Comer warns Clintons to comply with subpoenas for Epstein investigation or be ‘in contempt’

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is urging former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to comply with subpoenas requiring them to appear for an in-person deposition as part of the committee’s investigation into the sex trafficking case of late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Comer first ordered the Clintons in August to appear before the committee for an in-person deposition. However, the Clintons’ attorney, David Kendall, said Nov. 3 that his clients could instead provide written responses because it is “the most efficient and fair way to proceed.”

But Comer said such an arrangement was unacceptable.

“Given their history with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, any attempt by the Clintons to avoid appearing for a deposition would be contrary to lawful subpoenas and grounds for initiating contempt of Congress proceedings,” Comer said Friday in a statement accompanying a letter to Kendall.

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“The Committee looks forward to confirming their appearance and remains committed to ensuring transparency and accountability for the survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and for the American people.”

Former President Bill Clinton speaks on stage during the New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 4, 2024, in New York. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for The New York Times)

In Kendall’s previous letter, he told Comer that the Clintons didn’t have much to contribute to the committee. Therefore, in-person testimony was not necessary.

“The public’s demand for transparency from their government about its criminality is both understandable and justified,” Kendall said in a Nov. 3 letter.

“Former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Clinton welcome legitimate, fact-based oversight in this matter. In this regard, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have little to contribute to this legitimate goal, and all of this can be easily presented on paper.”

However, Comer pushed back on that claim and said Friday that future delays would amount to defying a legal subpoena. Comer said Bill Clinton’s deposition is scheduled for Dec. 17 and Hillary Clinton’s deposition is scheduled for Dec. 18.

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Former President Bill Clinton and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein (Al Drago/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. via Getty Images; Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)

Although Bill Clinton admitted to traveling on a jet with Epstein, he said he never visited Epstein’s island and wrote in his 2024 memoir “Citizen” that he wished he had never met Epstein. The former president also faces no accusations of wrongdoing regarding his relationship with Epstein.

The Clinton Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Comer released his letter after President Donald Trump signed a law ordering the Justice Department to release records related to Epstein.

Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Justice Department must disclose all unclassified files and investigative materials related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Additionally, it must share files relating to individuals who were referenced in Epstein’s previous legal cases, details regarding the trafficking allegations, internal DOJ communications regarding Epstein, and all details surrounding the investigation into his death.

Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on February 22, 1997. (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)

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The push to sign the legislation came after Democrats on Nov. 12 released three emails that Epstein’s estate provided to them that mentioned Trump. In turn, Republicans released their own stash of more than 20,000 pages of Epstein documents that same day.

Even if the documents themselves are authentic, Epstein’s statements in the emails remain unverified and uncorroborated. The documents do not allege that Trump committed any wrongdoing and only describe Epstein mentioning the president.

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Bill Clinton is also mentioned in some of the newly discovered documents. For example, Epstein said in a 2015 email that Bill Clinton “NEVER EVER” visited his so-called Epstein Island.

Emma Colton of Fox News contributed to this report.