House Oversight Moving Ahead With Contempt Vote After Clintons Blow Off Subpoenas

House Republicans are preparing to escalate their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein by moving to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress after both declined to comply with congressional subpoenas.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) announced Tuesday that the panel will take up contempt resolutions on Jan. 21, recommending that the full House vote to hold the Clintons in contempt for refusing to appear for sworn depositions. According to the committee, Bill Clinton failed to appear for a scheduled Jan. 13 deposition, while Hillary Clinton did not comply with her Jan. 14 subpoena.

Comer said the committee rejected counteroffers from the Clintons’ legal team that he described as unacceptable and inconsistent with congressional oversight standards. Among the proposals was an offer for Comer and the committee’s ranking member to travel to New York to speak privately with Bill Clinton, without a formal transcript and without participation from other members.

Comer made clear that such an arrangement was a nonstarter.

“Facing contempt of Congress, the Clintons’ lawyers made an untenable offer: that I travel to New York for a conversation with President Clinton only. No official transcript would be recorded and other Members of Congress would be barred from participating. I have rejected the Clintons’ ridiculous offer,” Comer said Tuesday.

“The Clintons’ latest demands make clear they believe their last name entitles them to special treatment. The House Oversight Committee’s bipartisan subpoenas require the Clintons to appear for depositions that are under oath and transcribed. Former President Clinton has a documented history of parsing language to evade questions, responded falsely under oath, and was impeached and suspended from the practice of law as a result,” Comer added.

The chairman emphasized that transparency — not private conversations — is essential to restoring public trust, particularly given the seriousness of Epstein’s crimes and the questions surrounding his network of elite associates.

“The absence of an official transcript is an indefensible demand that is insulting to the American people who demand answers about Epstein’s crimes. As part of our investigation, the House Oversight Committee has released transcripts of interviews with former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta, which has provided much needed transparency to the public. Without a formal record, Americans would be left to rely on competing accounts of what was said,” Comer continued.

Comer also underscored why Hillary Clinton’s testimony is central to the investigation.

“Former Secretary Clinton’s on-the-record testimony is necessary for the Committee’s investigation given her knowledge from her time as Secretary of State of the federal government’s work to counter international sex-tracking rings, her personal knowledge of Ms. Maxwell, and her family’s relationship with Mr. Epstein,” he said.

The subpoenas originated from a bipartisan vote by the committee’s Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee in July 2025, which sought testimony related to Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Comer has repeatedly argued that the Clintons’ testimony is essential, citing Bill Clinton’s documented past association with Epstein and Hillary Clinton’s senior role in shaping international law enforcement and diplomatic initiatives during her tenure at the State Department.

A spokesperson for the Clintons disputed Comer’s account of negotiations and insisted they were open to cooperating under certain conditions.

“We never said no to a transcript. Interviews are on the record and under oath. Whether it was written or typed isn’t why this is happening. If that were the last or only issue, we’d be in a different position. You keep misdirecting to protect you-know-who and God knows what,” said Angel Urena, a spokesperson for the Clintons.

If the Oversight Committee approves the contempt resolutions, they will advance to the full House, where a simple majority vote would be required before referral to the Justice Department. Contempt of Congress remains one of the most powerful tools available to lawmakers when witnesses defy lawful subpoenas — a step Republicans argue is necessary to ensure accountability regardless of political pedigree.