House committee poised to approve resolutions holding the Clintons in contempt of Congress
House Republicans are set to take decisive action on Wednesday, aiming to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for their non-compliance with committee subpoenas related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. This move comes after the Clintons defied a subpoena for a deposition last week, sparking further scrutiny.
On Wednesday, Oversight Chairman James Comer will hold a markup session to consider two resolutions finding the Clintons in contempt of Congress. The resolutions stem from the Clintons' refusal to appear before the committee, despite being subpoenaed for a deposition. (https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/clintons-comer-lying-impunity-epstein-inquiry-release-written/story?id=129223202)
"The Clintons are not above the law, and the House Oversight Committee will move to hold them in contempt of Congress," Comer, a Republican, stated last week. "If Democrats refuse to hold the Clintons accountable, they will expose themselves as hypocrites."
The Clintons have consistently challenged the subpoena's legal grounds, contesting it for months. This dispute escalated when Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight's Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee approved a motion to issue subpoenas to 10 individuals, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, for testimony related to their investigation into Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Republicans have highlighted the former president's travels on Epstein's private aircraft in the early 2000s and the Clinton family's past relationship with Epstein and Maxwell. The contempt resolution is expected to advance out of the committee on Wednesday, setting the stage for a full vote on the House floor in the following days.
The timing of the floor consideration will be determined after the committee markup. If Democrats oppose the floor vote, Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose just two Republican votes, with a third GOP defector potentially derailing the passage. The resolution, if passed, would instruct the Speaker of the House to refer the case to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, under the Department of Justice, for potential criminal prosecution. A simple majority is required to clear a contempt resolution, though it does not necessitate passage in the Senate.
It's important to note that neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing, and they both deny having any knowledge of Epstein's crimes. No Epstein survivor or associate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife in connection with their prior relationship with Epstein.
In response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Justice Department released several photographs of former President Clinton, apparently taken during his international travels with Epstein and Maxwell between 2002 and 2003. A spokesperson for the two-term Democratic president argued that the Trump administration released those images to shield the Trump White House from potential scrutiny.
David Kendall, the Clintons' lawyer, has persistently argued that the Clintons possess no information relevant to the committee's investigation and should not be compelled to appear for in-person testimony. In a letter to Kendall in October, Comer expressed skepticism about the Clintons' limited information and argued that it was the committee's responsibility, not the Clintons', to determine the value of their testimony.
"The Committee believes that it should be provided in a deposition setting, where the Committee can best assess its breadth and value," Comer wrote.
Comer stated on Tuesday that Bill Clinton's lawyers made an offer for Comer, Ranking Member Robert Garcia, and two members of each of their staffs to have a conversation with only former President Bill Clinton in New York. A Comer spokesperson rejected the Clintons' offer, emphasizing the committee's stance.
"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," Comer stated.
In response, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña told ABC News that the Clintons "never said no to a transcript." She argued that interviews are on the record and under oath, and the issue is not about the format but the substance. Ureña suggested that Comer's actions are driven by a desire to protect someone, though she did not specify who.
Last week, the ex-president's office released two written declarations, dated January 13, from both Clintons, provided to the Oversight Committee. Both Clintons denied any personal knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities and stated they had never visited Epstein's private estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Former President Clinton acknowledged that Epstein may have attended White House events during his presidency but claimed not to recall specific interactions with Epstein while in office.
Both Clintons affirmed their lack of involvement in any criminal investigations or prosecutions of Epstein or Maxwell, either during their tenure or afterward. They also stated that they could not recall the circumstances of their meeting with Maxwell but remembered her subsequent personal relationship with a mutual friend.
"To be clear, I had no idea of Mr. Epstein's or Ms. Maxwell's criminal activities," former President Clinton wrote. "And, irrespective of any intent either may have ever had, I did not take any action for the purpose of helping them to avoid any type of scrutiny."
Hillary Clinton added in her declaration, "During my tenure in public office, from 1993 to 2013, I never had any responsibility for, or involvement with, the Department of Justice's handling of the Epstein and Maxwell investigations or prosecutions."
