House Oversight Chairman James Comer has rejected a last-minute proposal from former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton to avoid contempt of Congress charges related to an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons failed to appear for scheduled depositions, prompting potential votes as early as Wednesday. Comer dismissed their offers as unreasonable demands for special treatment.
House Republican Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) on Monday rejected requests from former President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton to sidestep contempt of Congress proceedings. The couple faces votes over their refusal to appear for depositions in a probe into convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The House is scheduled to vote as early as Wednesday on holding the Clintons in contempt after they skipped depositions set for January. Their lawyers sent Comer a letter on Saturday, proposing that Bill Clinton sit for a four-hour transcribed interview instead of a deposition under oath, while Hillary Clinton would provide a sworn declaration rather than appear in person.
Comer described the offers as "unreasonable," stating, "It has been nearly six months since your clients first received the Committee’s subpoena, more than three months since the original date of their depositions, and nearly three weeks since they failed to appear for their depositions commensurate with the Committee’s lawful subpoenas." He added, "Your clients’ desire for special treatment is both frustrating and an affront to the American people’s desire for transparency."
The chairman argued that a transcribed interview would allow Bill Clinton to "refuse to answer whatever questions he wanted for whatever reasons he wanted," and the time limit could encourage evasive tactics, noting Clinton's "established record of being a loquacious individual." For Hillary Clinton, Comer emphasized the committee's repeated insistence on in-person testimony over declarations.
The Clintons were subpoenaed last year for the Epstein investigation. Deposition dates shifted from October to December and then January, but they did not appear. After the no-shows, nine Democrats joined Republicans to recommend contempt for Bill Clinton, and three Democrats for Hillary.
The Clintons were friends with Epstein in the early 2000s; Bill Clinton frequently flew on Epstein's private plane. Neither has been accused of wrongdoing in Epstein's crimes. They have argued they "already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee."
Epstein files released by the Justice Department feature Bill Clinton multiple times, including photos of him in a hot tub with a redacted woman, swimming with Ghislaine Maxwell—who is serving 20 years for sex trafficking—and receiving a shoulder massage from accuser Chauntae Davies, who has not accused him of misconduct. Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, Angel Ureña, stated in December that the former president "knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light."
A majority House vote is needed for contempt resolutions to pass, potentially leading to fines or jail time.
