Former President Bill Clinton has refused to comply with a Congressional subpoena to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday, amid an investigation into his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In response, Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, has threatened to pursue contempt of Congress proceedings against him.
"We will move next week in the House Oversight Committee … to hold Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress," Comer said.
A criminal contempt of Congress charge is classified as a misdemeanor, which can land someone in jail for up to a year and carry fines as high as $100,000 upon conviction.
"I think everyone knows by now Bill Clinton did not show up. And I think it's important to note that this subpoena was voted on in a bipartisan manner by this committee," Comer told reporters after formally ending todays deposition. "No one's accusing Bill Clinton of any wrongdoing. We just have questions. And that's why the Democrats voted, along with Republicans, to subpoena Bill Clinton."
🚨 BREAKING: The House Oversight Committee is now moving to hold BILL CLINTON in CONTEMPT of Congress after he refused to testify in the Epstein investigation
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 13, 2026
"We WILL move to hold Clinton in contempt!"
GOOD! NOBODY is above the law.pic.twitter.com/Uo0zLCJEhD
Hillary Clinton was also subpoenaed to appear before the committee on Wednesday, though she is unlikely to attend. The Clintons’ attorney has reportedly sent a letter to Comer stating that they are challenging the legality of the subpoenas.
"[T]he Subpoenas issued to President and Secretary Clinton are invalid and legally unenforceable. Mindful of these defects, we trust you will engage in good faith to de-escalate this dispute," the letter read. "President and Secretary Clinton have already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee. They did so proactively and voluntarily, and despite the fact that the Subpoenas are invalid and legally unenforceable, untethered to a valid legislative purpose, unwarranted because they do not seek pertinent information, and an unprecedented infringement on the separation of powers."
Your continued insistence that the former President and Secretary of State can be compelled to appear before the Committee under these circumstances, however, brings us toward a protracted and unnecessary legal confrontation that distracts from the principal work of the Congress with respect to this matter, which, if conducted sincerely, could help ensure the victims of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell are afforded some measure of justice for the crimes perpetrated against them, however late. But perhaps distraction is the point.
Comer added that no Democrat on the bipartisan committee showed up for the deposition.