The former US president and former secretary of state accused Republicans of trying to “harass and embarrass” them with the investigation.
Published January 13, 2026
Former US President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have rejected a Congressional subpoena to testify before a House committee as part of the investigation into billionaire financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a letter Tuesday, the Clintons accused Republican Rep. James Comer of playing a political enemy in the investigation, seeking to protect allies, including President Donald Trump, while punishing political opponents like themselves.
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The Clintons called the subpoena “legally invalid,” adding that the investigation by the committee chaired by Comer was “literally designed to put us in jail.”
“We will defend ourselves strongly,” the couple wrote.
In response, Comer said he would begin contempt of Congress charges against Democrat Clinton next week.
This lengthy process will ultimately require approval by a full House vote. If passed, the Clintons could be prosecuted by the Justice Department.
“No one is accusing the Clintons of wrongdoing,” Comer told reporters on Tuesday. “I just have a question.”
In their letter, the Clintons asserted that they had already provided all relevant information to the committee and concluded that the subpoena to appear in person was merely intended to “harass and embarrass.”
“We have sought to share with you the little information we have, and we have done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific,” the Clintons wrote.
Mr. Epstein committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges, but speculation continues to mount regarding the billionaire’s influential social status.
Both Bill Clinton and Trump have documented friendships with Epstein, but deny that he trafficked underage girls.
Last year, Congress passed a law requiring the Justice Department to release all files related to the Epstein investigation, but the agency has so far released only a small portion.
Critics have accused the department of prioritizing the release of documents related to Clinton in order to divert attention from President Trump.
In a letter last week, two senators, Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, asked federal judges to appoint an independent expert to oversee the release of the files.
They said they had “urgent and grave concerns” about the Justice Department’s failure to comply with the law. They added that they believed “criminal acts were committed” during the release process.
