NEW: Congress Signals Drastic Action As Clinton Standoff Explodes

Bill and Hillary Clinton could face a showdown with House Oversight Chairman James Comer this week if they continue to refuse in-person depositions tied to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

The Kentucky Republican has warned the former first couple that failure to appear could trigger contempt of Congress proceedings, a move that can lead to a Justice Department referral. Criminal contempt carries a potential penalty of up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Comer set a deadline for the Clintons to appear Wednesday or Thursday, or to schedule a deposition date in early January. If they do neither, he said he would immediately begin contempt proceedings.

The standoff comes as Congress prepares to release the full set of Epstein-related files. Lawmakers voted last month to make the documents public, and President Donald Trump signed the measure into law with a Dec. 19 deadline for release.

Republicans have sought to shift attention in the Epstein saga toward prominent Democrats, including the Clintons, as scrutiny continues over which powerful figures associated with the convicted sex offender and his longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Democrats had earlier pressed Comer to subpoena the Justice Department for the Epstein records. In August, Comer instead issued subpoenas for Bill and Hillary Clinton, seeking testimony about their knowledge of Epstein’s activities and any potential involvement.

In a statement Friday, Comer said the Clintons have stonewalled the committee.

“The former president and former secretary of state have delayed, obstructed and largely ignored the committee staff’s efforts to schedule their testimony,” he wrote.

The Clintons’ attorney, David Kendall, fired back in a letter last week, accusing Comer of running a politically motivated investigation.

“President Trump has consistently sought to divert attention from his own relationship with Mr. Epstein and unfortunately the committee appears to be complicit,” Kendall wrote, according to a copy provided by a Democratic lawmaker to The New York Times. He also described the probe as “weaponized legislative investigations and targeted criminal prosecutions.”

The Oversight Committee has subpoenaed multiple figures connected to Epstein, but former Attorney General Bill Barr is the only witness who has appeared so far. The panel excused former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller from live depositions and withdrew subpoenas for five former attorneys general who said they had no relevant knowledge.

Comer has declined to extend the same courtesy to the Clintons, despite their submission of sworn written statements. He argues that the subpoenas require live testimony and says the couple has ignored repeated demands to appear.

Former President Clinton has acknowledged knowing Epstein but insists he never visited Epstein’s private island and severed ties years ago. Flight logs show Clinton took four international trips on Epstein’s private jet in 2002 and 2003. A photograph of Clinton with Epstein was also released last week as part of a document dump highlighting the financier’s ties to influential figures.

Trump, who also socialized with Epstein years ago, has said he expelled Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club in 2007 and did not maintain a close relationship.

With the deadline looming and the Epstein files set for public release, Comer’s threat of contempt has raised the stakes in a political and legal clash that now appears headed for a breaking point.

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