A House panel, led by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, recommended that former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify about their connections to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. The committee accused the Clintons of obstructing the investigation, although they offered to cooperate but declined to appear in person, citing partisan motives to shield President Donald Trump.
In a vote, Bill Clinton was found in contempt by 34-8 and Hillary Clinton by 28-15, with all 25 Republicans supporting the measures. The committee’s decision paves the way for House votes to forward the cases to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. Contempt of Congress carries penalties of up to a year in jail and $100,000 in fines.
The resolutions passed by the committee stated that the Clintons’ refusal to comply with subpoenas hindered the oversight probe and lacked legal justification. Bill Clinton offered to testify under oath at his New York office, but the offer was rejected by House Oversight Committee chair James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky.
Trump, who distanced himself from Epstein after his guilty plea in a prostitution case, had a past friendship with him. Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane post-presidency but claimed ignorance of his illegal activities. In the 2016 election, Trump and Hillary Clinton, once adversaries, clashed fiercely with chants of “lock her up” resonating at Trump’s campaign events.