A House committee has voted to hold both Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress after they failed to appear for scheduled depositions tied to the ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s associates and activities.
Lawmakers on the panel had issued subpoenas requiring the former president and former secretary of state to provide testimony as part of efforts to gather information and documents related to the broader probe. Neither appeared at the designated hearings, prompting the committee to take the rare step of citing them for contempt.
The contempt vote allows the House to pursue enforcement measures to compel compliance, which could include referrals to other branches of government or legal action to secure testimony. Committee members emphasized that subpoenas are binding legal orders and that failure to appear undermines congressional oversight responsibilities.
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have previously acknowledged contact with Epstein in the past but have maintained they had no involvement in his criminal conduct. Their absence from the depositions has intensified scrutiny of their roles in the broader inquiry and sparked significant public and political debate.
The development marks an escalation in congressional efforts to investigate Epstein’s network and the circles of individuals connected to him, as lawmakers push to obtain firsthand accounts and documents through formal processes. The committee’s action underscores its determination to enforce subpoenas and advance the investigation despite resistance from high-profile figures.