Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary on Tuesday refused to testify before a US Congressional committee in connection with the case of the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They claim that their subpoena is targeted and Republicans are trying to put them in jail. The Republican leadership of the committee will therefore initiate proceedings against the ex-president for contempt of Congress. The AFP and AP agencies drew attention to it, reports TASR.
In the letter, the Clintons criticized the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer. According to them, he oversees a politically motivated process. Comer said he would begin contempt of Congress proceedings against the former president next week because Bill Clinton failed to appear for a closed hearing on Tuesday. According to AP, this will start a complicated process that Congress rarely reaches for. “No one is accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing. We just have questions.” the chairman of the committee told reporters.
The contempt resolution must be approved by the House of Representatives and then forwarded to the Ministry of Justice, which will decide on possible criminal prosecution. Contempt of Congress is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. AFP recalls that the Oversight Committee is investigating Epstein’s ties to influential figures and how US authorities handled information about his crimes. Clinton was never charged with wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. In the 1990s, he became friends with the late financier, as evidenced by many photographs.
Convicted sex predator and pedophile Epstein was known for his contacts with high-ranking people in the US and the world, including Donald Trumpwho tried for a long time to keep the files secret, reports the AFP agency. Comer said the committee would not try to subpoena Trump, arguing that it cannot compel a sitting president to testify.
According to the investigation, Epstein built an illegal network in which he provided underage girls to wealthy people. In 2019, he hanged himself in his cell in a New York prison. Many people believe he was actually murdered so he could not testify about his prominent clients. During the election campaign, Trump promised to release all investigative files. So far, however, the Justice Department has released only one percent of related documents.
