Lawmakers have taken the subsequent step towards holding Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to adjust to a subpoena to testify in the congressional Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee voted to ship the trouble to the total House for a vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who helps holding the Clintons in contempt, has dedicated to having the chamber vote on the resolutions.
Some Democrats joined with Republicans in voting to hold the previous president in contempt. The vote to hold the previous secretary of state in contempt was additionally bipartisan. But fewer Democrats supported that transfer, with some arguing she needs to be allowed to submit written testimony or shouldn’t have confronted a subpoena for testimony in the primary place. Ultimately, nevertheless, it was moot as Republicans had the votes to ship each to the total House.
The panel’s motion marks an escalation in its feud with the Clintons over testimony in the bipartisan Epstein investigation. A profitable contempt vote by the GOP-controlled House can be each symbolic — as rebukes to the Clintons — and may be used as a software to compel them to testify. It might even have authorized penalties if the House votes and the courts or the Justice Department determine to take up the matter. A vote by the total House would arrange a referral to the Department of Justice, which might then have to determine whether or not to prosecute.
“Former President Clinton and Secretary Clinton were legally required to appear for depositions before this committee. They refused,” House Oversight Chair James Comer stated throughout Wednesday’s committee assembly.
The former president sought a last-minute off-ramp to forestall contempt proceedings from shifting ahead. Clinton proposed a restricted interview with the highest two lawmakers on the committee, in accordance to a letter from Clintons’ attorneys despatched to Comer, which was obtained by NCS.
In a press release, Comer called the supply from Clinton’s crew “unreasonable” and stated he deliberate to transfer ahead with holding the Clintons in contempt of Congress.
On January 16, Clinton’s attorneys supplied to make the previous president obtainable for an interview with Comer and the highest Democrat on the panel, Rep. Robert Garcia, “on areas within the scope” of the panel’s Epstein probe, in accordance to the letter. On January 19, Clinton’s counsel adopted up to say workers might additionally attend the interview.
“You rejected those offers, and rather than provide counter offers, chose the spectacle of a contempt proceeding,” Clinton attorneys Ashley Callen and David E. Kendall wrote.
In a press release, Comer said, “the Clintons’ latest demands make clear they believe their last name entitles them to special treatment. The House Oversight Committee’s bipartisan subpoenas require the Clintons to appear for depositions that are under oath and transcribed.”
Garcia stated that he desires to hear from the Clintons however questioned why Comer was not pushing as aggressively for testimony from Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, who has additionally been subpoenaed by the committee. Garcia additionally questioned why Comer was not holding the Justice Department accountable for not releasing the entire Epstein recordsdata in its possession by December 19, when the regulation required.
“Let’s be clear. We want to talk to President Bill Clinton. We want him to answer our questions. We also want Ghislaine Maxwell to answer our questions. We also want to understand why Pam Bondi refuses to release all the files,” Garcia stated.
During the committee assembly, Comer introduced that Maxwell is anticipated to seem for a closed-door deposition on February 9. She is anticipated to assert her the Fifth Amendment rights towards self-incrimination and never testify.
Comer additionally claimed that the Clintons’ attorneys proposed to not have an official transcript — which a spokesman for Bill Clinton disputed.
Comer stated that not having an official transcript can be “insulting to the American people” who need solutions about Epstein. The GOP majority’s X account argued that the Clintons “demanded that there be only one staffer ‘to take notes’ for each side during an ‘interview.’”
Angel Ureña, the Clinton spokesman, responded to Comer on X, saying: “We never said no to a transcript. Interviews are on the record and under oath. Whether it was written or typed isn’t why this is happening. If that were the last or only issue, we’d be in a different position. You keep misdirecting to protect you-know-who and God knows what.”
Comer stated in the course of the committee assembly that the Clintons would have two weeks earlier than their contempt referrals obtained a vote on the House flooring.