Bill and Hillary Clinton have refused to follow congressional subpoenas that ordered them to testify about their connections with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019. They are not just staying quiet about it. Instead, they are fighting back hard against Republicans and President Trump.
The Republican-led House oversight committee, led by James Comer, sent out the subpoenas in August. This was part of a bigger investigation into how the government handled Epstein’s case. Epstein was a convicted sex offender who died in what officials ruled as suicide while waiting for his trial.
The Clintons did not ignore the demand. They sent a strongly worded letter to Comer this week. According to The Guardian, their lawyers said the subpoenas are “invalid and legally unenforceable.” They argued the demands have no real legislative purpose and break the rules of separation of powers.
The Clintons say Trump is behind the whole investigation
The letter claimed the demand for testimony goes against limits on Congress’s investigative power set by the Supreme Court. They went further, saying the subpoenas are “nothing more than a ploy to attempt to embarrass political rivals, as President Trump has directed.” This is a major accusation that suggests the president himself is running this process for political gain.
Bill Clinton was supposed to testify on Tuesday, and Hillary Clinton on Wednesday. Since the former president did not show up, Comer told reporters he would move to hold him in contempt of Congress next week. Comer defended the committee’s work, saying the subpoena was not just his idea.
He pointed out that Democrats also voted for it. “No one’s accusing Bill Clinton of anything, any wrongdoing. We just have questions, and that’s why the Democrats voted along with Republicans to subpoena Bill Clinton,” Comer said.
Even Democrats on the oversight committee think the Clintons should cooperate. Sara Guerrero, a spokesperson for the Democrats, said “Cooperating with Congress is important and the committee should continue working with President Clinton’s team to obtain any information that might be relevant to our investigation.”
The investigation focuses on Clinton’s known connection to Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This was before Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges related to soliciting prostitution. Clinton has always denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes, and survivors of Epstein’s abuse have not accused Clinton of any wrongdoing.
However, Bill Clinton’s hot tub photo revelation has raised questions about his previous denials. The Clintons fired back at the committee, saying it has only interviewed two people while refusing to question seven other top former government officials who were subpoenaed.
Clinton’s top aide has also criticized the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein investigation. They ended with a bold statement, saying stopping Republicans’ agenda while they work on a contempt charge “would be our contribution to fighting the madness.”
Published: Jan 13, 2026 03:45 pm