The Republican-led House oversight committee is poised to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Hillary Clinton, following her refusal to comply with a subpoena for testimony concerning the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Clintons Defy Congressional Subpoenas
On Wednesday, 19 August 2024, committee chair James Comer announced the move after the deadline for the former Secretary of State to appear passed. This action comes a day after both Hillary and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, stated they would not honour the bipartisan subpoenas issued by the investigative panel.
"Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton joined her husband in defying a bipartisan, lawful congressional subpoena to show up today," Comer told reporters. "We’re going to hold both Clintons in criminal contempt of Congress." The committee is scheduled to consider a formal contempt resolution the following Wednesday.
Legal and Political Standoff Intensifies
For the contempt charge to advance, it must be approved by the oversight committee and the full House of Representatives, both controlled by Republicans. It would then be referred to the Department of Justice for a decision on potential indictment. In response, the Clintons' legal team argued the subpoenas were "invalid and legally unenforceable" and an "unprecedented infringement" on the separation of powers.
Attorneys for the couple also released sworn declarations in which both Hillary and Bill Clinton deny any knowledge of Epstein's crimes and state they were not involved in government investigations into him. The committee had subpoenaed the Clintons last August, alongside several former attorneys general and FBI directors, after the Justice Department closed its Epstein file.
Partisan Accusations Fly
During the committee session, a Democratic aide criticised the Republican focus on the Clintons, accusing them of not pursuing other witnesses or a Justice Department records subpoena with similar vigour. The aide also highlighted former President Donald Trump's public calls for an investigation into Bill Clinton's Epstein links, expressing "grave concerns" about using law enforcement to target political opponents.
In a joint statement, the Clintons framed their defiance as a political stand, writing that bringing the Republicans' agenda "to a standstill" while they pursued contempt charges would be their "contribution to fighting the madness." The threat of contempt prosecution has become more prominent recently, with two former Trump advisers serving jail time for ignoring subpoenas related to the January 6 investigation.
