My Diary Got Me Called Before Congress 😳

Why It Matters

The story underscores that private notes and personal records of government officials can become formal evidence, creating legal and reputational risks and complicating transparency during political investigations.

Summary

A Treasury official recounts being swept up in the Whitewater probe during President Clinton’s first term and subpoenaed to turn over both official and any personal documents that might be relevant. She discovered diary entries referencing Whitewater and was compelled to hand them over, then testify before both the House and Senate. Faced with the choice of affirming her diary verbatim or altering her account under oath, she corrected her diary’s details—an action that left colleagues and lawmakers questioning her truthfulness. The episode was a distressing, career-defining moment that highlighted the personal toll of high-profile investigations.

Original Description

Imagine being subpoenaed for your personal diary and then having to testify before Congress about its contents. This was the reality for Joshua Steiner, who served as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Treasury during the Whitewater investigation. Faced with a choice on the stand, he had to decide whether to confirm a diary entry he knew wasn't entirely accurate or correct it, which could imply he was either lying to his diary or to Congress.

This early-career misstep ultimately inspired him to write "From Mistakes to Meaning: Owning Your Past So It Doesn't Own You", a book focused on making mistakes, best practices for putting them in the rearview mirror, and how to not let them define you.