Former President Bill Clinton defied a congressional subpoena Tuesday by failing to appear for a scheduled deposition before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Clinton had been ordered to participate in a sworn, closed-door deposition scheduled
for 10 a.m. as part of the committee’s bipartisan investigation.
Fox News Digital reported that its journalists did not observe Clinton entering or leaving the committee area around the scheduled appearance.
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., had previously warned that Clinton could face contempt of Congress proceedings if he failed to comply with the subpoena.
Several lawmakers did arrive for the scheduled deposition, including Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
Clinton’s absence could now set up another confrontation between the former president and the Republican-led committee as lawmakers determine whether to pursue contempt proceedings or other measures to enforce the subpoena.
Comer has also warned former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that she could face contempt of Congress proceedings if she fails to comply with the committee’s subpoena requiring her to testify Wednesday.
The confrontation stems from subpoenas approved last July by the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee overseeing federal law enforcement as lawmakers expanded their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and the government’s handling of the case.
The subcommittee unanimously authorized subpoenas for 10 individuals as part of the investigation.
Among those called to provide testimony were former Attorney General Bill Barr and former FBI Director James Comey.
Bill and Hillary Clinton were also included because of questions lawmakers want answered concerning their past associations with Epstein and information they may possess relevant to the committee’s investigation.
A committee spokesperson said neither Clinton had contacted the panel regarding the subpoenas or explained their apparent refusal to appear this week.
Comer initially issued the subpoenas a year ago.
The Clintons had originally been scheduled for depositions in October 2025, but Comer said in November that, following discussions with their attorney, David Kendall, the dates were rescheduled to Dec. 17 for former President Clinton and Dec. 18 for former Secretary Clinton, the report said.
“It has been more than four months since Bill and Hillary Clinton were subpoenaed to sit for depositions related to our investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s horrific crimes,” Comer said in a statement at the time.
“Throughout that time, the former President and former Secretary of State have delayed, obstructed, and largely ignored the Committee staff’s efforts to schedule their testimony,” he added.
“If the Clintons fail to appear for their depositions next week or schedule a date for early January, the Oversight Committee will begin contempt of Congress proceedings to hold them accountable,” he added.
Comer’s comments came just hours after Democrats on the committee released a set of photographs taken from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, including images of President Trump, former President Clinton, and Britain’s Prince Andrew.
The 19 photos made public represent a small fraction of the more than 95,000 images the committee received from Epstein’s estate.
Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 while in federal custody awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Bill Clinton’s association with Epstein has been public for years, including reports that he traveled on Epstein’s private aircraft after leaving office.
A spokesperson for the former president has previously said that he ended contact with Epstein well before the financier’s 2019 arrest and was unaware of the criminal conduct alleged against him.
Those earlier connections have drawn renewed attention as Congress seeks additional investigative records related to Epstein and pursues testimony from individuals who had prior interactions with him.
