Bill Clinton scheduled to appear before Oversight Committee as contempt of Congress threat looms
Former President Bill Clinton has been summoned to appear on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning, as Republicans threaten a possible criminal referral if the ex-commander-in-chief skips out.
He and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both been subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight Committee for separate closed-door depositions for the panel’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
Clinton was scheduled to appear Tuesday morning at 10 a.m., but it’s not clear whether he will do so. The deposition is expected to move forward regardless.
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A spokeswoman for the committee told Fox News Digital on Friday that neither had confirmed their scheduled dates at that point.
"The Clintons have not confirmed their appearances for their subpoenaed depositions. They are obligated under the law to appear, and we expect them to do so. If the Clintons do not appear at their depositions, the House Oversight Committee will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings," the spokeswoman said.
Both Clintons were originally scheduled to appear before the committee in October, but their deposition dates were postponed while the panel was in talks with their attorneys.
Their deposition dates were delayed again when House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., was informed the former first couple would be attending a funeral.
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"They're saying now that he's going to a funeral on that day, so we've been going back and forth with the lawyer," Comer told Fox News Digital in December. "We're going to hold him in contempt if he doesn't show up for his deposition."
The House Oversight Committee would need to advance a contempt resolution before it's considered by the entire chamber. If a simple majority votes to hold someone in contempt of Congress, a criminal referral is then traditionally made to the Department of Justice.
A criminal contempt of Congress charge is a misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to one year in jail and a maximum $100,000 fine if convicted.
In the absence of mutually agreed-upon new dates, new subpoenas were issued for Bill and Hillary Clinton to appear on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, respectively.
They were two of 10 people who Comer initially subpoenaed in the House's Epstein investigation after a unanimous bipartisan vote directed him to do so last year.
Clinton was known to be friendly with the late pedophile before his federal charges but was never implicated in any wrongdoing related to him.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Clintons' lawyer and Bill Clinton's spokesperson to ask whether he would appear Tuesday, but did not receive a response.