Former President Invoice Clinton defied a Home Republican committee’s subpoena Tuesday in an escalating battle over Congress’s dealing with of an investigation of disgraced financier and intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Home Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer threatened the previous president with a contempt prosecution, whereas Clinton accused the Republican of mounting a partisan marketing campaign to cover, slightly than reveal, the reality about Epstein and his highly effective connections.
Clinton failed to look at a deposition for Comer’s panel Tuesday. As a substitute, the previous president posted a letter to the chairman on social media denouncing his investigation and condemning him for resisting profitable laws to power disclosure of Justice Division information on Epstein’s intercourse trafficking operation.
“If the federal government didn’t do all it may to analyze and prosecute these crimes, for no matter motive, that must be the main target of your work – to study why and to stop that from taking place ever once more. There isn’t any proof that you’re doing so,” Clinton wrote in a letter co-signed by his spouse, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who has additionally been subpoenaed by the panel.
Comer mentioned his panel will transfer subsequent week to carry Clinton in contempt of Congress. He added that nobody is accusing Clinton of wrongdoing however mentioned the previous president’s refusal to testify is “very disappointing.”
Hillary Clinton, the previous US senator and secretary of state who misplaced to President Donald Trump within the 2016 presidential election, is scheduled to look on Capitol Hill on Wednesday but in addition isn’t anticipated to attend.
The method of holding a person in contempt of Congress normally requires a vote by the complete Home to direct the matter to the Justice Division. Two former Trump aides, Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon, served jail time after being held in contempt.
Home Republican leaders resisted a Democratic-backed regulation to power the Justice Division to launch information on Epstein. However 4 Republicans joined Democrats in an uncommon procedural maneuver to power a Home vote on the measure, which was handed into regulation final yr.
The Justice Division, to adjust to the regulation, has been releasing tranches of information linked with Epstein. Epstein, a convicted intercourse offender, was going through federal expenses of trafficking underage ladies when he died in jail in 2019.
Among the many launched paperwork had been a number of photographs that includes the previous president, who has repeatedly denied data of Epstein’s crimes. His spokesman known as on the time for the Justice Division to launch all of the supplies it has that check with or point out Clinton.
“Refusal to take action will affirm the widespread suspicion the Division of Justice’s actions thus far should not about transparency, however about insinuation,” Angel Urena mentioned in a publish on X on December 22.
Trump, who signed the Epstein laws beneath stress from congressional Republicans, has complained in regards to the continued give attention to the Epstein information.
Like Clinton, Trump is seen in photographs within the information and has repeatedly denied any data of Epstein’s crimes. Mentions within the information don’t imply somebody did one thing mistaken.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned there was no want for Trump to testify as a result of he’s answered questions on Epstein “advert nauseam.”
The Clintons complained of their letter that the committee had waived depositions for others it had subpoenaed.
“You subpoenaed eight folks along with us. You dismissed seven of these eight with none of them saying a single phrase to you. You made no try to power them to look. The truth is, because you began your investigation final yr, you’ve interviewed a complete of two folks.”
Final yr the committee withdrew subpoenas for a number of former authorities officers, together with former FBI director James Comey, former Attorneys Normal Jeff Periods, Alberto Gonzales, Loretta Lynch and Eric Holder after they offered written declarations to the committee that they’d no data related to its inquiries. A subpoena to former FBI director Robert Mueller was withdrawn as a result of his well being points.
The committee pursued contempt expenses in opposition to former Lawyer Normal Merrick Garland, resulting in a Home vote for contempt that resulted in a stalemate when the Justice Division refused to prosecute Garland.
Former Lawyer Normal William Barr testified in a closed-door deposition in August 2025. In a press release, the committee mentioned he testified that he “had restricted data of the investigation” into Epstein, and that he “couldn’t exonerate President Trump of wrongdoing.”
