House Oversight Committee Moves Toward Contempt Citations for Bill and Hillary Clinton

House Republicans plan to advance two contempt of Congress resolutions on Wednesday targeting former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for refusing to sit for depositions tied to the ongoing investigation of financier Jeffrey Epstein. Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer scheduled a markup session for the afternoon, setting up the first formal vote on whether the couple violated legally issued subpoenas.

The subpoenas, authorized last summer by the committee’s Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee, demanded closed-door testimony from ten witnesses, including both Clintons, about Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Republican lawmakers argue the on-the-record interviews are essential to determine the extent of any knowledge the Clintons might possess regarding Epstein’s activities and network.

Through counsel, the Clintons have contested the subpoenas for months, describing them as legally deficient and unnecessary. Attorney David Kendall has repeatedly maintained that neither client holds information relevant to the inquiry and that compelled in-person testimony would serve no legitimate legislative purpose.

Comer rejects that assessment, writing in an October letter that the decision on relevance rests with the committee, not the witnesses. He contended that only a sworn deposition allows lawmakers to evaluate the breadth and value of potential testimony.

The standoff intensified last week when the former president and the former secretary of state declined to appear for scheduled depositions in Washington. Comer responded by announcing immediate steps toward contempt proceedings, stating that “the Clintons are not above the law.”

Wednesday’s markup is expected to send the contempt resolutions to the House floor. Timing for floor debate will be set after the committee vote, but Republican leaders have indicated they want the matter concluded quickly. With a narrow majority, Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose no more than two GOP votes if Democrats unite against the measure; a third Republican defection would block passage.

If approved by the full House, the resolutions would instruct the Speaker to refer the case to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for potential criminal prosecution. Unlike most legislation, a contempt citation requires only House approval and does not advance to the Senate.

Republicans point to flight records indicating that Bill Clinton traveled on Epstein’s private aircraft several times between 2002 and 2003, during work related to the Clinton Foundation. They also cite photographs and other documentation reflecting a social relationship between the Clintons, Epstein, and Maxwell during the same period.

Neither Clinton has been accused of criminal wrongdoing, and both deny any knowledge of Epstein’s illicit conduct. To date, no Epstein survivor or associate has publicly alleged misconduct by either of them.

Last month, the Justice Department released photographs of the former president with Epstein and Maxwell, taken during overseas travel in the early 2000s. The disclosure came under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which seeks to make government records connected to the case publicly available. House Oversight Committee Democrats subsequently released additional images from Epstein’s estate, including photos of both Bill Clinton and former President Donald Trump.

Imagem: Internet

Following the release, a Clinton spokesperson argued the Trump administration publicized the pictures to divert attention from issues facing the former president’s allies, a claim Republican committee members dismissed.

Negotiations to avert contempt collapsed this week. According to Comer, Clinton attorneys proposed a private conversation in New York City involving the former president, Comer, Ranking Member Robert Garcia, and two staffers from each side. Comer labeled the offer “unreasonable” and insisted on a formal deposition under committee rules.

On Jan. 13, the Clintons’ office provided the committee with separate written declarations. In his statement, Bill Clinton acknowledged using Epstein’s plane on several occasions to visit Clinton Foundation projects and attend conferences, citing the aircraft’s capacity to accommodate staff and Secret Service personnel. He said he had not visited Epstein’s property on Little St. James Island, had little contact with Epstein after 2003, and possessed no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

Hillary Clinton’s declaration mirrored those assertions. She wrote that she never participated in or influenced any Justice Department decisions involving Epstein or Maxwell and could not recall the circumstances of meeting Maxwell, except that Maxwell later entered a personal relationship with a mutual acquaintance.

Both statements emphasized that any encounters with Epstein or Maxwell occurred before their criminal conduct became public and that the Clintons did not seek to shield either individual from scrutiny.

Should the House pass the contempt resolutions, enforcement would rest with the Justice Department, which historically has exercised broad discretion in prosecuting congressional contempt referrals. The most recent high-profile case, involving former White House strategist Steve Bannon, resulted in a conviction, underscoring the potential legal consequences.

For now, the Oversight Committee’s markup represents the latest escalation in a partisan dispute that has stretched across two administrations. While Republicans frame the action as a necessary assertion of congressional authority, Democrats describe it as an overreach aimed at political adversaries. The outcome of Wednesday’s vote will determine whether the confrontation moves from Capitol Hill into federal court.

Crédito da imagem: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images