Hillary Clinton defied a congressional subpoena on January 14 when she refused to appear before the House Oversight Committee to testify in its Jeffrey Epstein probe. The loud chorus of Americans demanding an investigation of Epstein’s activities has been notably bipartisan, yet the Clintons claim the effort to solicit their testimony is a partisan ploy. However, the subpoenas for both the former president and his first lady were issued by a bipartisan vote, and Epstein was a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. The question now is whether Hillary or Bill will face consequences for their refusals to participate.
Attorneys often issue subpoenas to compel witnesses to testify in court. They are “officers of the court” and are subject to ethics rules and other careful restrictions to ensure they do not abuse this process. If a witness doesn’t show up to a deposition or court hearing, the lawyer issuing the subpoena can’t arrest them, but must file a motion asking the court to compel appearance. If the recipient still fails to comply, the court can find them in contempt and pursue criminal charges. The Congressional procedure is similar but differs somewhat from court subpoenas.
Bill and Hillary vs Congress
A congressional committee issued the subpoena against Hillary. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer indicated he will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings in response, which requires a vote by the relevant congressional committee, followed by a full House vote. If Comer’s effort succeeds, the case will then be submitted to the Department of Justice for possible referral to a federal court for prosecution. This process was displayed to the American public in the prosecution and conviction of Trump allies Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro for contempt of Congress following their refusal to testify about the Capitol protests on January 6, 2021.
The logic of the Clintons’ refusal to testify (Bill skipped his scheduled appearance before the committee on January 13) about something as high-profile as Jeffrey Epstein’s activities is hard to plumb. If, as they both claim, they have nothing to offer the committee, it would make sense to show up and say so. Their refusal to attend suggests they have something to hide, and their pretense of partisan motives does not comport with the bipartisanship of both public opinion and the issuance of the subpoenas. Perhaps Hillary just views answering questions to “We the People” as deplorable.
The January 6 investigation was blatantly partisan. The current Epstein inquiry was strongly driven by Democratic claims that Donald Trump has been hiding his Epstein connections. Pictures of Bill Clinton cavorting with young women at Epstein gatherings subsequently made the rounds. This is hardly a good look for a president disgraced by his sexual liaisons in the Oval Office.
Hillary likely erased any emails she possessed related to Democrat political donor Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, and there will be no accountability for that destruction of evidence, if it occurred. Now that she has been asked to testify, the former first lady and Secretary of State plays a Sergeant Schultz, claiming “I know nothing! I see nothing!”
In a letter objecting to her having to answer questions, she and Bill reportedly stated: "Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences. ... For us, now is that time." In the current political climate, telling Congress what one knows about Jeffrey Epstein hardly seems like a big ask; dramatically refusing to do so as some sort of liberty-defending hill to die on is hardly the stuff of Nathan Hale or Martin Luther King, Jr.
The legal posture of the two Clintons differs. Bill may avail himself of strong presidential immunity protections, recently bolstered by the Supreme Court in Trump v. United States. Hillary does not enjoy the same degree of legal insulation.
The face-off is a lose-lose proposition for the Clintons that may not resonate with voters who are unimpressed that refusing to answer questions in such a high-profile matter is a battle for liberty and freedom. It smacks more of an elitist refusal to adhere to the laws that apply to everyone else. Hillary is ironically on record proclaiming, “Showing up is not all of life - but it counts for a lot.” Refusing to answer simple questions while pretending to be a political victim doesn’t count for much.
