Republican lawmakers in the United States have threatened to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress after both refused to testify before a Republican-led House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a strongly worded letter addressed to House Oversight Committee chair James Comer, the Clintons said they had reached a point where they were prepared to defend themselves “no matter the consequences”, rejecting demands to appear before the committee.
Mr Comer told reporters on Tuesday that the committee intended to move forward with contempt proceedings as early as next week. He had previously set deadlines for Bill Clinton, the former president, and Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate, to testify. The Clintons, however, described the subpoenas as “invalid and legally unenforceable”, accusing Republicans of misusing congressional powers in an effort that could ultimately result in their imprisonment.
The Clintons argued that they had already provided sworn written statements, which were also supplied to law enforcement agencies, and criticised the committee for excusing other subpoenaed witnesses from testifying in person. Their eight-page letter accused Mr Comer of prioritising political attacks over a serious examination of Epstein’s crimes and the government’s alleged failure to properly investigate and prosecute them. The couple also said they expected further releases of “irrelevant, decades-old photographs” intended to cause embarrassment, following recent Justice Department disclosures.
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The Clintons have not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and officials have stressed that the appearance of names or images in released files does not imply misconduct. Meanwhile, the House investigation continues alongside the Justice Department’s ongoing release of so-called Epstein files. Although around 12,000 documents have been published so far, government lawyers have said that more than two million files may still remain unreleased, prompting concern from lawmakers over missed deadlines and warnings that legal action could follow if further delays persist.
