, and that is, that the president of the United States, in seeking to raise money for his re-election, was willing to use the Lincoln Bedroom, probably one of the more sacrosanct places in America, in order to gain those financial funds which he felt were necessary. When Abraham Lincoln was president, it was used as his personal office and Cabinet room. [10] In any case, her campaign in the United States Senate election in New York, 2000 featured fundraisers who had partaken of the Lincoln Bedroom or similar accommodations. Two elaborate cornices such as might have topped windows in Lincoln's day have been carved and sent to the gilders. [2] However U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said despite the new revelations such a step was not called for.[8]. Lou Hoover turned it into a parlor and filled it with Lincoln furnishings. "[9], First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 book An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History discussed the Lincoln Bedroom in terms of its decorating impact but made no mention of the contributors controversy. No charges were made in connection to the Lincoln Bedroom matter. During the Truman renovation, the room was furnished in the Victorian style, incorporating several Lincoln-era pieces of furniture, including a rosewood bed purchased by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln for placement in a White House guest room. The Ultimate White House Scandal Matrix", "AllPolitics - Reno Resisting Pressure - Feb. 27, 1997", "White House Pages: Books by Hillary, others, showcase the historic home", "CAMPAIGN 2000: NEW YORK; Politely, Lazio and Mrs. Clinton Debate U.N. and Supreme Court", "Fat Cat Hotel", original 1996 report Center for Public Integrity, Common Dreams: "(George W.) Bush Fund-Raisers Among Overnight Guests in the Lincoln Bedroom", "Fat Cat Hotel Still Open For Business" - CPI follow-up 2002 report, Lincoln Bedroom for contributors controversy, Commerce Department trade mission controversy, 1974 United States House of Representatives elections, 1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lincoln_Bedroom_for_contributors_controversy&oldid=958899241, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 May 2020, at 06:40. President Lincoln used the Second-Floor room now known as the Lincoln Bedroom as his office and Cabinet Room. The central feature of the room is the Lincoln bed, a nearly 8-foot by 6-foot rosewood bed with an enormous headboard. When did the White House first get plumbing? Native American Delegations, Diplomacy, and Protests at the…. (It was used in this manner by all presidents between 1830 and 1902.) This copy is the only one of five that is signed, dated, and titled by Lincoln. In 1868, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Hobbs Keckly (also spelled Keckley) published her memoir Behind the Scenes or Thirty Years a Slave, and... Every administration brings their own personality to the White House, particularly when it comes to the look and feel of... How many weddings have been held at the White House? "[11] However as it happened Bush had engaged in a similar practice with visitors to the Texas Governor's Mansion. First Lady Michelle Obama said, "We don’t allow guests to stay in this room anymore. A holograph copy of the Gettysburg Address is displayed on the desk. "[13], Many of the original Lincoln Bedroom guests were also big contributors to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016. The popular reference to it as the "Lincoln bed" is derived not from its use by the Lincolns, but from its acquisition during their occupancy of the White House. The Lincoln Bedroom was in the news during Bill Clinton's term because of its use as a bedroom for White House guests. "[2][4] A Washington Post report stated that: "Clinton personally authorized a variety of perks for top party contributors, including golf games and morning jogs with him and overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom ..."[3] McAuliffe would later refer to this sardonically as "the infamous Lincoln Bedroom Memo". The pièce de résistance, both decoratively and symbolically, will be a carved bed canopy in the shape of a crown. Some of the furniture was used by the Lincoln administration (but pre-date it), including the sofa and three matching chairs, two slipper chairs, and four of Lincoln's Cabinet chairs. How was the location of the White House selected? It too has been sent for gilding. [5], A CNN report said that just during the years 1995-96, some $5.4 million was given to the DNC by overnight stayers, with 24 of them giving over $100,000. When the president's staff was moved to the new West Wing, this room became the "Blue Suite" bedroom where, for example, Margaret Wilson lived. The room is best known as a guest room used by presidents to reward friends and political supporters. Native American Delegations, Diplomacy, and Protests at the…. [7], In response to the allegations, President Clinton said in February 1997, "I did not have any strangers here. But it wasn't always used as a bedroom. The Lincoln Bedroom in 2007, looking southeast (Newsweek - Gary Fabiano). How did Dolley Madison save George Washington’s portrait? In 2002, First Lady Laura Bush initiated the refurbishment of the Lincoln Bedroom. During the Lincoln presidency, the walls were covered with Civil War maps. It occurred in the context of the larger and somewhat separately focused 1996 United States campaign finance controversy. An opulent white marble mantel was commissioned to better complement a rococo-style mirror installed last summer. In August 1996, the Center for Public Integrity released a 10-page report called "Fat Cat Hotel: How Democratic High-Rollers Are Rewarded with Overnight Stays at the White House". Adapted from America's First Families: Chapter 3, A Home Within a Symbol: During the months when First Lady Nellie Taft was recuperating from a stroke, her visiting sisters Eleanor Moore, Jennie Anderson, and Maria Herron lived in the "Blue Suite" across the hall from the Rose Suite. During the Truman renovation, the room was furnished in the Victorian style, incorporating several Lincoln-era pieces of furniture, including a rosewood bed purchased by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln for placement in a White House guest room. Many people approach the decor of their homes as a reflection of oneself. [11], When Hillary Clinton ran for senator in 2000, her opponent, Rick Lazio, used the controversy to rebuke Clinton in a debate, saying "please, no lectures from Motel 1600 on campaign finance reform. When affixed to the ceiling, the crown will support yards of regal purple satin over white lace, both trailing to the floor.