A House committee on Wednesday voted to recommend contempt of Congress charges against Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify in a probe examining ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The House Oversight Committee voted 34-8 to hold former President Bill Clinton in contempt and 28-15 to do the same for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. All 25 Republicans on the panel supported both measures.
The Clintons declined to testify in person but said they were willing to cooperate with the investigation. Hillary Clinton criticized the probe as partisan and aimed at protecting President Donald Trump. According to the New York Times, Bill Clinton offered to testify under oath from his office in New York, but committee Chair James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, rejected the offer.
The committee’s contempt resolutions state the Clintons failed to comply with subpoenas after five months of negotiations and did not offer valid legal justification. If passed by the full House, which Republicans narrowly control 218-213, the resolutions would be referred to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.
Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $100,000 fine.
Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s private plane several times after leaving office. He has denied knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity. Trump, who was acquainted with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, has said he ended the relationship before Epstein’s 2008 conviction on prostitution-related charges.
Trump and Hillary Clinton were opponents in the 2016 presidential election.
