House Oversight Committee recommends holding Clintons in contempt in Epstein probe

Source: CBS News

Updated on: January 21, 2026 / 4:04 PM EST / CBS News


Washington — The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday recommended holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt after the pair refused to appear before the Republican-led panel, which is investigating the Justice Department's handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

"The committee does not take this action lightly," Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the committee's chairman, said ahead of the vote. "But subpoenas are not mere suggestions. They carry the force of law, and require compliance. Former President Clinton and Secretary Clinton were legally required to appear for depositions before this committee. They refused."

Several Democrats voted with Republicans to recommend holding them in criminal contempt of Congress, advancing the issue to the full House for a vote on whether to find them in contempt and refer the matter to the Justice Department. Nine Democrats voted to advance the resolution related to Bill Clinton, while three Democrats supported the Hillary Clinton measure. Comer said he believed the full House would vote on the resolutions in two weeks. "I expect a lot of Democrats to vote on this on the floor," Comer said.

On Tuesday, House Oversight Republicans said the Clintons' attorneys "made an untenable offer" for the GOP chairman and top Democrat on the committee to travel to New York to speak with Bill Clinton. The proposal allowed each lawmaker to bring two staff members and the meeting would not be transcribed, according to the committee. Comer rejected the offer. A Clinton spokesperson denied the transcript stipulation, saying "interviews are on the record and under oath."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-oversight-committee-bill-hillary-clinton-contempt-vote-epstein-investigation/