Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, agreed on 2/2 to testify in the House Oversight Committee's investigation concerning sex offender billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. The closed-door testimony is scheduled for 26-27/2, with discussions related to Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell to be filmed and transcribed.
Republican Representative James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, stated that the Clintons complied after the House threatened to vote on charging them with "contempt of Congress," which could lead to prosecution and imprisonment.
"We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of the investigation into the horrific crimes committed by Epstein and Maxwell, to meet the demands of the American people and the victims for transparency and accountability," Comer announced.
However, Democratic representatives argue that Republicans and Chairman Comer "will come to regret" their actions, which have set a precedent for Congress to summon former presidents, former first ladies, and their relatives for testimony, with the threat of criminal charges for non-compliance.
Ted Lieu, a Democratic representative for California, stated that if the party regains control of the House, they will leverage this power after President Donald Trump leaves office. "We will certainly demand Donald Trump's testimony," Ted Lieu said.
"This is significant. It will be interesting to see how former President Trump confronts that," stated Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer, former House Majority Leader.
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The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., 1/1/2025. *AP* |
Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost declared that Democrats "will absolutely leverage this precedent" if they win the midterm elections in November.
"The Republican effort might please Trump in the short term, but in the long run, in just one more year, we will have the power to issue subpoenas," said Democratic Representative Mark Pocan. "You reap what you sow."
Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz, who frequently spars with Comer, stated that the House Oversight Committee chairman is "making his mark" and "will not like what will happen when Democrats regain control of the House and committees like Oversight, Banking, and Judiciary."
"We will pursue it relentlessly. It will involve issues like cryptocurrency, Middle East investments, the plane from Qatar. Everything," Moskowitz added.
In a statement to NBC News, the White House dismissed the warnings from Democrats. "These representatives suffer from a severe 'Trump obsession syndrome'. They should focus on implementing policies, as the President is doing, instead of indulging in conspiracy theories. This is why Democratic representatives have record-low approval ratings," said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson.
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Former President Bill Clinton and his wife at an event in Houston, Texas, 8/2024. *AP* |
Former President Clinton recently drew attention due to his appearance in the Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice. The files contain multiple images of Clinton, including one of him relaxing in a hot tub and another swimming in a lake with two women, one of whom was masked and the other appeared to be Maxwell, Epstein's accomplice.
Clinton maintained he severed ties with Epstein before the latter's indictment and was unaware of the billionaire's criminal activities. Neither he nor Hillary has been accused of criminal conduct related to Epstein's operations.
President Trump also appeared in the Epstein files and has denied any wrongdoing. Chairman Comer stated that the House Oversight Committee "does not intend to summon the President because he has already answered press questions about Epstein."
By Duc Trung (Based on NBC News, ABC News, AP)
