House Republicans begin push to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress over the Epstein probe
The Associated Press1 day
House Panel Advances Contempt Charges Against Clintons
Should the Clintons face consequences for defying subpoenas or are separation of powers concerns justified?
Above: The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Jan. 21. Image credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Subpoenas carry the force of law and require compliance, yet the Clintons flatly refused to appear despite bipartisan support for the subpoenas and repeated warnings. Their documented relationships with Epstein and Maxwell make their testimony critical to understanding Epstein's wrongdoings. No witness may willfully defy a congressional subpoena without consequence, and justice must be applied equally regardless of position or prestige.
Democratic narrative
Congress's subpoena power must connect to a legitimate legislative purpose, not serve as a law enforcement trial agency. The Clintons provided comprehensive sworn statements under penalty of perjury denying any knowledge of criminal activities, going above and beyond what others were asked to provide. Attempting to require testimony from a former president infringes on Executive Branch prerogatives. Plenty of Republicans have flouted Congressional subpoenas in recent years.
Metaculus Prediction
Political split
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0