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It all began again in the summer time. A furor erupted over releasing the Epstein recordsdata.
The House started its summer time trip a day early. That halted spending payments. Congressional Republican leaders had been involved that bipartisan lawmakers needed to connect provisions to the measures to compel launch of the Epstein recordsdata.
But there was a bizarre détente — in case you can name it that — on the House Oversight Committee.
COMER RIPS ‘PAID DISRUPTER’ AS BRIEFING ON CLINTON CONTEMPT PUSH DEVOLVES INTO CHAOS
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton makes a concession speech after being defeated by Republican president-elect Donald Trump as former President Bill Clinton (L) and running-mate Tim Kaine look on in New York on Nov. 9, 2016. (Jewel Samad/AFP by way of Getty Images)
On what turned out to be the ultimate day for the House earlier than the prolonged “August recess,” which consumed a number of July, all of August and a few of September, the Oversight Committee performed a listening to on worldwide trafficking.
Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., popped a shock on the committee. She engineered a plan to subpoena the Epstein recordsdata.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., countered Lee’s effort. He concocted an modification to subpoena former President Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, together with different luminaries who could have some details about the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and the sexual abuse of underage women in 2005. Epstein later secured what critics termed a “sweetheart deal,” by then U.S. Attorney and future Labor Secretary Alex Acosta. Among these Perry needed to listen to from in depositions had been former Attorneys General Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales. Perry additionally requested to listen to from former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller.
That’s fairly an inventory.
Most by no means got here in for interviews. Some merely had communication with the committee that they’d no information of Epstein or the unique prosecution.
HILLARY CLINTON EXPECTED TO DEFY EPSTEIN PROBE SUBPOENA, RISKING CRIMINAL CHARGES
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell had been each indicted on federal intercourse trafficking fees stemming from Epstein’s years of abuse of underage women. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Images)
But the Clintons had been one other matter.
Particularly former President Bill Clinton.
Firstly, he is a former president. Secondly, he traveled periodically with Epstein and was documented in images collectively. Third, the previous president has lots of baggage after his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
The Clintons had been supposed to fulfill with House Oversight Committee investigators in October. But that was moved till mid-December. The couple then begged off due to a funeral. The Oversight Committee assigned the duo separate dates in mid-January. Both did not materialize. So House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., threatened them with contempt of Congress for failing to adjust to a subpoena.
“It always seems that the Democrat Party has rules for thee, not for me,” mentioned Rep. John McGuire, R-Va. “But we have oversight and we have subpoena power. And we can put a case and give it to the DOJ and let them prosecute. They need to hold them accountable.”
Of course, Democrats screeched that former Trump advisors Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro didn’t adjust to subpoenas from the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The House then voted to carry Bannon and Navarro in contempt of Congress.
“What do you suppose ol’ Steve Bannon has to say about contempt of Congress? They either need to show up or go to jail,” mentioned Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. They’re like additional tremendous particular folks? Hell no they’re not. They’re American residents. We are a rustic of legal guidelines. They break the regulation. They go to jail. I do not care who it’s.”
CLINTON SPOKESMAN LASHES OUT AT COMER OVER EPSTEIN PROBE AS CONTEMPT VOTE NEARS
The House Oversight Committee released video of its deposition of Hillary Clinton, featuring an empty chair emphasizing Clinton’s absence. (House Oversight Committee Majority)
In 2022, the same Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., along with Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Perry and former Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., for depositions about the riot. All refused to comply with the subpoena because they were members of Congress. The Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause inoculates lawmakers from having to fulfill such demands. Moreover, it was argued that the House could always refer them to the Ethics Committee for not adhering to a congressional mandate. The Constitution stipulates that the House can discipline its members and establish codes of conduct.
Those lawmakers argued that the Jan. 6 committee wasn’t valid because former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., vetoed McCarthy’s picks for the panel: Jordan and Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who served in the House at the time.
So the Oversight Committee voted to hold both the former president and former Secretary of State in contempt of Congress. There were two extraordinary votes.
“Subpoenas aren’t mere ideas,” said Comer. “He is just not above the regulation.”
Nine Democrats voted alongside all Republicans to hold the former Democratic president in contempt.
Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (L) and former President Bill Clinton arrive on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2017, in Washington. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., was among them.
“I’m simply targeted on survivors,” said Pressley. “We need to hear from anybody who has info. And that shouldn’t be restricted to get together traces.”
Lee joined her.
“I do consider that our subpoena is legally binding,” said Lee. “I didn’t really feel like I might let one off.”
A contempt citation must go before the entire House. If the House approves it, the body makes a criminal referral to the Department of Justice for prosecution. That’s what happened with Bannon and Navarro. But some Democrats predict that potentially prosecuting a former President will backfire.
“If we launch legal contempt proceedings, we won’t hear from the Clintons. That is a reality. It’ll be tied up in court docket,” said Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif.
‘THE VIEW’ HOSTS CALL ON CLINTONS TO COMPLY WITH SUBPOENA, TESTIFY ON EPSTEIN
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer speaks to reporters in the Rayburn House Office Building in August 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The Clintons may have ducked multiple depositions as part of the Epstein probe. But Comer doesn’t think they can skip out forever. Especially since the House likely has the votes — on a bipartisan basis — to refer them to DOJ for prosecution.
“I feel the Clintons in all probability are pondering extra about how they will get out of this at the moment than they had been for the final 5 months, as a result of the court docket of public opinion is just not on the Clintons’ facet,” said Comer.
Of course, there are legal issues about prosecuting a president. And even a former president.
But some Democrats believe all the focus on the Clintons is an effort to divert attention from releasing all Epstein documents.
“It’s about defending one man: Donald J. Trump,” said Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va.
And since the documents aren’t out, some Democrats believe the committee should target someone else. And no. It’s not Trump.
“The solely one that must be held in contempt proper now could be [Attorney General] Pam Bondi. We must be releasing these recordsdata,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
But at least one Democrat casts a broader net.
“We ought to maintain all people in contempt that had something to do to cowl this up,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. “All I wanted to do is hear the survivors inform us, ‘Please, do something.’ These are those who have impacted their lives eternally.”
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Comer broke information that the committee will maintain a digital deposition with Epstein affiliate Ghislaine Maxwell on Feb. 9. Any member of the committee can ask questions. And Comer additionally introduced that the House Judiciary Committee will hear from Bondi in mid-February, too. Expect the Epstein challenge to be distinguished there as properly.
The calendar is now urgent up in opposition to February. And although it’s the lifeless of winter, Congress remains to be wrestling with the identical challenge that sidetracked issues final July.
Chad Pergram at present serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the community in September 2007 and relies out of Washington, D.C.
