Bill Clinton is being held in contempt by a House committee for omitting the Epstein testimony

Bill Clinton’s refusal to appear in a congressional probe into Jeffrey Epstein prompted a House committee to begin contempt proceedings.

The failure of former US President Bill Clinton to attend before a House committee looking into the late businessman and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has prompted a Republican member to threaten to bring charges of contempt of Congress against him.

James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, stated on Tuesday that the procedures will start the next week and that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would face similar consequences if she doesn’t appear for her scheduled testimony on Wednesday. As part of a larger congressional investigation into Epstein’s connections and affiliations with influential people, the committee subpoenaed both Clintons.

Comer claimed that both parties approved the subpoenas and charged that Bill Clinton’s legal team was purposefully delaying. The committee, he said, had been in contact with Clinton’s attorneys for months and had given the former president several chances to testify willingly. Comer told reporters, “We have been in contact with President Clinton’s legal team for months now, giving them opportunity after opportunity to come in, to give us a day, and they continue to delay, delay, delay, to the point where we had no idea whether or not they’re going to show up today.”

The Clintons’ attorneys rejected the subpoenas, claiming they were “unenforceable” and politically motivated. Writing to the committee, they contended that the requests had no legitimate legislative purpose and were intended only to humiliate political opponents. The Clintons had already voluntarily communicated with investigators, they added, and shared all the scant information they knew about Epstein.

Epstein’s victims have never accused Bill Clinton of any misconduct, and he has continuously denied knowing about Epstein’s illegal activities. Angel Ureña, his spokesperson, has stated that Clinton severed his relationship with Epstein long before the financier’s wrongdoings were made public.

This renewed attention comes after the US Department of Justice recently released photos of Clinton and Epstein at different locales, including Epstein’s estate. These decades-old photos were made public under a legislation that mandates the publication of documents pertaining to government investigations into Epstein. The images are outdated and do not suggest any criminality, according to Clinton’s team.

Bill Clinton met with Epstein in New York in 2002 and made four visits with staff on Epstein’s private jet in 2002 and 2003, according to a spokeswoman. Coincidentally, Clinton also paid a visit to Epstein’s flat in New York. According to US media, Clinton took over two dozen flights aboard Epstein’s jet, sometimes without his Secret Service detail, according to flight logs.

In order to compel adherence to subpoenas, Congress may pursue court enforcement, refer cases for criminal prosecution, or start contempt proceedings, among other possibilities under US law.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, “prolonged non-compliance may result in the party being held in contempt of court if the court finds that the party is legally obligated to comply.”

“Civil enforcement may be the only realistic way for Congress to effectively ensure compliance with its own subpoena when the target of the subpoena is an executive branch official.”

A criminal contempt of Congress offense is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $100,000 (£74,500) and a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

The Justice Department is under increasing bipartisan pressure to completely release all data pertaining to Epstein’s criminal investigations, which is why there is a standstill. The partial release of documents has been criticized thus far by lawmakers of both parties. To highlight the political and legal fervor surrounding efforts to reveal the entire scope of Epstein’s connections, the disclosure law’s sponsors, Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, requested last week that a federal judge designate a special master to oversee complete compliance.