A U.S. House of Representatives panel led by Republicans has recommended that former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton be held in contempt of Congress for their refusal to testify about connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The committee accused the Clintons of hindering the investigation by not appearing before the panel, claiming it was biased in favor of President Donald Trump.
In a vote, the committee decided to hold Bill Clinton in contempt with a 34-8 majority and Hillary Clinton with a 28-15 majority, all Republicans supporting the measures. The next step is for the House to vote on referring the cases to the Justice Department for potential prosecution, which requires a simple majority in the House where Republicans have the upper hand.
Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and $100,000 in fines. The resolutions passed by the committee state that the Clintons’ refusal to cooperate with subpoenas greatly obstructed the oversight investigation without any valid legal justification.
Despite Bill Clinton’s willingness to testify under oath at his New York office, the offer was rejected by House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer. Trump, who had a past association with Epstein, claims to have severed ties before Epstein’s legal troubles. Bill Clinton has admitted to flying on Epstein’s plane in the early 2000s and has disavowed knowledge of Epstein’s illicit activities.
During the 2016 presidential election, Trump and Hillary Clinton were fierce opponents, with Trump supporters often chanting “lock her up” at campaign events.