Bill, Hillary Clinton issued subpoenas in Epstein probe
What's the story
Former United States President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary have been issued subpoenas by a congressional committee investigating late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Republican James Comer, has also subpoenaed eight other individuals. The committee is probing Epstein's history after the Trump administration declined to release more federal files on him.
Investigation details
Bipartisan committee seeking records from justice department
The bipartisan committee is also seeking records from the Justice Department related to Epstein. Comer's letters to each person state that the committee must "conduct oversight of the federal government's enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr Epstein." Depositions are set to begin this month, with Bill's scheduled for October 14.
Subpoena list
Other individuals subpoenaed
The subpoenas also include former Attorneys General Merrick Garland, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales. Jeff Sessions and William Barr, who served under Trump, have also been summoned. Former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller are on the list too. The Epstein inquiry happened after the Clinton administration, but critics of the couple have long questioned their relationship with Epstein.
Alleged connections
Clintons's alleged ties to Epstein
A spokesperson confirmed that Bill traveled on Epstein's private plane four times in 2002 and 2003, and also met Epstein in New York during this period. However, US media reports have claimed that Bill flew on Epstein's jet up to 26 times, sometimes without his Secret Service detail. In 2019, a spokesman said Bill "knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been...charged in New York."
Death and probes
Epstein's death and investigation into it
Epstein was charged with sex trafficking of minors in 2019 but died by suicide in jail that August. But almost immediately afterward, many began questioning the circumstances surrounding his death. Last month, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that her department found no evidence of a client list during a review. They also confirmed Epstein's suicide, saying no more files would be released. That decision provoked uproar among Trump supporters and some Democrats, who refused to accept the Justice Department's findings.
Testimony and secrecy
Maxwell's deposition postponed
Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, had agreed to testify before the committee. However, her deposition on August 11 has been postponed indefinitely. The Justice Department is seeking to release grand jury transcripts from Maxwell's case, but she has opposed their release, citing her due process rights.