House Republicans say they’ll charge Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, with contempt of Congress for failing twice in as many days to appear for scheduled depositions as part of the GOP’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
“Here we are again,” Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t think it’s any secret former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined her husband in defying a bipartisan, lawful congressional subpoena to show up today.”
Bill Clinton was scheduled to give sworn testimony on Tuesday but did not appear, prompting Comer, R-Ky., to announce plans to pursue contempt proceedings next week. Hillary Clinton was slated to appear Wednesday, but also did not comply.
“So here’s the situation: We’re going to hold both Clintons in criminal contempt of Congress,” Comer said, adding that committee Republicans have “in good faith negotiated with the Clintons’ attorneys for five months.”
In a nearly four-page letter to Comer on Tuesday, the Clintons dismissed the subpoenas as “legally invalid,” emphasizing they have already provided all information they have about Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Their letter characterized the committee’s demands as politically motivated and unrelated to legitimate legislative oversight.
“Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences,” the Clintons wrote in the letter. “For us, now is that time.”
In a separate letter from the Clintons’ attorneys, obtained by The New York Times, Ashley Callen and David Kendall argued that the subpoenas are “legally unenforceable because they seek testimony with no connection to a valid legislative purpose.”
Comer told reporters on Wednesday that the committee “felt like Hillary Clinton could offer some information on the record.” He said Tuesday that while “no one is accusing the Clintons of wrongdoing,” the committee is obligated to pursue testimony from all subpoenaed individuals. “We just have questions.”
The Republican-led panel initially subpoenaed the Clintons in August in connection with its investigation into Epstein’s network.
Comer said the committee is expected to hold a vote next Wednesday on criminal contempt-of-Congress charges against both Clintons “for defying a legal subpoena. Once it passes the committee, then it will go to the full House floor for a vote.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday he supports holding the Clintons in contempt.
“I mean, it’s a duly issued subpoena, and if they have nothing to hide, they should just come and say that,” Johnson told MS NOW. “So, I mean, I’m supporting my chairman on that, and I think it’s, I think it’s a really bad look for the Clintons that they won’t come and share what they know. If they have nothing to hide, then they should do that.”
Punishment for conviction of criminal contempt of Congress, a federal misdemeanor, can include a fine of up to $100,000 and imprisonment for up to 12 months.
Republicans argue that Bill Clinton’s past interactions with Epstein warrant further scrutiny. The former president was featured in several images released last month among the Justice Department’s Epstein files. Neither Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
The Clintons’ refusal to testify comes amid frustration from lawmakers over the Justice Department’s delay in releasing millions of Epstein-related documents as mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The DOJ did not release all files related to the investigation by the Dec. 19 deadline. Attorney General Pam Bondi says more than 2 million documents potentially related to Epstein are still being reviewed, according to a recent court filing. Lawmakers in both parties have also criticized the department for excessive redactions and incomplete disclosures.
In a statement on Tuesday, a spokesperson for House Oversight Committee Democrats stressed the importance of continuing to work with the Clintons in the investigation.
“Cooperating with Congress is important, and the committee should continue working with President Clinton’s team to obtain any information that might be relevant to our investigation,” spokesperson Sara Guerrero said.
Mychael Schnell contributed to this report.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.