House Oversight Chairman James Comer said the panel will proceed with contempt resolutions after rejecting what he described as special treatment demands tied to the Clintons’ refusal to testify.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Tuesday that he has rejected requests from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding the terms of their testimony in the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and has scheduled a vote to hold them in contempt of Congress for Wednesday.
Comer announced the decision in a statement posted on X, saying the Clintons sought conditions he described as unacceptable and inconsistent with how other witnesses have been treated. The post, shared by the House Oversight Committee, said the chairman denied what he characterized as “special treatment” requests and confirmed that the panel will move forward with contempt proceedings, as outlined in his statement.
The Clintons were subpoenaed last year to testify as part of the committee’s investigation into Epstein, a financier who maintained relationships with numerous political and business figures. The former president has acknowledged knowing Epstein, though neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing.
According to Comer, the Clintons were originally scheduled to appear for depositions in October. That appearance was later postponed to December and then rescheduled again for January. The committee said the Clintons ultimately declined to appear for their January depositions.
Comer said the couple’s attorney proposed that Bill Clinton testify only before Comer and House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia, with two staff members present for each side and without the creation of an official transcript. Comer said those conditions were unacceptable.
“The Clintons’ latest demands make clear they believe their last name entitles them to special treatment,” Comer said. “The absence of an official transcript is an indefensible demand that is insulting to the American people who demand answers about Epstein’s crimes.”
The chairman said a formal record is essential, citing what he described as Bill Clinton’s history of carefully parsing language in prior testimony and past instances in which he was found to have lied under oath. Comer noted that the committee has publicly released interviews with other high-profile figures, including former Attorney General Bill Barr and former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, and said the same standards should apply to the Clintons.
Comer also argued that Hillary Clinton’s testimony remains relevant to the investigation. He said she could have information related to the federal government’s efforts to counter international sex trafficking rings during her tenure as secretary of state, as well as insight into matters involving Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Without a formal record, Americans would be left to rely on competing accounts of what was said,” Comer said. “The House Oversight Committee rejects the Clintons’ unreasonable demands and will move forward with contempt resolutions on Wednesday due to their continued defiance of lawful subpoenas.”
The committee has not announced whether additional steps beyond the contempt vote will be pursued if the resolutions are approved.
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