The West Wing
S3E5
· War Crimes

Rain-Soaked Ambush: Cliff Exposes Donna's Diary Perjury

In a tense, pouring rain outside Donna's apartment, Cliff ambushes her after waiting on the stoop, confronting her perjury for denying a diary's existence under oath—a diary he glimpsed during their past intimate encounter. Donna stonewalls with denials and mocks his 'smarmy' charm and their hookup, highlighting the blurred lines of their personal-professional conflict. Cliff escalates with precise citations of federal statutes threatening prison time, positioning himself as both seducer and prosecutor. Donna retreats inside, her vulnerability cracked open amid the escalating investigation into White House secrets, amplifying personal stakes and foreshadowing legal fallout.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

4

Cliff waits for Donna in the rain outside her apartment, ambushing her with accusations of deceit.

routine to confrontation ["Donna's apartment stoop, rainy day"]

Cliff directly confronts Donna about lying under oath regarding her diary after spotting it during their rendezvous.

denial to heightened tension

Donna weaponizes their past intimacy, mocking Cliff's investigative authority and smarmy tactics.

defensiveness to counterattack

Cliff deploys statutory threats (perjury, obstruction) as Donna retreats into her apartment, ending their confrontation.

legal intimidation to abrupt departure

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Cliff Calley
primary

Relentless determination tempered by reluctant personal concern

Arrives by car and sits vigilantly on the rain-lashed stoop awaiting Donna's return, stands to deliver pointed perjury accusation over her diary denial under oath, cites precise federal statutes with prosecutorial precision, appeals to their intimate history while offering lawyer intervention to retract her testimony.

Goals in this moment
  • • Compel Donna to admit or correct her diary testimony to avoid perjury charges
  • • Leverage their past intimacy to facilitate legal resolution and extract information
Active beliefs
  • • Donna possesses a diary containing sensitive White House secrets she lied about under oath
  • • Their shared personal history creates an obligation for her honesty and his fair assistance
Character traits
persistent prosecutorial strategically empathetic methodical
Follow Cliff Calley's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Donna's Diary

Serves as explosive centerpiece of confrontation; Cliff testifies to glimpsing it during their post-intimacy night at her apartment, accusing her of perjuring by denying it under Committee oath—its concealed pages symbolize White House secrets fueling the leak probe, transforming a private relic into prosecutorial leverage.

Before: Concealed in Donna's possession, denied under oath
After: Still hidden but now directly challenged as perjury …
Before: Concealed in Donna's possession, denied under oath
After: Still hidden but now directly challenged as perjury evidence
Cliff Calley's Black Car

Parked curbside before the stoop, its sleek frame lashed by rain; Cliff emerges from it after driving ahead of Donna, using it as tactical staging point for his ambush, underscoring his premeditated pursuit amid the storm's chaos.

Before: Parked intact curbside in front of Donna's stoop
After: Remains parked curbside, engine cooling post-arrival
Before: Parked intact curbside in front of Donna's stoop
After: Remains parked curbside, engine cooling post-arrival

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Donna's Apartment Stoop

Weathered concrete stoop becomes rain-pummeled battleground for Cliff's ambush, where he waits seated before rising to hurl perjury accusations; deluge soaks participants, amplifying exposure and urgency as Donna ascends it to escape inside, embodying threshold between intimate refuge and congressional scrutiny.

Atmosphere Thunder-rumbled downpour creating tense, vulnerable exposure
Function Ambush and confrontation site
Symbolism Blurred boundary of personal sanctuary invaded by professional peril
Access Public street access but intimate confrontation unfolds privately on stoop
Hard-pouring rain soaking all present Light thunder rumbling overhead Slick, weathered concrete steps Passersby huddled under umbrellas

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

1
United States

Wielded as legal hammer through Cliff's recitation of statutes—18 U.S.C. 1001 (lying), 1505 (obstruction), 2 U.S.C. 192 (contempt)—transforming Donna's diary denial into felonious threat; its oversight authority permeates the ambush, escalating personal fling into White House leak peril.

Representation Via lead counsel Cliff Calley enforcing statutes and committee oaths
Power Dynamics Dominant prosecutorial force compelling individual compliance through counsel
Impact Amplifies partisan oversight siege on executive secrets
Enforce truthful testimony in White House leak investigation Deter perjury and obstruction via statutory penalties Precise citation of federal perjury and contempt laws Subpoena-backed committee hearings and prison threats

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1
Character Continuity medium

"Cliff's formal initiation of Donna's deposition foreshadows her later weaponization of their past intimacy during their confrontation."

Cliff Calley Formally Confirms Donna's Deposition Oath
S3E5 · War Crimes
What this causes 2
Escalation medium

"Cliff's confrontation with Donna about her diary escalates into Josh's strict terms for Cliff to review the diary, showing the deepening legal and personal stakes."

Josh Hands Over Donna's Diary to Cliff Under Threat of Mutual Destruction
S3E5 · War Crimes
Escalation medium

"Cliff's confrontation with Donna about her diary escalates into Josh's strict terms for Cliff to review the diary, showing the deepening legal and personal stakes."

Josh's Awkward, Shivering Comfort for Donna
S3E5 · War Crimes

Key Dialogue

"CLIFF: "I saw your diary. When I was over that night. You keep a diary. Why'd you say you didn't?""
"DONNA: "It's me and you? You're lead counsel for the Committee investigating me, my friends, my boss, and the President of the United States.""
"CLIFF: "18 U.S.C., 1-0-0-1. Lying to Congress: 10,000 dollars and not more than five years in prison.""