Clinton Family Refuses to Testify Before US Congressional Committee

Two former US officials, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, have declined a congressional subpoena to testify before a House of Representatives committee as part of an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter, the Clintons stated that they had provided all relevant information to the committee and believed the subpoena was “legally invalid”. They also claimed that the investigation was “literally designed to result in our imprisonment”.

The Clintons’ letter accused Republican Representative James Comer of playing political favourites in the investigation, suggesting that it was intended to punish opponents like themselves while shielding allies. In response, Comer announced plans to initiate contempt proceedings against the Clintons, which would require approval from a full House vote.

Comer stated that no one had accused the Clintons of wrongdoing and that the committee simply had questions. The Clintons’ letter also mentioned that they had tried to provide information voluntarily, as Epstein’s crimes were considered horrific. Both Bill Clinton and Trump had previously documented friendships with Epstein, but have denied knowledge of his involvement in trafficking underage girls.

Congress passed a law last year requiring the Department of Justice to release all files related to its investigation into Epstein, but only a small fraction has been made public so far. Critics have accused the department of prioritizing the release of documents related to Clinton’s involvement to draw attention away from Trump. Two lawmakers recently requested that a federal judge appoint a neutral expert to oversee the release of the files due to concerns about potential criminal violations in the process.

Source: Al Jazeera