The House Oversight Committee is providing former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton new deposition dates in January as a part of the panel’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein – and threatening the potential for contempt proceedings if they don’t comply.
In a letter obtained by NCS, Chairman James Comer writes that the Clintons’ didn’t present adequate justification to forego in-person depositions, although the panel has allowed another people who’ve been subpoenaed to offer written statements in lieu of showing in particular person earlier than the committee.
The letter states that these people both “lacked any relevant information” to the investigation or had “serious health issues” stopping their testimony.
“Your clients are not similarly situated and therefore your argument that they are receiving unfair treatment—which you continue to repeat—is baseless. For example, unlike these other individuals, President Clinton and Secretary Clinton had a personal relationship with Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell,” Comer wrote.
Comer said that the panel is now providing January 13 and 14 as new deposition dates for the previous president and former secretary of state, respectively, as a part of an ongoing negotiation and in a last try and keep away from contempt of Congress proceedings. Comer had initially scheduled depositions for the pair this week and mentioned the Clintons’ lawyer shared the couple couldn’t attend these dates as a consequence of a funeral however didn’t supply options.
NCS has reached out to a authorized consultant for the Clintons concerning the letter.
The Clintons were first subpoenaed in August and have been going back-and-forth with the Republican-led panel over their interviews.
On Friday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released photos from Epstein’s property exhibiting the various highly effective figures in the late intercourse offender’s orbit, together with Bill Clinton.
Bill Clinton has by no means been accused by legislation enforcement of any wrongdoing associated to Epstein, and a spokesperson has repeatedly mentioned he lower ties with Epstein earlier than his arrest on federal costs in 2019 and didn’t learn about his crimes.
None of the pictures launched final week depict any sexual misconduct nor are they believed to depict underage ladies. It was not instantly clear when or the place they have been taken, or by whom.