Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have refused to testify before a Republican-led congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. They say the probe is driven by politics, not facts.
In a letter sent Tuesday to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, the Clintons said the investigation lacks fairness. They argued it does not serve the public interest.
Contempt Vote Planned by Committee
Meanwhile, Representative Comer said the committee will meet next week. Its goal is to consider holding Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress.
Additionally, a committee spokesperson said similar action could be taken against Hillary Clinton. This would happen if she does not appear before the panel on Wednesday.
Clintons Say They Already Cooperated
However, the Clintons said they already shared all relevant information they have. They described that information as limited.
They also accused Comer of shifting attention away from the Trump administration. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
As a result, the Clintons said investigators should focus on whether the government failed to act properly at that time.
Dispute Over Epstein Connections
According to Comer, many Americans want answers about Bill Clinton’s ties to Epstein. He said Epstein visited the White House 17 times during Clinton’s presidency. He also claimed Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane about 27 times.
However, Bill Clinton has said he did not know about Epstein’s crimes. He has also expressed regret over their past association. Importantly, no evidence links Clinton to sex trafficking.
“No one is accusing Bill Clinton of a crime,” Comer said. “We only want answers.”
Justice Department Releases Documents
Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department continues to release Epstein-related files. This follows a transparency law passed by Congress.
Epstein had social ties with both Donald Trump and the Clintons. In addition, the Clintons’ lawyers sent a separate letter on Monday. They said the subpoenas were invalid and meant to embarrass political opponents.
