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WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress over their refusal to testify in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The resolutions, which passed out of committee with broad bipartisan support, are slated to head to the House floor for a vote in the coming weeks.
Republicans blasted the Clintons for declining to appear before the committee, with House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) asserting that “subpoenas are not mere suggestions—they carry the force of law and require compliance.”
Republicans on the panel alleged the Clintons’ lawyers “made an untenable offer,” proposing that the chairman and ranking member “travel to New York for a conversation with President Clinton only. No official transcript would be recorded and other Members of Congress would be barred from participating. I have rejected the Clintons’ ridiculous offer.”
Comer—who argued that “No one’s accusing the Clintons of wrongdoing”—slammed the proposal and the Clintons’ decision not to appear before the panel, setting up Wednesday’s vote. The Clintons have argued that the subpoenas are “invalid,” contending they don’t serve a legitimate legislative purpose.
“We have tried to give you the little information we have. We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific,” the Clintons wrote to the committee last week.
A spokesperson for the Clintons took to social media to reject the notion that they were unwilling to have the interview transcribed.
“We never said no to a transcript. Interviews are on the record and under oath,” Angel Ureña, deputy chief of staff to the former president, posted on X on Tuesday. “Whether it was written or typed isn’t why this is happening. If that were the last or only issue, we’d be in a different position. You keep misdirecting to protect you-know-who and God knows what.”
Members on both sides of the aisle on the panel’s Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee previously passed a motion to issue subpoenas to 10 individuals, including the Clintons, to testify as part of their probe over the summer.
Democrats on the panel have asserted they want transparency and to forge forward with the investigation into Epstein and his associates’ abuse of minors, but have argued the files should be released. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) — who voted against the resolutions — told reporters on Tuesday he would like to hear from the Clintons, but also feels AG Pam Bondi “should be held in contempt right now” due to the delay in the files being released.
Being held in contempt of Congress can lead to heavy fines and even incarceration, though it’s unclear whether the GOP efforts will result in enforcement.
The Jan. 6 committee previously subpoenaed President Trump as part of its probe into the 2021 riot at the Capitol. Trump’s lawyers pushed back, arguing that legal precedent has largely shielded former presidents from being forced to testify before Congress.
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