House Oversight chair offers Clintons new deposition dates in Epstein probe, warns of contempt

Chairman James Comer said Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton lacked grounds to skip in-person depositions, citing personal ties to Jeffrey Epstein
PUBLISHED 4 HOURS AGO
House Oversight chair set new deposition dates for former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Epstein probe, warning of contempt (Getty Images)
House Oversight chair set new deposition dates for former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Epstein probe, warning of contempt (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: The Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee has given former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton new dates to appear for depositions in the panel’s wide-ranging investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein trafficking network.

 They were also warned they could face contempt of Congress proceedings if they fail to comply.

Clintons offered new deposition dates

As part of the panel’s investigation, the House Oversight Committee is offering former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, new deposition dates in January.

(Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton did not provide sufficient justification to forego in-person depositions (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Chairman James Comer wrote that the Clintons did not provide sufficient justification to forego in-person depositions, even though the panel has allowed some other subpoenaed individuals to submit written statements instead of appearing before the committee in person, according to a letter obtained by CNN.

According to the letter, those individuals either “lacked any relevant information” related to the investigation or had “serious health issues” that prevented their testimony.

“Your clients are not similarly situated, and therefore your argument that they are receiving unfair treatment, which you continue to repeat, is baseless. For example, unlike these other individuals, President Clinton and Secretary Clinton had a personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell,” Comer wrote.

Clintons face contempt over missed depositions

The panel is now offering January 13 and 14 as new deposition dates for former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, respectively, as part of an ongoing negotiation and a final attempt to avoid contempt of Congress proceedings, according to Chairman James Comer.

BOSTON - JULY 26:  Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, are offered January 13 and 14 as new deposition dates (Getty Images)

The depositions were initially scheduled for this week by Comer. However, according to the Clintons’ attorney, the couple was unable to attend due to a funeral and did not propose alternative dates.

The Clintons were first subpoenaed in August and have since been engaged in ongoing discussions with the Republican-led committee over scheduling their interviews.

Newly released Epstein photos show Bill Clinton

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday released photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate showing several powerful figures in the late offender’s orbit, including former President Bill Clinton.

The escalation also comes as the committee released new materials tied to Epstein, including a photograph recovered from his estate showing Bill Clinton smiling alongside Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell
A photograph recovered from Jeffrey Epstein's estate showing Bill Clinton smiling alongside Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell (Democrats on the House Oversight Committee)

Clinton has never been accused by law enforcement of any offense related to Epstein. A spokesperson has repeatedly said he cut ties with Epstein before his 2019 arrest on federal charges and was not aware of his crimes.

The images, released last week, do not depict any s*xual misconduct and are not believed to show underage girls. It was not immediately clear when or where the photos were taken, or by whom.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Stephen A Smith warned that defending Donald Trump’s rhetoric could cost elections, saying dismissing it as 'just Trump' risks political fallout
2 hours ago
Donald Trump sparked backlash after he linked Rob Reiner's tragic death to 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' in a Truth Social post
3 hours ago
Addressing backlash over a Truth Social post, Trump called Rob Reiner ‘deranged’ and said he thought the director was ‘very bad for our country'
4 hours ago
Bettina Anderson said she ‘feels like the luckiest girl in the world’ after the president announced the engagement at the White House Christmas party
5 hours ago
The image showed Trump in his 40s, projecting the confidence and ambition that cemented his persona in public life
5 hours ago
Candace Owens said she and Erika Kirk were able to 'share intel and clarify intent' during Monday's private meeting
5 hours ago
The announcement came weeks after Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly clashed with Trump and said she would resign in January to avoid a bitter primary
6 hours ago
Newsom said he spoke with the Reiners weeks earlier, praising their unwavering commitment to social, racial and economic justice and public well-being
7 hours ago
Any formal announcement is likely still years away, but an Axios report signals that Kamala Harris has not exited the national political stage
7 hours ago
'They actually put terrible words in my mouth having to do with January 6th that I did not say,' Donald Trump said, announcing the lawsuit
8 hours ago