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Washington.— Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton refused to appear before the House Oversight Committee this Tuesday as part of the Congressional investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein case, despite the threat of being held in contempt.
In a series of letters addressed to the Republican chairman of the committee, James Comer, and obtained by CNN, the Clintons called the subpoenas "invalid and legally unenforceable" and stated that the decision not to testify had already been made. "You will say it's not our decision. But we already made it. Now it's up to you to make yours", they wrote, in a tone that was interpreted as an open challenge to the panel's leadership.
Comer declared this Wednesday that the commission plans to meet next week to move forward with the contempt proceedings against Bill Clinton, although he left open the possibility that Hillary Clinton could still reconsider her position. According to his explanation, the subpoenas were approved unanimously and on a bipartisan basis by the commission, and it was not a unilateral decision of his presidency.
The Clintons' refusal represents an escalation in the panel's attempt to compel the former president to submit to a closed-door interview as part of the investigation. An eventual vote by the House of Representatives to hold them in contempt would have a symbolic character as a political reprimand, but could also lead to legal consequences if the case is referred to the Department of Justice.
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In their communications, the Clintons maintain that they are being unfairly targeted and allege that they have already excused themselves from seven previously cited in-person appearances. They also claim that they have tried to provide "all the little information" they have, emphasizing that Epstein's crimes were "horrible," but questioning whether the commission is focused on investigating why institutions failed to prosecute them in time. “There is no evidence that you are doing that”, they noted in reference to the committee's work, while accusing Republicans of pushing a political agenda and prioritizing contempt over a substantive investigation.Comer, for his part, has defended the need to question Bill Clinton, recalling that Epstein visited the White House on at least 17 occasions during his presidency and that the former president flew on the financier's plane on about 27 occasions after leaving office. “He has never answered questions about Epstein. We are not accusing the Clintons of any crime; we just have questions”, the legislator stated.
The controversy intensified after the recent publication of thousands of documents related to Epstein by the Department of Justice, some of which include unpublished photographs of Bill Clinton with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Although the images do not specify a date or place, they have fueled public and political debate surrounding the former president's links to the deceased sex offender. Bill Clinton has never been formally accused of crimes related to Epstein. A spokesperson reiterated that the former president broke off relations with him before his arrest in 2019 and was unaware of his crimes. Even so, the confrontation between the Clintons and the Oversight Committee threatens to drag on, pending the decision of Congress on whether to move towards a contempt vote in the House plenary.
