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Democrats believe Bill and Hillary Clinton’s decision to appear before the House Oversight Committee will put to bed accusations of noncompliance with congressional investigations on Jeffrey Epstein while strengthening precedents related to subpoena power that Democrats could use down the line.
At the same time, lawmakers cast doubt that their testimony would provide answers that Republicans are looking for.
“I think House Republicans want this to be performative and a public show,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., the No. 3 Democrat in the chamber, said.
“I think it satisfies the [subpoena] requirements … as long as they are indicating that they are willing to answer questions,” he added, referring to the congressional request compelling their testimony.
HILLARY CLINTON EXPECTED TO DEFY EPSTEIN PROBE SUBPOENA, RISKING CRIMINAL CHARGES
Republicans hope to learn more about the relationships Bill and Hillary Clinton may have had with Epstein, the disgraced financier who killed himself while incarcerated on charges of sex trafficking minors in 2019.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will appear before the House Oversight Committee for a deposition Feb. 26, while former President Bill Clinton will appear Feb. 27.
The Clintons’ decision to testify follows Republican efforts to hold them in contempt of Congress.
The Oversight Committee teed up contempt resolutions along bipartisan lines last month after the pair failed to appear for scheduled depositions in January. If put to the House and passed, the resolution would have referred the Clintons to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution, and, if convicted, they could have faced a $100,000 fine and up to a year behind bars.
Notably, even a handful of progressive members of the “Squad” joined to support teeing up consideration of the contempt resolution, revealing bipartisan frustrations about their absence.
Aguilar said he believes the Clintons have now nixed that possibility.
BILL, HILLARY CLINTON RISK CRIMINAL CONTEMPT CHARGES AFTER DEFYING HOUSE SUBPOENAS IN EPSTEIN PROBE
“If people receive a lawful subpoena, they should comply, and they should share [testimony],” Aguilar said. “There’s absolutely no way that contempt can move forward if they’re cooperating.”
He noted that the mere use of contempt resolutions to compel testimony might play into Democrats’ hands in the future.
“It sets an interesting precedent on who is subject to come into Oversight, and we will see what the next year holds for Trump Inc. and the Trump family,” Aguilar said, alluding to the requests Democrats might make if they hold a majority in 2027.
Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., was one of the nine Democrats who voted to advance contempt considerations out of committee. He said that while he probably would have opposed the measure had it reached the floor, he had voted for it in committee, hoping to reinforce the congressional subpoena power.
“I think no matter who you are, if Congress wants you to testify, you should testify,” Frost said Wednesday.
Like Aguilar, he believes a new bar has been set by Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on whom the committee can request an appearance from.
“It sets new standards. It’s a new precedent that will follow for anyone — former presidents, their family, their spouse, whoever — depending on investigations that we do in the future,” Frost said.
CLINTONS AGREE TO TESTIFY AFTER HOUSE THREATENS CONTEMPT IN JEFFREY EPSTEIN PROBE
Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., a top Democrat in the House of Representatives, echoed his colleagues’ thinking on the Clintons’ compliance with the subpoenas.
“I think it’s a positive development. You know, they had a chance to look it over, and they made the choice that ‘I’ll come testify,’ and I applaud them for doing it,” Thompson said.
“No,” Thompson said simply when asked if he expected their testimony to reveal new information about the pair’s relationship with Epstein. “I don’t think they have anything to be worried about. I look forward to hearing what they have to say.”
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