WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) – A Republican-led House committee voted Wednesday to recommend holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress after both declined to testify in an investigation tied to the federal government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
The recommendation came from the House Oversight Committee, which is examining how the Justice Department managed Epstein-related matters over multiple administrations. The move now sends the issue to the full House, which will decide whether to formally hold the Clintons in contempt and refer the matter to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said the vote was necessary after the former president and former first lady ignored subpoenas requiring them to sit for depositions.
“Subpoenas are not suggestions. They carry the force of law,” Comer said ahead of the vote, adding that both Clintons were legally required to appear and refused to do so.
Several Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the contempt recommendation. Comer said he expects the full House to vote within two weeks and predicted bipartisan support.
The standoff intensified after the Clintons’ attorneys proposed an alternative interview arrangement that would have involved Comer and the committee’s top Democrat traveling to New York for a meeting with Bill Clinton. According to Republicans, the proposal would not have included a transcript. Comer rejected the offer, saying it amounted to special treatment. A Clinton spokesperson disputed that claim, saying any interview would have been under oath and on the record.
The committee subpoenaed the Clintons in August, along with multiple former Justice Department officials dating back to the George W. Bush administration. So far, only former Attorney General Bill Barr has provided closed-door testimony, while others have submitted written statements.
In sworn declarations submitted last week, the Clintons accused the committee of pursuing a political effort aimed at embarrassing rivals of former President Donald Trump. Their attorneys called the subpoenas invalid and lacking a legitimate legislative purpose.
Comer pushed back, saying the investigation is focused on understanding Epstein’s connections and how federal authorities handled the case. He cited what he described as a documented relationship between Epstein and the Clintons, pointing to photographs, flight logs, and other records, while stressing that neither Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing.
In his declaration, Bill Clinton acknowledged that Epstein offered use of his private plane for Clinton Foundation travel in the early 2000s but denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He said he had no contact with Epstein for more than a decade before Epstein’s 2019 arrest. Hillary Clinton said she did not recall any direct interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane, and never visited his island.
Both also said they did not know of Epstein’s or associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal activities and denied taking any action to shield them from scrutiny.
Legal experts say the case raises complex constitutional questions. Some argue a former president may have immunity from compelled congressional testimony, though that protection would not necessarily extend to a former secretary of state.
Despite the dispute, Comer said he is willing to limit questioning strictly to Epstein-related issues. He also announced that the committee has scheduled a February 9 deposition with Maxwell, though her attorneys have indicated she plans to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
The full House is expected to take up the contempt resolutions later this month, setting the stage for a high-profile confrontation between Congress and two of the most prominent figures in modern American politics.
