Hillary, Bill Clinton stare down criminal contempt charges after defying House subpoenas in Epstein probe

By Fox News · Fox News

Hillary and Bill Clinton are both now risking possible criminal charges after defying subpoenas to appear before the House Oversight Committee. Hillary Clinton was compelled to sit for a sworn deposition behind closed doors on Wednesday morning as part of the House's bipartisan probe into Jeffrey Epstein. However, the former secretary of state refused to appear, and the House Oversight Committee will begin contempt of Congress proceedings, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. She was expected to skip the meeting after her and former President Bill Clinton's attorneys wrote to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., arguing the subpoenas were not legally enforceable. TOP GOP CHAIR ISSUES STARK WARNING TO CLINTONS IF THEY DEFY DEPOSITIONS IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION A committee aide said earlier that the committee would initiate contempt of Congress proceedings "in the coming days" if she did not appear. Comer is already moving forward with contempt proceedings against Bill Clinton. The lawyers' letter argued Comer's subpoenas were "invalid and legally unenforceable, untethered to a valid legislative purpose, unwarranted because they do not seek pertinent information, and an unprecedented infringement on the separation of powers." It also compared Comer's leadership of the probe to Joseph McCarthy's 1950s-era abuse of congressional power, while pointing out that President Donald Trump has publicly called for the federal government to look into Bill Clinton's Epstein ties. "Mindful of these defects, we trust you will engage in good faith to de-escalate this dispute," the letter said. HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO SUBPOENA LES WEXNER, 2 OTHERS IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION Comer told reporters Tuesday that he read the letter but suggested his probe would be undeterred. The former president similarly skipped his own scheduled deposition on Tuesday, prompting Comer to say his panel would move ahead with advancing a contempt of Congress resolution against him ne…