WASHINGTON — House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has ordered Bill and Hillary Clinton to appear for depositions next month amid the panel’s probe of late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Comer initially subpoenaed the former first couple on Aug. 5 to answer questions about their relationship with Epstein — but the Clintons’ attorney in a Nov. 3 response had asked for his clients to make merely “a written proffer of what little information” they have.
“Given the admission that your clients possess some relevant information, your position amounts
to a demand that the Committee forgo in-person testimony, potentially relevant to its legislative
oversight,” the powerful GOP chairman said.
“Additionally, your suggestion that your clients’ testimony would not be relevant to the stated purposes of the Committee’s investigation because the events in question took place outside of the Clintons’ respective official duties misses the Committee’s point,” Comer added. “It is precisely the fact President Clinton and Secretary Clinton each maintained relationships with Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell in their personal capacities as private citizens that is of interest to the Committee.”
The 42nd president has been ordered to appear for his deposition at 10 a.m. Dec. 17. His wife, the former secretary of state, was directed to sit for her deposition at 10 a.m. the following day.
Clinton attorney David Kendall, in his previous response to the Oversight panel, wrote: “What we have learned over the years about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is abhorrent.”
“The public’s demand for transparency from its government about their criminality is both understandable and warranted,” Kendall said. “Former President Clinton and former Secretary Clinton welcome legitimate oversight in this matter that is grounded in fact.”
“In that regard, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary Hillary Clinton have little to contribute to that legitimate goal, all of which can be readily submitted on paper,” he added.
Other officials who were hit with subpoenas in August and affirmed that they lacked “any information” relevant to the Oversight Committee’s Epstein investigation were allowed to submit a written statement and avoid depositions.
Those included former Attorney Generals Jeff Sessions, Alberto Gonzales, and ex-FBI Director Robert Mueller, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021.
Kendall did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
