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House Republicans precocious a solution connected Wednesday (January 21, 2026) to clasp erstwhile U.S. President Bill Clinton and erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton successful contempt of Congress implicit the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, opening the imaginable of the House utilizing 1 of its astir almighty punishments against a erstwhile President for the archetypal time.
The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee approved the contempt of Congress charges, mounting up a imaginable ballot successful the House. It was an archetypal measurement toward a transgression prosecution by the Department of Justice that, if successful, could nonstop the Clintons to situation successful a quality implicit compelling them to attest earlier the House Oversight Committee.
Rep James Comer, the chairman, said astatine the commencement of the committee's proceeding that the Clintons had responded not with “cooperation but defiance.” “Subpoenas are not specified suggestions, they transportation the unit of instrumentality and necessitate compliance,” said Mr. Comer.
The Clintons reason that the subpoenas are invalid.
Bill Clinton, President Donald Trump and galore others connected to Epstein person not been accused of wrongdoing. Yet lawmakers are wrestling implicit who receives the astir scrutiny.
Nonetheless, determination were signs of a imaginable thaw arsenic the Clintons, some Democrats, appeared to beryllium searching for an off-ramp to testify. In addition, transition of contempt charges done the afloat House was acold from guaranteed, requiring a bulk ballot — thing Republicans progressively conflict to achieve.
The repercussions of contempt charges loomed large, fixed the anticipation of a important good and adjacent incarceration.
While the charges person historically been utilized lone arsenic a past resort, lawmakers successful caller years person been much consenting to scope for the option.
Mr. Comer initiated the contempt proceedings aft the Clintons refused for months to fulfil a committee subpoena for their grounds successful its Epstein investigation.
The clash was the latest crook successful the Epstein saga arsenic Congress investigates however helium was capable to sexually maltreatment dozens of teenage girls for years.
Epstein killed himself successful 2019 successful a New York jailhouse compartment portion awaiting trial.
The nationalist merchandise of lawsuit files has shown details of the connections betwixt Epstein and some Bill Clinton and Mr. Trump, among galore different high-powered men.
Mr. Comer rejected an connection connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026) from a lawyer for the Clintons to person Comer and the apical Democrat connected the committee, Rep Robert Garcia of California, interrogation Bill Clinton successful New York, on with staff.
How Clintons person responded
The Clintons released a missive past week criticising Mr. Comer for seeking their grounds astatine a clip erstwhile the Justice Department is moving a period down a congressionally mandated deadline to merchandise its implicit lawsuit files connected Epstein.
Behind the scenes, however, longtime Clinton lawyer David Kendall has tried to negociate an agreement. Kendall raised the imaginable of having the Clintons attest connected Christmas and Christmas Eve, according to the committee's relationship of the negotiations.
The Clintons, who contend the subpoenas are invalid due to the fact that they bash not service immoderate legislative purpose, besides accidental they did not cognize astir Epstein's abuse. They person offered the committee written declarations astir their interactions with Epstein.
"We person tried to springiness you the small accusation we have. We've done truthful due to the fact that Epstein's crimes were horrific,” the Clintons wrote to Mr. Comer past week.
How contempt proceedings person been utilized
Contempt of Congress proceedings are rare, utilized erstwhile lawmakers are trying to unit grounds for high-profile investigations, specified arsenic the infamous enquiry during the 1940s into alleged Communist sympathisers successful Hollywood oregon the impeachment proceedings of President Richard Nixon.
Most recently, Mr. Trump's advisors Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon were convicted of contempt charges for defying subpoenas from a House sheet investigating the January 6, 2021, riot by a mob of the Republican president's supporters astatine the Capitol. Both Mr. Navarro and Mr. Bannon spent months successful prison.
The January 6 committee besides subpoenaed Mr. Trump successful its inquiry. Mr. Trump's lawyers resisted the subpoena, citing decades of ineligible precedent they said shielded ex-presidents from being ordered to look earlier Congress. The committee yet withdrew its subpoena.
No erstwhile President has ever been successfully forced to look earlier Congress, though immoderate person voluntarily appeared.
Democrats' effect
Democrats person mostly been focused connected advancing the probe into Epstein alternatively than mounting an all-out defence of the Clintons, who led their enactment for decades. They person said Bill Clinton should pass the committee if helium has immoderate pertinent accusation astir Epstein's abuses.
A affluent financier, Epstein donated to Bill Clinton's 1992 statesmanlike run and Hillary Clinton's associated fundraising committee up of her 2000 Senate run successful New York.
“No president oregon erstwhile president is supra the law,” Garcia said astatine the committee hearing.
Democrats spent the proceeding criticising Mr. Comer for focusing connected the Clintons erstwhile the Justice Department is down docket connected releasing the Epstein files.
Mr. Comer has besides allowed respective erstwhile attorneys wide to supply the committee with written statements attesting to their constricted cognition of the case.
