Former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are facing contempt of Congress proceedings after they refused to comply with subpoenas to testify in a House investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A Defiant Stand Against "Invalid" Subpoenas
In a strongly-worded letter released on social media, the Democratic power couple informed Republican Representative James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, that they would not appear for scheduled depositions. They labelled the committee's attempts as "legally invalid" and accused Mr Comer of being on the verge of a process "literally designed to result in our imprisonment."
The Clintons were due to give evidence this week, with Mr Clinton's deposition set for Tuesday and Mrs Clinton's for Wednesday. Neither appeared. Their legal team, in a separate letter dated 12 January, argued the subpoenas lacked a valid legislative purpose and were an effort to "publicly harass and embarrass" them.
Political Battle Over Epstein's Connections
Mr Comer has stated he will initiate contempt proceedings next week, a rare and complex political tool. He emphasised that "no one's accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing," but that the committee has questions, noting that anyone would admit Bill Clinton "spent a lot of time together" with Epstein.
Bill Clinton's friendship with the disgraced financier during the 1990s and early 2000s is well-documented, though he has never been accused of any crime related to Epstein's activities. Republicans have focused on this relationship as part of a broader push for a full accounting of Epstein's network. Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 and died by suicide in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial.
Accusations of Selective Enforcement and Political Theatre
In their public letter dated 13 January, the Clintons accused the committee of selective enforcement, allowing other former officials to submit written statements while pursuing them with subpoenas. They framed their defiance as a stand against political persecution, writing that bringing the Republican agenda to a halt over the contempt charge "would be our contribution to fighting the madness."
The couple also pre-emptively criticised the potential release of "irrelevant, decades-old photos" intended to embarrass them. They urged the committee to focus on why Epstein's horrific crimes were not fully investigated by government authorities in the first place.
The situation echoes past constitutional standoffs. Former President Donald Trump previously challenged a subpoena from the January 6th committee, citing legal precedent shielding ex-presidents from compelled congressional testimony. Mr Comer has indicated his committee would not seek to compel testimony from Trump, now a sitting president, regarding his own documented past friendship with Epstein.
