By Annie Grayer, CNN
(CNN) — Lawmakers have taken the next step toward holding Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena to testify in the congressional Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee voted to send the effort to the full House for a vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who supports holding the Clintons in contempt, has committed to having the chamber vote on the resolutions.
Some Democrats joined with Republicans in voting to hold the former president in contempt. The vote to hold the former secretary of state in contempt was also bipartisan. But fewer Democrats supported that move, with some arguing she should be allowed to submit written testimony or should not have faced a subpoena for testimony in the first place. Ultimately, however, it was moot as Republicans had the votes to send both to the full House.
The panel’s action marks an escalation in its feud with the Clintons over testimony in the bipartisan Epstein investigation. A successful contempt vote by the GOP-controlled House would be both symbolic — as rebukes to the Clintons — and could also be used as a tool to compel them to testify. It could also have legal consequences if the House votes and the courts or the Justice Department decide to take up the matter. A vote by the full House would set up a referral to the Department of Justice, which would then have to decide whether to prosecute.
“Former President Clinton and Secretary Clinton were legally required to appear for depositions before this committee. They refused,” House Oversight Chair James Comer said during Wednesday’s committee meeting.
The former president sought a last-minute off-ramp to prevent contempt proceedings from moving forward. Clinton proposed a limited interview with the top two lawmakers on the committee, according to a letter from Clintons’ attorneys sent to Comer, which was obtained by CNN.
In a statement, Comer called the offer from Clinton’s team “unreasonable” and said he planned to move forward with holding the Clintons in contempt of Congress.
On January 16, Clinton’s attorneys offered to make the former president available for an interview with Comer and the top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Robert Garcia, “on areas within the scope” of the panel’s Epstein probe, according to the letter. On January 19, Clinton’s counsel followed up to say staff could also attend the interview.
“You rejected those offers, and rather than provide counter offers, chose the spectacle of a contempt proceeding,” Clinton attorneys Ashley Callen and David E. Kendall wrote.
In a statement, Comer said, “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.”
Garcia said that he wants to hear from the Clintons but questioned why Comer was not pushing as aggressively for testimony from Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, who has also been subpoenaed by the committee. Garcia also questioned why Comer was not holding the Justice Department accountable for not releasing all of the Epstein files in its possession by December 19, when the law required.
“Let’s be clear. We want to talk to President Bill Clinton. We want him to answer our questions. We also want Ghislaine Maxwell to answer our questions. We also want to understand why Pam Bondi refuses to release all the files,” Garcia said.
During the committee meeting, Comer announced that Maxwell is expected to appear for a closed-door deposition on February 9. She is expected to assert her the Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and not testify.
Comer also claimed that the Clintons’ lawyers proposed to not have an official transcript — which a spokesman for Bill Clinton disputed.
Comer said that not having an official transcript would be “insulting to the American people” who want answers about Epstein. The GOP majority’s X account argued that the Clintons “demanded that there be only one staffer ‘to take notes’ for each side during an ‘interview.’”
Angel Ureña, the Clinton spokesman, responded to Comer on X, saying: “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.”
Comer said during the committee meeting that the Clintons would have two weeks before their contempt referrals received a vote on the House floor.
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