<human>:  Why did the Clintons get in trouble with the Whitewater controversy?
<bot>: The Clintons got in trouble because they lied about a real estate deal. The Clintons owned a house in Arkansas, and they sold it to a business partner, James McDougal, for $300,000. The Clintons later claimed that they had lost money on the deal, so they had to pay McDougal back. But they were never forced to pay him back, and they never had to sell the house.