Democrats helped push Bill and Hillary Clinton a step closer to facing contempt of Congress charges on Wednesday. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee voted to recommend criminal contempt citations for the former president and former secretary of state over their refusals to testify in its investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Nine Democrats joined Republicans in backing contempt for Bill Clinton; three supported the move against Hillary Clinton, the New York Times reports. The referrals now head to the full House, where passage would send the case to the Justice Department, which could seek fines of up to $100,000 and up to a year in jail.
The clash exposed a split among Democrats who have demanded more transparency on the Epstein files but don't want to appear to shield the Clintons, especially the former president, who had social ties to Epstein. Some Democrats called his refusal to appear "shameful" and acknowledged the subpoenas were valid. Others argued criminal contempt was excessive given what they described as the Clintons' efforts to cooperate, including sworn written statements and an offer by Bill Clinton to sit for an under-oath interview with Chairman James Comer and the panel's top Democrat, Robert Garcia, in his New York office. Comer rejected that proposal, saying a nontranscribed session was unacceptable; Garcia countered that Clinton's lawyers had not ruled out a formal transcript.
The hearing turned combative as Democrats accused Republicans of using the Epstein probe to target political enemies while going easier on allies of President Trump. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who ultimately voted for both contempt resolutions, said, "I will hold anyone in contempt that will not give us information" but blasted the committee for not similarly pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi over missing Epstein records. A push by Rep. Summer Lee to hold Bondi in contempt failed. Republicans insisted Bondi was cooperating and scheduled to testify, and Comer announced the panel plans to depose Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell next month, though her lawyers say she will invoke Fifth Amendment protections.
A Clinton spokesperson posted before the vote, per Politico: "We have offered to help, we have helped, and to this very moment we are ready to help. But the Republicans REFUSE to say YES." Questions remain over whether prosecutors—and a Washington grand jury—would pursue contempt cases against the Clintons, given their negotiations with the committee. Some Democratic lawyers on the panel argued those talks undercut the claim of "willful" defiance required for criminal contempt. "Dragging your feet is not the same as noncompliance," said Rep. Dave Min, who tried and failed to downgrade the citations to civil contempt before voting "present."
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