On Wednesday, House Republicans are poised to take significant steps toward holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress. This action arises from their failure to comply with subpoenas related to the ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Oversight Chairman James Comer will conduct a markup of two resolutions that aim to find the Clintons in contempt, following their defiance of a subpoena for a deposition last week.
Chairman Comer emphasized that the Clintons are not above the law, stating, "The House Oversight Committee will move to hold them in contempt of Congress." He expressed concern that if Democrats fail to hold the Clintons accountable, they risk appearing hypocritical. The Clintons have contested the subpoenas, arguing they lack legal merit and have been pushing back against them for several months.
Last summer, both Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight's Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee agreed to issue subpoenas to ten individuals, including the Clintons, to gather testimony related to their investigation of Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican narrative has focused on former President Clinton's travels on Epstein's private aircraft in the early 2000s, highlighting the Clintons' previous associations with Epstein and Maxwell.
The contempt resolution is anticipated to pass out of the committee on Wednesday afternoon, setting the stage for a full House vote in the coming days. The exact timing of the floor vote remains uncertain until after the committee markup. If Democrats choose to oppose the floor vote, Speaker Mike Johnson can only afford to lose two Republican votes; a third defector could jeopardize the resolution's passage.
If the resolution is approved, it would instruct the Speaker of the House to refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, potentially leading to criminal prosecution. A simple majority is required to pass a contempt resolution, and notably, Senate approval is not necessary.
While neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing, both deny having any knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities. No Epstein survivor or associate has publicly accused the Clintons of inappropriate behavior or misconduct in connection with Epstein. Last month, in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Justice Department released photographs of Bill Clinton during his international travels with Epstein and Maxwell between 2002 and 2003.
In reaction to these disclosures, a spokesperson for the former president argued that the Trump administration released the images to divert attention from its own issues. For months, David Kendall, the Clintons' attorney, has insisted that they possess no relevant information and should not be compelled to testify in person.
Comer expressed skepticism regarding the Clintons' claims of having limited information, insisting that it is the committee's prerogative to evaluate the relevance of their testimony. "The Committee believes that it should be provided in a deposition setting, where the Committee can best assess its breadth and value," Comer stated.
Recently, Bill Clinton's legal team proposed a meeting in New York with Comer, Ranking Member Robert Garcia, and two staff members. However, a spokesperson for Comer dismissed the offer as "ridiculous," asserting that the committee will proceed with contempt resolutions due to the Clintons' continued defiance of lawful subpoenas.
In response to Comer's remarks, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña clarified that the Clintons have not rejected the idea of providing a transcript for interviews conducted under oath. The statements released by the Clintons last week reiterated their denial of any personal knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities or any visits to his private estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bill Clinton stated in his declaration that after leaving office, he focused on the Clinton Foundation, accepting offers of private air travel to support philanthropic efforts. He confirmed that he traveled on Epstein's plane from 2002 to 2003 but emphasized that he never visited Little St. James Island, nor does he recall any contact with Epstein prior to the latter's arrest in 2019.
Both Clintons maintain that they had no involvement in any investigations or prosecutions related to Epstein or Maxwell, with Bill Clinton asserting, "I did not direct, oversee or participate in the handling of the investigations or prosecutions of the Epstein or Maxwell cases." Hillary Clinton echoed this sentiment, emphasizing her lack of responsibility for the Department of Justice's management of these investigations during her time in public office.
As the House Oversight Committee prepares to move forward with the contempt resolutions, the Clintons continue to assert their innocence and distance themselves from the allegations surrounding Epstein and Maxwell, marking a crucial moment in this ongoing political saga.