Epstein files: Bill Clinton fails to show for deposition and is threatened with contempt of Congress

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (Republican-Kentucky) threatened Tuesday to hold Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress after the former president declined to appear before the panel for a closed-door deposition related to its investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“I think it’s very disappointing,” Mr Comer told reporters Tuesday. ” … We will move next week in the House Oversight Committee … to hold former president Clinton in contempt of Congress.”

Mr Clinton and his wife, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, were among 10 individuals the panel voted in July to subpoena for testimony related to crimes committed by Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify Wednesday but does not plan to appear.

Neither Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and both have said they have no knowledge related to the investigation. A spokesman for the former president has previously said he met Epstein several times and took four trips on his airplane but knew nothing about Epstein’s crimes. Bill Clinton has appeared in Epstein-related photographs released by Congress and the Justice Department.

In a letter to Mr Comer, the Clintons called the subpoenas from the panel “legally invalid” and said an analysis by two law firms was delivered to Mr Comer making that case.

In the letter, the Clintons noted that they had provided Mr Comer with sworn statements similar to those he had accepted from other subpoenaed individuals, who were later excused from testifying before the committee.

“We are confident that any reasonable person in or out of Congress will see, based on everything we release, that what you are doing is trying to punish those who you see as your enemies and to protect those you think are your friends,” the Clintons wrote.

“There is no plausible explanation for what you are doing other than partisan politics,” they added. “To say you can’t complete your work without speaking to us is simply bizarre.”

Contempt of Congress is punishable by up to a year in prison. If Mr Comer’s committee moves forward with a contempt finding, the full House would next vote on whether to refer the matter to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.

Imprisonment for rebuffing congressional subpoenas was very rare until recent years, when two officials who served in President Donald Trump’s first administration - former trade adviser Peter Navarro and former White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon - served four-month sentences. Both refused to comply with subpoenas issued by the committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

A spokesperson for Democrats on the committee said the panel should continue talks with the Clintons.

“Cooperating with Congress is important and the Committee should continue working with President Clinton’s team to obtain any information that might be relevant to our investigation,” Sara Guerrero said in statement.

Mr Comer initially issued subpoenas in August for the testimony of both Clintons, according to aides, who said the committee had made several attempts to accommodate both of their schedules.

Both were first scheduled for appearances in October, which were later moved to December. Those dates were moved again after the Clintons said they planned to attend a funeral, according to committee aides. Both Clintons declined to suggest alternative dates in January, the aides said.

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