A wide and politically explosive investigation into the Epstein files has reached former President Bill Clinton, providing a fresh test of presidential cooperation with House subpoenas.
Clinton, who had ties to the late convicted sex offender, is not the first ex-president to be subpoenaed, but he is one of only a few. President Donald Trump, the other more recent example, did not show up for a deposition before the Jan. 6 Committee.
Lack of cooperation is becoming the norm, making congressional investigators realistic about what they can obtain through their oversight powers. However, House Republicans have had success bringing high-profile officials before their committees for other investigations, particularly the inquiry into President Joe Biden’s mental acuity, and a Clinton appearance is not out of the question.
On Tuesday, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced he would compel testimony from almost a dozen figures, including Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“There have been two presidents in the last century that have been subpoenaed by Congress,” Comer said on Fox News. “I believe that was Harry Truman and Donald Trump, and neither ended up testifying in front of Congress. But we’re going to do everything we can. This is different because this subpoena was the direct result of a committee vote, and it was a bipartisan committee vote.”
One “strategic reason” Comer’s investigation may be different is that it provides a chance to clear Clinton of the cloud of suspicion surrounding him, according to Boston College Political Science Professor Dave Hopkins.
A deposition for the former president, who flew on Epstein’s jet but denies any wrongdoing connected to him, is set for Oct. 14, and the former secretary of state’s is set for Oct. 9.
“It may be that the Clintons would actually not necessarily mind, presuming they have a sort of a self-exoneration story to tell, of actually telling it in front of Congress and sort of professing their innocence with respect to the Epstein story,” Hopkins told the Washington Examiner.
At the same time, Hopkins said the GOP could be trying to deflect from the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein case by turning to people they “like” to go after.
Republicans, for their part, see Democrats’ attempts to keep the Epstein files in the news as a political stunt and question why they did not press aggressively for the release of documents under Biden.
Trump’s frustration with the shelf-life of the story, revived in part by the Justice Department’s denial that Epstein maintained a “client list,” continues to grow. The DOJ has since moved to produce new findings and has interviewed Epstein’s former companion, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“The whole thing is a hoax,” Trump said Wednesday. “It’s put out by the Democrats, because we’ve had the most successful six months in the history of our country, and that’s just a way to divert attention to something that is total bulls***.”
If Hillary Clinton were to appear, it would not be the first time she has testified before Congress. In 2015, she did so for 11 hours during the Benghazi hearing when the GOP controlled the House. The former president also has a tense history with the House when he was impeached in 1998.
Along with the Clintons, eight others were subpoenaed for depositions from August through October, including former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller, former Attorneys General Merrick Garland, Bill Barr, Jeff Sessions, Alberto Gonzales, Loretta Lynch, and Eric Holder. The committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for the Epstein files, with a deadline of Aug. 19.
The Washington Examiner reached out to each witness for comment.
“The subpoenas issued are legally binding and duly authorized,” a House Oversight Committee spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “As always, the Committee will engage in good faith negotiations while expecting compliance from all parties.”
Legal experts say the subpoenas issued to former Obama and Clinton administration officials are unlikely to carry immediate legal consequences. This is in part because enforcement would fall to the Justice Department, a politically fraught proposition given its own role in the document disclosures.
“If any of these parties refuse to comply with the subpoena, of course, it’s the Department of Justice that has to pursue contempt charges,” according to Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor speaking to LiveNOW from FOX Tuesday evening. “But there’s really not much teeth when it comes to these subpoenas. It’s more political theater than anything.”
Even though Attorney General Pam Bondi has publicly pledged to release more Epstein-related materials, she isn’t legally required to do so.
Rahmani said she could still withhold the records by citing executive privilege or other legal protections, such as those meant to shield law enforcement work and internal deliberations. “She’s made certain promises to the American people,” he said, “but she doesn’t have to follow through on them.”
In the meantime, the investigation has political consequences for both Clinton and Trump, with news reports fueling questions over how closely each was associated with Epstein.
Last month, as the Epstein drama began to heat up, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s name was on a 2003 birthday card to Epstein that included a suggestive drawing, though the president denied he wrote the card and sued the outlet. The newspaper later reported that Clinton was also among those who wrote a note to Epstein, while both Trump and Clinton were found in photos in the disgraced financier’s home.
Epstein’s pilot, who testified in Maxwell’s trial, said both men were on the list of those who flew on his private plane, adding that he would be notified if high-profile individuals were onboard.
Clinton’s spokesperson acknowledged that the former president flew on the plane but claimed he knew nothing about the crimes being committed. Trump and Clinton deny visiting Epstein’s home in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS CLINTONS FOR DEPOSITIONS AND DOJ FOR EPSTEIN FILES
A letter released by the House Oversight Committee said Hillary Clinton would be questioned about why Maxwell’s nephew worked on her presidential campaign and the State Department during her tenure.
The Clinton subpoenas are part of three motions that have passed the House Oversight Committee in an effort to reveal more information about the Epstein files.
