Legal counsel for Bill and Hillary Clinton is aggressively pushing back against demands from House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer to testify in person regarding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Comer has threatened the couple with contempt of Congress proceedings if they do not appear for depositions scheduled for this week.
The Republican chairman accused the Clintons of obstructing the committee’s work, noting that a contempt charge could carry a $100,000 fine and a year in prison. While the Clintons offered to provide sworn written statements, Comer has insisted on live testimony to address their historical ties to the disgraced financier.
Attorney David Kendall argued that the committee is applying a double standard, as Comer recently excused former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller from live depositions. Kendall characterized the subpoenas as a “partisan spectacle” and suggested they are being used to divert public attention.
The probe focuses on Bill Clinton’s admitted acquaintance with Epstein, despite his claims of cutting contact two decades ago. Flight logs show the former president took four international trips on Epstein’s jet, and investigators recently highlighted a signed photograph of the two men together.
Regarding Hillary Clinton, Kendall argued that she has no personal knowledge of Epstein’s activities and never visited his private island. He dismissed the subpoena against her as “purposeless and harassing” since she never traveled on Epstein’s aircraft.
Requiring a former president to testify before Congress would be a historically rare event. No former commander-in-chief has appeared for a congressional proceeding since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.