Bill and Hillary Clinton subpoenaed in Epstein probe, ordered to testify before House committee

WASHINGTON, DC: Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have been ordered to testify before a congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case, as announced on Tuesday, August 5.

Their appearance, scheduled for October, will coincide with testimonies from former Attorneys General Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on President Donald Trump to release sealed Epstein-related files, as the panel has issued a subpoena to the Department of Justice for key records linked to the case.

House panel subpoenas Clintons and former officials in Epstein case

The House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas to Bill and Hillary Clinton, along with several former attorneys general and FBI directors, demanding testimony related to the alleged crimes of Jeffrey Epstein.

The move, led by Republican Chair James Comer, follows two bipartisan motions passed last month amid growing outrage, particularly among Donald Trump’s supporters, over the Justice Department’s refusal to release additional details about Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial.

In addition to the Clintons, subpoenas were sent to former Attorneys General Jeff Sessions, Alberto Gonzales, and William Barr, who served under Presidents George W Bush and Donald Trump, as well as Merrick Garland, Loretta Lynch, and Eric Holder, who served under Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller were also named in the subpoenas.

Why are the Clintons being ordered to give testimony in the Epstein case?

Committee Chair James Comer announced the subpoenas less than two weeks after the Justice Department interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell. Lawmakers say the investigation could uncover potential ties to President Donald Trump and other senior officials. The probe gained momentum following public backlash over a brief memo from the DOJ stating that no Epstein “client list” exists.

A viral photo recently circulated online showing Bill Clinton smiling while Chaunte Davis, a Jeffrey Epstein accuser, massages his shoulders. The Daily Mail originally published the image on August 18, 2020. It captures a moment from 2002 when the then-22-year-old Davis gave Clinton a shoulder massage during a pit stop at a small airport in Portugal.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department, led by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, is considering whether to release the transcript of Maxwell’s closed-door interview. The two-day session, held last week in Tallahassee, reportedly covered around 100 individuals linked to Epstein. 

What did James Comer state in his letter to the Clintons?

In a letter to former President Bill Clinton, Committee Chair James Comer cited records showing that Clinton flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet on four occasions and repeated claims that he had allegedly pressured Vanity Fair to withhold reporting on Epstein’s sex trafficking activities.

Comer also pointed to Clinton’s reported closeness with Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite now serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking related to Epstein.

“Given your past relationships with Mr Epstein and Ms Maxwell, the Committee believes that you have information regarding their activities that is relevant to the Committee’s investigation,” Comer wrote. 

He further stated, “Your family appears to have had a close relationship with both Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.” Comer added that Clinton may also possess knowledge of federal efforts to combat international sex trafficking operations similar to Epstein’s.

Bill Clinton has been scheduled to testify on October 14, while Hillary Clinton is set to appear on October 9. 

Trump publicly told reporters they should focus on Bill Clinton

While speaking to reporters before departing the White House for a trip to Scotland, Donald Trump was asked whether Ghislaine Maxwell could be trusted.

In response, Trump, who also once had a friendly relationship with Epstein and Maxwell, deflected attention, saying, “You know, you should focus on Clinton. You should focus on the president of Harvard, the former president of Harvard. He should focus on some of the hedge fund guys, I’ll give you a list.” 

Trump went on to say that although he had the authority to pardon Maxwell, he had not considered doing so. “People should really focus on how well the country is doing, or they should focus on the fact that Barack Hussein Obama led a coup.”

In what appeared to be an attempt to redirect scrutiny away from himself regarding the Epstein files, Trump mentioned several prominent individuals allegedly linked to Epstein, including former Harvard President Larry Summers and former President Bill Clinton. “They speak about them, because they don't talk about them. They talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy,” he said.

Trump concluded, “You ought to be speaking about Bill Clinton, who went to the island 28 times. I never went to the island. I don't even know what they're talking about," without providing any evidence to support the claim.