By chatnewstv.com
WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to recommend holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in criminal contempt of Congress, a major escalation in the panel’s investigation into the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The vote marks an extraordinary first step toward referring the Clintons to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution. If the full House approves the citations, the couple could face penalties including fines up to $100,000 and a year in prison.
The measures passed with notable bipartisan support, though the margins differed for each. Nine Democrats joined Republicans in the vote against Mr. Clinton, while three Democrats supported the citation for Mrs. Clinton.
“These measures will pass, and I believe it will pass with Democratic votes,” said Rep. James R. Comer, R-Ky., the chairman of the committee. He added that the Clintons “must be held accountable for their actions and Democrats must support these measures or they will be exposed as hypocrites.”
The daylong session was marked by sharp tension. While some Democrats criticized the move as an “extreme” political maneuver, others expressed frustration with the Clintons’ refusal to provide formal testimony.
“I will hold anyone in contempt that will not give us information,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who voted for the resolutions. However, she took aim at the committee’s Republican leadership for not being equally aggressive with other figures, adding, “Shame on us for not forcing [Attorney General Pam] Bondi before this committee.”
The Clintons have maintained that the subpoenas are unlawful but have engaged in months of negotiations with the committee. Democrats noted that Mr. Clinton had offered to be interviewed under oath in his New York office and had submitted sworn statements.
Mr. Comer said he rejected the interview offer because it would not have produced an official transcript. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking Democrat on the committee, disputed this, citing an email from the Clintons’ attorneys.
“They have been clear that being transcribed is not an issue,” Garcia said. “They have not ruled that out.”
Garcia and other Democrats accused Republicans of a double standard, pointing to the Justice Department’s failure to release the majority of Epstein-related files as required by a law passed last year. Garcia characterized the focus on the Clintons as a distraction from a “White House coverup” of the files by President Trump.
Other Democrats questioned the legal basis for criminal contempt, which requires proof of “willful” defiance.
“Dragging your feet is not the same as noncompliance; it’s not the same as contempt,” said Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., a former law professor. “I have deep concerns that this looks like a political witch hunt.”
Questions were also raised regarding the inclusion of Hillary Clinton in the inquiry. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., noted a lack of evidence linking her to the matter, suggesting she was included merely because “we want to dust her up a bit.”
As the Clintons face a potential House floor vote in the coming weeks, the committee is also moving forward with other parts of its probe. Mr. Comer announced the panel will depose Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime confidante, on Feb. 9. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal sentence.
