A bipartisan committee vote advances the possibility of contempt proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton after months of stalled negotiations over testimony.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A House committee on Wednesday advanced contempt of Congress resolutions against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in connection with the ongoing congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, marking a rare escalation that could, for the first time, expose a former president to one of Congress’s most severe enforcement tools.
In bipartisan votes, the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee approved resolutions to hold both Clintons in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas seeking their testimony. The measure targeting Bill Clinton passed 34–8, while the resolution concerning Hillary Clinton passed 28–15. The votes now set the stage for possible consideration by the full House.
Democrats were divided on the issue. Several progressive lawmakers joined Republicans in voting to advance the contempt measures, citing the need for full transparency in the Epstein investigation regardless of political affiliation. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib supported moving forward with the resolution against Bill Clinton, while Tlaib also voted in favor of advancing the measure against Hillary Clinton.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said at the outset of the hearing that the Clintons had met congressional demands with “defiance” rather than cooperation.
“Subpoenas are not mere suggestions,” Comer said. “They carry the force of law and require compliance.”
The contempt resolutions represent an initial step that could ultimately lead to a referral to the Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution. If pursued and successful, such a case could carry penalties including fines or imprisonment, though such outcomes are rare and historically uncommon.
The Clintons have argued that the subpoenas are invalid, maintaining that they lack a legitimate legislative purpose. Neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton, like President Donald Trump and other high-profile figures connected to Epstein, has been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein’s crimes.
Despite the committee’s action, passage of the contempt resolutions in the full House is not assured, as it would require a majority vote. Lawmakers on both sides acknowledged that the path forward remains uncertain, and there were indications that negotiations between the Clintons’ legal team and the committee could continue.
According to the committee, an attorney for the Clintons proposed earlier this week that Bill Clinton be interviewed in New York by Comer and the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, along with staff. Comer rejected that proposal on Tuesday, saying it fell short of the committee’s requirements.
Behind the scenes, longtime Clinton attorney David Kendall has sought to negotiate terms for testimony, including floating the possibility of appearances on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to the committee’s account. The Clintons have also offered written declarations detailing their interactions with Epstein.
“We have tried to give you the little information we have,” the Clintons wrote in a letter to Comer last week. “We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific.”
The committee is investigating how Epstein was able to sexually abuse dozens of teenage girls over many years before his death in 2019, when he died by suicide in a New York jail while awaiting trial. Publicly released case files have documented Epstein’s connections to numerous powerful figures across politics and business.
Contempt of Congress proceedings are historically rare and typically reserved for high-profile disputes over testimony. In recent years, however, Congress has shown a greater willingness to use them. Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon were convicted of contempt after defying subpoenas from the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protests and served prison sentences.
No former president has ever been successfully compelled to testify before Congress, though some have done so voluntarily. The Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed Trump during its investigation but later withdrew the demand after his attorneys resisted.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Democrats criticized Comer for focusing on the Clintons while the Justice Department remains behind schedule in releasing a complete set of Epstein-related files required by Congress. Garcia said lawmakers should prioritize obtaining those records.
“No president or former president is above the law,” Garcia said, while also questioning the committee’s emphasis on the Clintons compared with other unresolved aspects of the investigation.
The committee has also subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who is serving a lengthy prison sentence following her conviction on sex trafficking charges. Comer said the panel plans to interview Maxwell next month, and Attorney General Pam Bondi is scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee in February.
Comer has indicated he will insist on a transcribed deposition from Bill Clinton as a condition for resolving the dispute.
“You have to have a transcript in an investigation,” he said. “So no transcript, no deal.”
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