Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declined to appear on Capitol Hill Tuesday for testimony in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, even as Republican lawmakers warned they could pursue contempt of Congress charges.
In a letter framed as a direct challenge to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, the Clintons made clear they would not comply with the panel’s demand. “You will say it is not our decision to make. But we have made it. Now you have to make yours,” they wrote, responding to Comer’s ultimatum that set this week as the final window for their appearances.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Comer said the committee plans to meet next week to advance potential contempt proceedings against Bill Clinton, while leaving open the possibility that Hillary Clinton could still reverse course and agree to testify.
The standoff represents an escalation in the committee’s efforts to secure closed-door interviews with the former president and former secretary of state as part of its Epstein investigation. Any contempt vote approved by the GOP-led House would be largely symbolic as a public rebuke of the Clintons, but it could also be used as leverage to pressure them into testifying. In addition, such a vote could carry legal implications if the matter were referred to the courts or the Department of Justice.
“This subpoena was voted on in a bipartisan manner by this committee,” Comer said. “This wasn’t something that I just issued as chairman. It was a unanimous vote of the House Oversight Committee to subpoena former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Now Hillary Clinton is supposed to show up tomorrow. We’ll see what happens there.”
In a series of letters obtained signed by the Clintons and their attorneys, the couple outlined both personal and legal objections to the committee’s request. They argued they were being unfairly targeted, pointing out that seven other individuals who had been subpoenaed were ultimately excused from appearing in person. The letters described the subpoenas as “invalid and legally unenforceable” and accused the panel of pursuing unprecedented and unjustified actions.
“Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences,” the Clintons wrote. “For us, now is that time.”
They went on to add: “Indeed, bringing the Republicans’ cruel agenda to a standstill while you work harder to pass a contempt charge against us than you have done on your investigation this past year would be our contribution to fighting the madness.”
If the committee proceeds next week, House GOP leadership would then need to schedule a vote on the House floor. A full House vote to hold either Clinton in criminal contempt of Congress would trigger a referral to the Department of Justice, which would then decide whether to pursue prosecution.
The Oversight Committee unanimously issued subpoenas to Bill and Hillary Clinton in August, seeking depositions related to Epstein. Since then, the panel has been in private discussions with the Clintons’ legal team in an attempt to set dates for closed-door testimony.
In their correspondence, the Clintons said they had already cooperated to the extent possible. “We have tried to give you the little information we have,” they wrote.
They emphasized the severity of Epstein’s crimes, calling them “horrific,” and argued that the committee’s focus should be on the government’s handling of the investigation and prosecution. “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 — to learn why and to prevent that from happening ever again,” they told Comer. “There is no evidence that you are doing so.”
Comer, however, has shown little sign of backing down. He has repeatedly highlighted Epstein’s access to Bill Clinton, noting that Epstein visited the White House 17 times during Clinton’s presidency and that Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane roughly 27 times after leaving office.
“To my knowledge, former President Clinton has never answered questions about Epstein,” Comer said Tuesday. “We just have questions, because anyone would admit they spent a lot of time together while Bill Clinton was president and post-presidency. Again, no one has accused the Clintons of any wrongdoing. We just have questions.”
Among the thousands of Epstein-related documents the Department of Justice was compelled to release are several previously unseen photographs showing Bill Clinton with Epstein and Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. One image depicts a shirtless Clinton sitting in a jacuzzi beside another individual whose face has been redacted. Other photos show Clinton swimming in a nearby pool with Maxwell, along with another woman whose face is also obscured. Another photograph shows Clinton standing next to Epstein while holding a drink. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in federal custody awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The locations and dates of the photos have not been disclosed.
Bill Clinton has never been accused by law enforcement of wrongdoing related to Epstein. His representatives have consistently said he severed ties with Epstein long before Epstein’s 2019 arrest and had no knowledge of his criminal activities.
When the photographs were released in December, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña dismissed suggestions of impropriety. “The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” Ureña said in a statement. “This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever. They can release as many grainy, 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton.”
Democrats on the Oversight Committee have also released images from Epstein’s estate showing a range of powerful figures who moved within his social circle, including Bill Clinton. In one such photograph, Clinton appears alongside Epstein, Maxwell, and another couple.
