The US House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas to former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and several former attorneys general and FBI directors, demanding testimony concerning the “horrific crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein”.
The committee’s Republican chairman, James Comer, dispatched the subpoenas on Tuesday, following bipartisan support for two motions approved last month. The move comes amid rising pressure from Donald Trump’s supporters, who have expressed outrage over the Department of Justice’s refusal to release further details regarding Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The subpoenas have reignited public interest in the Epstein case and raised the possibility that more information could come to light regarding Trump’s long-standing relationship with Epstein, a connection that reportedly waned by the time of Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sexually abusing minors. Last month, The Wall Street Journal revealed the existence of a lewd birthday sketch and letter Trump had sent to Epstein in 2003.
Although Trump and his allies have repeatedly toyed with conspiracy theories regarding Epstein’s death in federal custody, the Justice Department concluded it was suicide and confirmed that a so-called “client list” did not exist. The findings sparked backlash from Trump’s base, some of whom criticised the president for failing to fulfil his pledge of full transparency on the matter. Seizing on this dissatisfaction, Democratic lawmakers sought to pressure Republicans into supporting the release of all Epstein-related files.
Just before Congress departed Washington for its August recess, Republican Congressman Scott Perry secured an oversight subcommittee’s approval to compel depositions from the Clintons and former high-ranking law enforcement officials. Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee also succeeded in passing a motion to subpoena Justice Department records on the case.
Among those subpoenaed are former attorneys general Jeff Sessions, William Barr, Alberto Gonzales, Merrick Garland, Loretta Lynch, and Eric Holder, who served under Presidents Biden and Obama. Former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller have also been summoned.
Comer addresses letter to Clinton
In a letter addressed to Bill Clinton, Comer highlighted the former president’s reported four trips aboard Epstein’s private jet, and reiterated an allegation that Clinton had previously “pressured” Vanity Fair not to publish a story detailing sex trafficking claims against Epstein. Comer also pointed to Clinton’s alleged closeness to Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking in connection with Epstein.
“Given your past relationships with Mr Epstein and Ms Maxwell, the Committee believes that you have information regarding their activities that is relevant to the Committee’s investigation,” Comer wrote.
The letter to Hillary Clinton referenced a less direct connection, asserting that the Clinton family “appears to have had a close relationship with both Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell”. Comer further argued that Clinton “may know efforts by the federal government to combat international sex trafficking operations of the type run by Mr Epstein”.
Bill Clinton has been scheduled to testify on 14 October, while Hillary Clinton is to appear on 9 October. Other subpoenaed individuals are expected to provide depositions between mid-August and early October. Pam Bondi, a US attorney general involved in the case, has been ordered to release related documents by 19 August.
In parallel efforts, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna are gathering support for a discharge petition aimed at forcing a House vote on legislation mandating the release of Epstein-related files. That vote is not expected until after Congress returns in early September.
Meanwhile, Trump has authorised the Department of Justice to request the release of transcripts from the grand jury proceedings that indicted Epstein and Maxwell. Just last week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell in Florida, in what the White House described as an attempt to uncover new details relating to the ongoing investigation.
