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Contempt vote advances in Congress
A key congressional committee has voted to recommend holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The measure, approved by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee with some Democratic support, now heads to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
Background of the subpoenas
The committee issued subpoenas to both Clintons earlier this year, seeking testimony about their ties to Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Bill Clinton has been photographed with Epstein multiple times during the 1990s and early 2000s, though he has never been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein's victims. The former president has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
Clintons' legal response
The Clintons' legal team argued that the subpoenas were "unenforceable" and accused the committee of using them as a political tool. In a letter to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, their attorneys stated they had already provided all relevant information they possessed about Epstein. They further claimed the subpoenas lacked a "valid legislative purpose" and represented an "unprecedented infringement on the separation of powers."
Bipartisan support for contempt measure
During Wednesday's vote, nine Democrats joined Republicans in approving contempt charges against Bill Clinton, while three Democrats supported the measure against Hillary Clinton. If the full House passes the resolution, the matter will be referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for potential prosecution. Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by fines up to $100,000 and up to one year in prison.
"No one is above the law, and justice must be applied equally-regardless of position, pedigree, or prestige," Comer said in a statement urging the full House to approve the contempt measure.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer
Photos and document releases
Recent disclosures by the DOJ included photographs of Bill Clinton with Epstein, released after Congress passed legislation mandating the public disclosure of materials related to Epstein's investigations. One image shows Clinton swimming in a pool, while another depicts him relaxing in a hot tub. Clinton's spokesperson, Angel Ureña, stated that the photos were decades old and that Clinton had severed ties with Epstein before his crimes became public.
The majority of documents from the Epstein files remain unreleased, despite a legal deadline of December 19 for their disclosure. Many of the documents that were made public contained unexplained redactions, including the names of individuals investigated by authorities. Officials have acknowledged that millions of additional documents are still pending release.
Next steps
The full House is expected to vote on the contempt resolution in the coming weeks. If approved, the DOJ will determine whether to pursue prosecution against the Clintons.
