The House Oversight Committee advanced bipartisan measures Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The committee voted to move forward with contempt proceedings after the former first couple refused to appear for scheduled depositions despite being served with lawful subpoenas more than five months ago.
The votes now send the matter to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
Chairman James Comer introduced the contempt resolutions following months of unsuccessful attempts to secure testimony from the Clintons as part of the committee’s investigation into Epstein’s activities.
The subpoenas had received unanimous approval from committee members when they were initially issued.
The resolution targeting Bill Clinton received significant bipartisan support, passing by a vote of 34 to 8, with two members voting present.
The measure concerning Hillary Clinton also advanced, though with a narrower margin of 28 to 15 and one present vote.
Comer addressed the committee’s actions in a statement posted on social media, declaring that the votes demonstrated Congress’s commitment to equal application of the law.
He emphasized that no individual should receive special treatment based on their background or former positions of power.
According to Comer, the bipartisan subpoenas were issued as part of the committee’s ongoing examination of Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged criminal network.
The chairman stated that the Clintons were legally obligated to appear before the committee but instead chose to respond with resistance and delay tactics.
The committee had scheduled depositions for the former first couple earlier in January.
On January 13, the panel warned it would proceed with contempt measures if the Clintons failed to appear as required by the subpoenas.
Just hours before the Tuesday deadline, the Clintons notified Comer that they would not be attending the scheduled depositions.
Their decision came despite the committee’s attempts to negotiate their appearance in good faith over several months, the Daily Caller previously outlined.
The former president and former secretary of state submitted a legal letter to the committee asserting that the subpoenas lacked validity and could not be legally enforced, according to The New York Times.
They followed this with a public statement indicating their intention to challenge the committee’s authority to compel their testimony.
In their defense, the Clintons pointed to their previous provision of sworn statements.
They argued these statements were comparable to those submitted by former law enforcement officials who were subsequently excused from appearing before the committee.
The former first couple also maintained they possessed no relevant information that would aid the committee’s investigation into Epstein’s alleged activities.
Despite these claims, the committee proceeded with its scheduled deposition sessions.
When the appointed time arrived for the depositions, the Clintons’ assigned seats remained vacant.
The no-show prompted Comer to formally begin contempt proceedings against both individuals.
During the committee markup session, Comer stressed that the decision to pursue contempt charges was not reached without careful deliberation.
He insisted accountability was necessary given the importance of the investigation.
