House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) rejected an offer from Bill and Hillary Clinton’s lawyers for a limited interview with the former president, calling it “unreasonable” and setting up a vote on Wednesday to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas related to the committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
In a press release issued Tuesday, Comer said the offer would allow only himself and Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) to travel to New York for a conversation with Bill Clinton, accompanied by two staff each, with no official transcript and no other committee members participating.
“The Clintons’ latest demands make clear they believe their last name entitles them to special treatment,” Comer said. “The House Oversight Committee’s bipartisan subpoenas require the Clintons to appear for depositions that are under oath and transcribed.”
He added that former President Clinton “has a documented history of parsing language to evade questions, responded falsely under oath, and was impeached and suspended from the practice of law as a result.” Comer also stated that Hillary Clinton’s testimony is necessary due to her knowledge from her time as Secretary of State on federal efforts to counter international sex-trafficking rings, her personal knowledge of Ghislaine Maxwell, and her family’s relationship with Epstein.
Comer reiterated these points in a social media statement on Tuesday.
🚨🚨🚨
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) January 20, 2026
Facing contempt of Congress, the Clintons’ lawyers made an untenable offer: that I travel to New York for a conversation with President Clinton only. No official transcript would be recorded and other Members of Congress would be barred from participating. I have rejected…
The breakdown followed days of negotiations between Comer’s staff director, Mark Marin, and the Clintons’ lawyers, including Ashley Callen of Jenner & Block and Cheryl Mills, a longtime Clinton aide, according to a New York Times report. The Clintons’ team argued the subpoenas were invalid and offered accommodations, noting it would be the first time a former president sat for in-person, under-oath testimony in a congressional investigation.
The Clintons have submitted sworn legal statements on the Epstein matter, similar to seven or eight former law enforcement officials whom Comer excused from testifying. Their lawyers accused Comer of harassment and seeking questions beyond the investigation’s scope.
ICYMI (because James Comer doesn’t want you to see it), President and Secretary Clinton submitted sworn statements under the penalty of perjury. They were entered into the official record yesterday, with this accompanying statement from House Oversight Democrats: pic.twitter.com/TQh9XhzAtB
— Nick Merrill (@NickMerrill) January 15, 2026
A spokesman for Bill Clinton, Angel Ureña, said a contempt vote “wouldn’t be about Mr. Epstein’s victims, but about using Bill Clinton to protect you know who.” Nick Merrill, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton, said she was being used as a “bargaining chip” and warned of a dangerous precedent.
We never said no to a transcript. Interviews are on the record and under oath. Whether it was written or typed isn’t why this is happening. If that were the last or only issue, we’d be in a different position. You keep misdirecting to protect you-know-who and God knows what. https://t.co/qy7Kmn06vf
— Angel Ureña (@angelurena) January 20, 2026
The committee has released transcripts from interviews with former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta as part of its investigation. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in prison in 2019. The Clintons have denied any wrongdoing, stating Bill Clinton cut off contact with Epstein two decades ago and never visited his private island.
If the contempt resolution passes the committee, it would go to the full House, potentially leading to referral to the Justice Department for prosecution, with penalties including fines up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison.
