Bill and Hillary Clinton on Tuesday refused to testify in a Republican-led congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, calling the probe a partisan exercise and defending their decision in a letter to the House Oversight Committee.
Bill and Hillary Clinton on Tuesday declined to testify in a Republican-led congressional investigation into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling the inquiry a partisan exercise amid ongoing scrutiny in the United States.
Clintons cite principles in letter to committee
In a letter to Representative James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, the Clintons wrote:
“Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences. For us, now is that time.”
Comer has warned that failure to appear before the committee could result in contempt proceedings, which may carry potential criminal consequences.
Accusations of partisanship
The Clintons said they had already provided the “little information” they had to aid the investigation and accused Comer of shifting focus from the Trump administration’s failures.
“If the Government didn’t do all it could to investigate and prosecute Epstein’s crimes, that should be the focus of your work. There is no evidence that you are doing so,” they wrote.
They added, “There is no plausible explanation for what you are doing other than partisan politics,” and said they expect Comer to move to hold them in contempt.
The letter comes as the Justice Department, under pressure from former President Donald Trump’s political base, is set to release files linked to criminal probes of Epstein. Epstein was once acquainted with both Trump and the Clintons, and the release is being carried out under a congressional transparency law.
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