WASHINGTON — The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee advanced Clintons contempt of Congress resolutions against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after bipartisan votes tied to its investigation into financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Wednesday. Chairman Rep. James Comer said the action followed months of negotiations that broke down when the Clintons declined to appear for transcribed depositions, setting up a possible full House vote and Justice Department referral, Jan. 21, 2026.
Clintons contempt of Congress now heads toward a full House vote
The Clintons contempt of Congress measures passed 34-8 for Bill Clinton and 28-15 for Hillary Clinton, with all 25 Republicans backing both resolutions, Reuters reported. The committee recommendation does not impose penalties by itself, but it clears the way for a House vote that could refer the matter to federal prosecutors.
Comer, R-Ky., cast the dispute as a test of Congress’ power to compel testimony. “No witness, not a former president or a private citizen, may willfully defy a congressional subpoena without consequence,” he said during the markup, The Associated Press reported. Several Democrats supported at least one of the measures, an unusual break in a fight that quickly turned into a high-profile proxy battle over transparency, politics and enforcement.
How the subpoenas reached a breaking point
In a committee release, Oversight Republicans said subpoenas were issued Aug. 5, 2025, after the Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee unanimously approved seeking testimony from 10 individuals connected to the Epstein case. The panel said both depositions were rescheduled from October to December and later reset for Bill Clinton, Jan. 13, and Hillary Clinton, Jan. 14, dates it said the pair did not attend.
The Clintons, through their attorneys, have argued the subpoenas lack a valid legislative purpose and are politically motivated. Both have denied wrongdoing and said they had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity. Bill Clinton, in sworn statements described by multiple outlets, said he traveled on Epstein’s plane for philanthropic work in the early 2000s but has maintained he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes and later severed contact.
What happens next in the Clintons contempt of Congress fight
House leaders must decide whether to schedule votes. If the full House approves the Clintons contempt of Congress referrals, they would be transmitted to the Justice Department, which can decide whether to pursue a misdemeanor case carrying up to a year in jail and a fine.
Floor timing — and final passage — is not guaranteed in a closely divided chamber. CBS said Comer expects a House vote within about two weeks and reported that nine Democrats supported advancing the Bill Clinton resolution while three supported the Hillary Clinton measure, CBS News reported. The narrow margin means attendance and defections could decide whether the Clintons contempt of Congress dispute moves beyond committee action.
A spokesman for the Clintons, Angel Ureña, said the couple has been out of office for more than a decade and was trying to cooperate. He said neither had “anything to do with him for more than 20 years,” according to accounts of his response circulated during the committee’s debate.
Why contempt carries legal weight
Criminal contempt referrals are rare, but recent cases show the tool can carry real consequences when prosecutors move forward. A jury convicted Trump ally Steve Bannon of contempt of Congress in 2022 after he refused to provide testimony or documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Reuters reported in 2022.
Continuity in the Epstein saga
Epstein’s case has haunted U.S. politics since his 2019 federal arrest and death in custody. The New York City medical examiner ruled Epstein’s death a suicide by hanging, PBS NewsHour reported in 2019. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted in late 2021 of helping recruit teenage girls for Epstein’s abuse, Reuters reported in 2021.
For now, the Clintons contempt of Congress resolutions are headed into high-stakes limbo: lawmakers can press ahead to a floor vote, or both sides can return to talks over testimony terms that would produce a formal record without escalating the fight further.
