Congress is ratcheting up its investigation into matters related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, subpoenaing the Department of Justice (DOJ) for documents as well as former President Bill Clinton, his wife, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and several ex-law enforcement leaders for testimony.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) made the announcement on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after he subpoenaed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to participate in a deposition.
The DOJ has been compelled to provide records by August 19.
Former Attorney General William Barr is scheduled for a deposition on August 18, followed by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on August 26, and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions on August 28. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is set to be deposed on September 2, with former Attorney General Loretta Lynch to follow on September 9.
Afterwards, former Attorney General Eric Holder is set for a deposition on September 30, and former Attorney General Merrick Garland is scheduled for October 2. Former FBI Director James Comey is poised to face a deposition on October 7, while Hillary Clinton is slated for October 9, and Bill Clinton on October 14.
In his cover letters, Comer explained how the Clinton family “appears to have had a close relationship” with Epstein and Maxwell. To the former law enforcement heads, the chairman noted the various ways the FBI and DOJ were involved in investigations, litigation, and other matters related to Epstein and Maxwell during their tenures.
Comer issued the new wave of subpoenas following votes on July 23 by Oversight’s Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee.
Members approved by voice vote a motion from Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) to issue the subpoenas to the Clintons and former law enforcement leaders. The panel also passed, by an 8-2 vote, an amended motion from Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) to subpoena the DOJ for Epstein case records. Amendments by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), to include Biden administration communications with the DOJ regarding Epstein, and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), to redact victims’ names and any child sexual abuse material, were both adopted by voice vote.
Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, was found dead at the age of 66 in his New York City jail cell in 2019 — after being arrested on sex trafficking charges involving young girls. In addition to the Clintons, Epstein had connections to a variety of high-profile people, including President Donald Trump. The Clintons and Trump have sought to distance themselves from Epstein over the years. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls.
A growing number of lawmakers have been pushing ever since the Trump administration’s DOJ claimed it had no evidence that Epstein had a client list, blackmailed powerful people, or was murdered after Attorney General Pam Bondi hinted that major bombshells were about to be revealed. At the behest of Trump, who has argued that people are falling for a “hoax” spun by the Democrats, Bondi later asked judges to unseal grand jury testimony from the cases against Epstein and Maxwell. One federal judge in Florida denied the DOJ request. Judges in New York, where other cases took place, did not make decisions right away.
“While the Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell’s cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell,” Comer wrote in his cover letter to Bondi.
“The Committee may use the results of this investigation to inform legislative solutions to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations,” the chairman added. “Documents related to the Department’s investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell are relevant to the Committee’s investigation.”
Maxwell reportedly was moved from a prison in Florida to a lower-security facility in Texas after meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal lawyer. Her attorney wrote to Comer, in response to his subpoena demanding a deposition on August 11, warning that his client would refuse cooperation with Congress if she is not granted immunity or given other concessions. The House Oversight Committee has rejected the idea of granting congressional immunity in exchange for Maxwell’s testimony.