WASHINGTON, United States: Republicans moved on Tuesday to hold former US president Bill Clinton in criminal contempt after he skipped a subpoenaed deposition in the congressional investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein -- marking a sharp escalation in a politically charged inquiry.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee said it would begin contempt proceedings next week after the 79-year-old Democrat did not show up for closed-door testimony scheduled for Tuesday morning.
The panel is also threatening similar action against former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who is due to testify Wednesday but is also expected to be a no-show.
The pressure comes as President Donald Trump faces mounting calls for transparency, with the Justice Department angering his supporters -- many of whom believe Epstein was murdered in a cover-up -- by releasing only a sliver of case files nearly a month past the legal deadline.
“As a result of Bill Clinton not showing up for his lawful subpoena -- which was voted unanimously by the committee in a bipartisan manner -- we will move next week... to hold former President Clinton in contempt of Congress,” committee chairman James Comer told reporters.
In an eight-page letter to Comer, the Clintons said they did not plan to appear for the depositions, describing the moment as one requiring resistance “no matter the consequences.”
Invoking contempt against a former president is rare and would represent a significant step by House Republicans.
Any contempt resolution would require approval by the full House before being referred to the Justice Department, which ultimately decides whether to prosecute.
Criminal contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and fines of up to $100,000, though referrals are unevenly enforced.
The Oversight Committee is investigating Epstein´s ties to powerful figures and how information about his crimes was handled by US authorities.
Epstein, once a friend and associate of Trump and other high-profile figures, was convicted of sex crimes and later jailed pending trial for allegedly trafficking underage girls.
