Clintons Defy House Subpoena on Epstein as Comer Threatens Contempt Vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are refusing to sit for a House Oversight Committee deposition about what they know regarding Jeffrey Epstein, setting up a potential contempt of Congress push that Chairman James Comer said could advance next week. Comer, a Kentucky Republican who leads the committee, said Thursday that the panel will move in a committee markup next week to hold the former president in contempt of Congress for not appearing. The committee’s subpoena for Bill Clinton drew support from Democrats as well as Republicans, Comer said. Comer also said no one is accusing Bill Clinton of wrongdoing tied to Epstein. He framed the deposition as an effort to gather information as the committee examines matters related to Epstein and the government response to Epstein’s crimes. The standoff follows subpoenas the committee issued in August to both Clintons, the Justice Department and eight former government officials. Former Attorney General Bill Barr testified, while several others did not. Subpoenas for former attorneys general Eric Holder and Merrick Garland were later dropped after they said they had no personal knowledge of specific Epstein files or events relevant to the committee’s investigation. The Clintons, in a four-page letter released Thursday, challenged the validity of the deposition subpoena and argued they are being treated differently from others whose subpoenas were withdrawn. The letter said they would be willing to testify publicly to the full House committee, but do not believe the deposition subpoena is valid. In the letter, the Clintons said they had already tried to provide what they characterized as limited information. “We have tried to give you the little information we have. We’ve done so because Mister Epstein’s crimes were horrific. If the government didn’t do all it could to investigate and prosecute these crimes, for whatever reason, that should be the focus of your work to learn why and to prevent that from happening ever again,” the letter said. The letter also criticized the committee’s approach to witnesses. “You accepted the least from those who know the most, but demand the most from those who know the least. To say you can’t complete your work without speaking to us is simply bizarre,” the Clintons wrote. The Clintons did not specify in the letter who they meant by “those who know the most,” and the committee has not publicly clarified whom that line referred to. Comer was asked whether the committee would seek testimony from former President Donald Trump, who is named in Epstein-related files, but was not on the committee’s list to subpoena. Comer said Trump has answered questions about Epstein and argued a current president cannot be compelled to appear. Comer also pointed to the Justice Department as a potential path for broader disclosure, saying it could follow an “Epstein Transparency Act” and release files. Comer said he views the department as cooperating with the committee, while adding that lawmakers would like documents turned over more quickly. If the House moves forward on contempt, the consequences can range from a symbolic action to a referral to the Justice Department for potential criminal prosecution. In recent years, Trump allies Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro served prison time after defying subpoenas from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The outcome for a former president remains uncertain. President Trump also defied a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee in 2022, did not comply and sued to block the subpoena; the committee later disbanded and the subpoena was dropped. The Oversight Committee has not said whether it will seek additional witnesses beyond those already subpoenaed, and it has not publicly detailed what information it believes the Clintons can provide beyond what they say they have already shared. -------------------- At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community-driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.