Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declined to appear for scheduled depositions this week regarding the ex-president's past association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The couple framed their refusal as a stand against what they called the "dismantling of America" under former President Donald Trump.
A Subpoena with Bipartisan Backing
Notably, the demand for their testimony did not originate solely from political opponents. The subpoena was authorized by a unanimous, bipartisan vote within the House Oversight Committee. Democrats on the panel have shown little public enthusiasm for defending the once-dominant political pair, signaling a complex political calculus.
"We want all of the people who we’ve subpoenaed to come in," stated Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has been active in seeking transparency on the Epstein case. This stance follows a strategic shift from the summer, when Democrats emphasized Trump's long-standing friendship with Epstein, anticipating Republican efforts to link Epstein to Clinton.
Political Theatre and Accusations
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Republicans staged a show of force, gathering in the deposition room despite knowing the Clintons would not attend, then publicly criticizing their absence. Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, lamented that no Democrats joined him in the waiting room. "The Democrats were real eager to hear about Bill Clinton, and then somebody came along and told them they need to stand down," Comer speculated.
Democrats did not hold press conferences but entered a formal statement into the record. They accused Comer of relentlessly pursuing Hillary Clinton while failing to enforce a committee subpoena for the Justice Department's full Epstein files. The statement also highlighted a recent Truth Social post by Donald Trump, in which he directed the Attorney General and FBI to investigate prominent Democrats, including Bill Clinton, calling it a distraction from his own Epstein links.
The Clintons' Written Submissions and Potential Consequences
The Clintons did not appear in person but submitted written declarations. Bill Clinton stated he had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities but acknowledged interacting with him after leaving the White House in 2001. He confirmed using Epstein's private plane for Clinton Foundation travel in the early 2000s because it could accommodate his staff and Secret Service detail. He denied ever visiting Epstein's private island. Hillary Clinton stated she never flew on Epstein's aircraft.
Ignoring a congressional subpoena can carry serious penalties, including potential prison time if the Justice Department pursues prosecution. The Oversight Committee plans to vote on contempt resolutions against the Clintons next week, which could lead to a full House vote and a criminal referral. Republicans dismissed the written statements as insufficient. "The Clintons were subpoenaed for depositions, not written statements," a spokesperson for Comer said.
Some senior Democrats downplayed the need to defend the couple. Representative Jerry Nadler of New York called the subpoena "absurd" and accused the committee majority of an obvious bias to "rewrite history." Representative Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts suggested Republicans were using the Clintons to divert attention from Trump's relationship with Epstein, while conceding the evidence against Clinton was "thin."
