The House Oversight Committee, in a significant bipartisan move, voted Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress, setting the stage for a full House vote in two weeks that could lead to criminal charges.
Oversight Committee Investigates Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton Over Epstein Connections
The committee voted 34-8 to hold the 42nd president in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena seeking testimony regarding his relationship with the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The resolution alleges that Clinton “impeded an Oversight Committee investigation” into the government’s handling of probes into Epstein and his imprisoned associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
It further claims he obstructed inquiries into “the circumstances and subsequent investigations of Mr. Epstein’s death.”
“The operation of sex-trafficking rings and ways for the federal government to effectively combat them”
“Ways in which Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell sought to curry favor and exercise influence to protect their illegal activities”
“Potential violations of ethics rules”
Why Is US Congress Accusing Bill Clinton And Hillary Clinton Of Contempt?
A 20-page report accompanying the resolution stated, “President Clinton’s willful refusal to comply with the Oversight Committee’s subpoena constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants referral to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for prosecution as prescribed by law.”
The committee also voted 28-15 to hold Hillary Clinton in contempt, citing identical obstructions to the investigation.
Republicans signaled their intent to pursue eventual criminal charges against both Clintons. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said, “they’re going to be held in contempt of Congress, and they need to be jailed if they don’t come in here and speak to Congress. They are not special.”
What Have Bill Clinton And Hillary Clinton Said About Epstein Charges?
Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have denied all wrongdoing, arguing that the subpoenas were “invalid and legally unenforceable” and asserting that they had no knowledge of Epstein or Maxwell’s criminal activities.
Several high-profile officials have faced similar committee-level contempt votes, including:
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Former Attorney General Eric Holder
Ex-White House advisers Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro
However, only Bannon and Navarro were eventually held in contempt by the full House, prosecuted, convicted, and served prison sentences after refusing to testify before the House Select January 6th Committee.
Navarro told The Post on Tuesday, “The difference with Clinton is no executive privilege was invoked, and he’s facing a duly authorized committee. If he gets a subpoena, he has to come. Full stop.”
Can Trump Arrest Bill Clinton And Hillary Clinton? Possible Penalties
Bannon and Navarro were charged by the Department of Justice and served four-month sentences in 2024 before President Trump returned to the White House.
If prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced, the Clintons could face:
Up to one year in jail, but not less than one month
Fines ranging from $100 to $1,000
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
