Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have announced their refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena requesting their testimony regarding an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
The Clintons described the efforts of the Republican-led committee as ‘legally invalid,’ as Republican lawmakers prepare to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against them.
In a letter shared on social media on Tuesday (January 13), the Clintons addressed the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Republican Representative James Comer, stating that he was initiating a process “literally designed to result in our imprisonment.”
“We will forcefully defend ourselves,” the Clintons wrote in their four-page letter posted on Twitter. The former President of the United States captioned the tweet, “This is not about Right or Left, it’s about Right and Wrong.”
They accused Comer of allowing other former officials to provide written statements about Jeffrey Epstein to the committee while selectively enforcing subpoenas against them.
“We have tried to give you the little information we have. We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific,” they wrote. “If the government didn’t do all it could to investigate and prosecute these crimes, for whatever reason, that should be the focus of your work.”
In response, Comer plans to initiate contempt-of-Congress proceedings next week, which could lead to a complex and politically contentious process that Congress seldom employs.
“No one’s accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing. We just have questions,” Comer told reporters after Clinton, who previously urged President Trump to release all relevant files, did not attend a scheduled deposition at the House offices today.
He added, “Anyone would admit they spent a lot of time together.”
https://twitter.com/BillClinton/status/2011098958236697021
Clinton had a documented friendship with the wealthy financier during the 1990s and early 2000s, but he has never faced accusations of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has denied any knowledge of his criminal activities.
Republicans have focused on this relationship as they seek a comprehensive account of Epstein’s misconduct.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial.
Following the criticism from the Clintons, Comer emphasized that the decision to subpoena the couple was not his alone.
“It’s important to note that this subpoena was voted on in a bipartisan manner by this committee,” he stated, according to CNN.
“This wasn’t something that I just issued as chairman of the committee. This was voted on by the entire committee in a unanimous vote of the House Oversight Committee to subpoena former President Clinton and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.”
He further noted that Hillary is expected to appear at the House offices tomorrow, but he seemed skeptical about the former First Lady’s attendance.