House Republicans threaten Clintons with contempt charges in Epstein probe

WASHINGTON — House Republicans are threatening to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress if they fail to appear for closed-door depositions scheduled for next week, according to a report from Politico.

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability requested the testimony as part of an ongoing investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move marks a significant escalation in the committee’s probe into Epstein's connections with high-profile individuals.

The Clintons have not yet issued a public comment regarding the demand.

Failure to comply with a congressional subpoena can lead to legal penalties, including fines and potential imprisonment. However, such criminal prosecutions are historically rare for former presidents.

The House Oversight Committee’s latest maneuver is less a standard legal inquiry than a calculated political gambit, timed strategically as the 2026 midterm election cycle begins to take shape. By summoning Bill and Hillary Clinton—foundational figures of the Democratic establishment—the committee is seeking to leverage the radioactive Jeffrey Epstein controversy to galvanize the Republican base.

The move is designed to maximize reputational damage; the mere association of the Clintons with the investigation ensures a cycle of negative headlines and fuels public skepticism, regardless of the eventual findings. By brandishing the threat of "contempt of Congress," committee leadership has presented the Clintons with a lose-lose proposition: comply with a probe they likely view as a partisan fishing expedition, or risk the legal and political fallout of defiance.

Ultimately, this escalation underscores a defining feature of contemporary American governance: the transformation of congressional oversight into a potent political weapon, reflecting the deep-seated polarization currently paralyzing Washington.