What to Know
Bill and Hillary Clinton refused on Tuesday to testify before the US Congress in a Republican-led investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a joint letter to Republican Representative James R Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, the former president and former secretary of state called the subpoenas issued to them “legally invalid” and vowed to resist them, “no matter the consequences.”
They accused Comer of pursuing a politically motivated inquiry that was “literally designed to result in our imprisonment.”
“We are confident that any reasonable person in or out of Congress will see, based on everything we release, that what you are doing is trying to punish those who you see as your enemies and to protect those you think are your friends,” they wrote.
Epstein, a New York financier, ran an abuse ring for years. He was accused of sexually abusing underage girls in locations including New York and Florida. Epstein died in jail in 2019 at the age of 66 before further convictions could be secured.
Epstein’s extensive connections among political and business elites have fuelled speculation about the scope of the scandal and the involvement of prominent figures.
Last year, after prolonged resistance from US President Donald Trump, Congress forced the Department of Justice to begin releasing tranches of documents and photographs related years of investigations.
Trump and Bill Clinton are among the high-profile figures who associated with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s. But there is no evidence linking them to Epstein’s criminal activities.
Amid months of public outcry and demands for answers within his right-wing base, Trump has sought to shift attention toward Bill Clinton, including claims that Clinton visited a private island owned by Epstein. Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña has criticized the focus on the Democratic heavyweights, writing on X in December that there were “two types of people.”
“The first knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first.” Comer has threatened the Clintons with contempt of Congress proceedings if they do not appear for questioning.
The Clintons say they have already submitted sworn statements and do not possess relevant information to the investigation. Their lawyers argue the subpoenas serve no legitimate legislative purpose and violate constitutional limits on congressional investigations.
dpa
(TNS)
©2026 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
