House GOP moves to hold Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress in Epstein probe
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Former President Bill Clinton speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative 2025 Annual Meeting on Sept. 25, 2025, in New York City. Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images for New York Hilton Midtown
House Oversight Republicans will begin contempt of Congress proceedings against former President Bill Clinton after he failed to appear for a deposition Tuesday as part of the committee's investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Why it matters: Invoking contempt — a rarely used congressional enforcement tool — against a former president would mark a significant escalation by House Republicans.
- Both Bill and Hillary Clinton are refusing to comply with subpoenas, laying out in a letter, obtained by Axios, to Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) why they considered the subpoenas "invalid and legally unenforceable."
- Hillary Clinton is scheduled to sit for a deposition Wednesday, and Comer has warned that the committee also would pursue contempt proceedings against her if she too fails to appear.
Driving the news: "We've communicated with President Clinton's legal team for months now, giving them opportunity after opportunity to come in to give us a day, and they continue to delay, delay, delay. Delaying to the point where we had no idea whether they would show up today," Comer told reporters Tuesday.
- He said the Oversight panel will move next week to hold Bill Clinton in contempt.
- None of the panel's Democrats showed up for Tuesday's deposition either, according to Comer.
- Criminal contempt of Congress carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000, though not every witness who defies a subpoena is referred for prosecution.
Catch up quick: The Clintons were issued subpoenas in August, along with former FBI director James Comey and other government officials.
- The depositions were initially set for October, then pushed to December after Bill Clinton said he needed to attend a funeral.
- In a December letter, Comer agreed to delay the depositions a second time because of the funeral but said the Clintons' attorney was "unwilling to provide any alternative dates for your clients' testimony."
- Comer ultimately rescheduled the depositions for this week without confirmation that the Clintons would appear.
State of play: The Justice Department in December released the first tranche of Epstein-related files, which included multiple photos of Bill Clinton.
- Clinton has denied any wrongdoing.
- Bill Clinton also traveled aboard Epstein's plane during Clinton Foundation trips in the early 2000s, before Epstein was charged with sex crimes.
The other side: "For months, we've been offering the same exact thing he accepted from the rest, but he refuses and won't explain why. Make of that what you will," Angel Urena, a spokesperson for Bill Clinton, said of Comer in December.
- The Clintons have offered to provide the committee with sworn statements instead of appearing in person.
- "Since this started, we've been asking what the hell Hillary Clinton has to do with this, and [Comer] hasn't been able to come up with an answer," Nick Merrill, a spokesperson for Hillary Clinton, said in a statement last month.
Flashback: Penalties in contempt of Congress cases can range from symbolic rebukes to jail time.
- Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were sentenced to prison for defying subpoenas from the Democratic-led Jan. 6 select committee.
- Former Attorney General Merrick Garland was held in contempt in 2024 for refusing to turn over audio of President Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, but the Biden-era DOJ declined to prosecute the case.
What's next: Once the contempt measure formally passes out of committee, the full House will have to vote on it.
- If the resolution garners the simple majority needed for passage, it will then be referred to the DOJ for prosecution.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
