Contempt proceedings will formally transfer forward against both Clintons on Capitol Hill after Hillary Clinton failed to look for a deposition in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein probe.
Republican Chairman James Comer mentioned Wednesday that the panel will meet in a week to think about contempt of Congress expenses against the previous secretary of state and former President Bill Clinton. If handed by committee, Comer mentioned it should head to a full vote on the House ground.
“We’re going to hold both Clintons in criminal contempt of Congress,” Comer instructed reporters.
The panel issued subpoenas to the Clintons in August for depositions and had been privately negotiating with their authorized counsel to attempt to set a date for them to look for closed-door interviews. The former president first refused to look for his deposition Tuesday, and Hillary Clinton was additionally not anticipated to look because the pair launched a detailed legal argument and personal defense in a collection of letters to the committee.
“I think what’s most disappointing to the Oversight Committee is the fact that we have, in good faith, negotiated with the Clintons’ attorneys for five months. Throughout the past five months, they’ve implied to us that they were trying to make a date work,” Comer mentioned.
The Clintons have asserted in letters that they’re being unfairly singled out and that the panel’s subpoenas are “invalid and legally unenforceable.” The Clintons wrote to Comer that they’d be keen to testify in a public listening to earlier than the committee.
Asked if he’d be keen to carry an open listening to, the Kentucky Republican mentioned “that’s something we can talk about,” including: “But you remember Hunter Biden said that and he never did show.”
“The Democrats are trying to stall, hoping that something else will happen. They’re wanting to turn the attention off of the Clintons,” he argued.
A profitable contempt vote by the GOP-controlled House could be both symbolic — as a rebuke to the Clintons — however may be used as a instrument to compel them to testify. It might have authorized penalties in the event that they proceed to withstand cooperation and the courts determine to take it up.
A vote by the total House to carry the Clintons in prison contempt of Congress would arrange a referral to the Department of Justice, which might then need to determine whether or not to prosecute.