WASHINGTON — The Republican chairman of the Oversight Committee has rejected an 11th-hour offer from Bill and Hillary Clinton’s attorneys to testify before the panel, as a House vote is expected to hold the 42nd president and former first lady in contempt of Congress.
Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) refused to accept a “proposed limitation on the scope of President Clinton’s testimony” and a sworn declaration from ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the request of their attorneys, according to a Feb. 2 letter obtained by The Post.
Instead, the Kentucky Republican again noted how prior declarations had been unsubstantial and failed to remark upon the couple’s “personal” relationships with deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Both through their counsel had claimed “no knowledge relevant to the Committee’s investigation,” which Comer wrote “could not possibly be the case if, for example, they considered their personal relationships with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell relevant to the purpose of the Committee’s investigation.”
“Limiting President Clinton’s testimony to four hours is insufficient time for the Committee to gain a full understanding of President Clinton’s personal relationship with them, his knowledge of their sex- trafficking ring, and his experience with their efforts to curry favor and exercise influence to protect themselves,” he said.
Comer added: “It has been nearly six months since your clients first received the Committee’s subpoena, more than three months since the original date of their depositions, and nearly three weeks since they failed to appear for their depositions commensurate with the Committee’s lawful subpoenas.”
“Your clients’ desire for special treatment is both frustrating and an affront to the American people’s desire for transparency,” the Oversight chairman also fumed.
The Clintons’ attorneys asked for the former president to be allowed to sit for a four-hour transcribed interview in New York City with Comer, Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and staff — in exchange for the withdrawal of subpoenas and the contempt resolutions against their clients.
They also asked for Hillary Clinton to be able to answer questions from the committee through sworn declarations, while allowing for in-person testimony in a similar form on an as-needed basis.
Reps for Jenner & Block LLP and Williams & Connolly LLP who are representing the Clintons did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
