WASHINGTON D.C. – On Tuesday, House Republicans sent a loud and clear wake-up call to Donald Trump. There was some good news for the former president: lawmakers voted to subpoena Bill and Hillary Clinton, forcing them to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of the ongoing investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
But that small victory came with a major sting. In the same session, the committee also subpoenaed Trump’s own Department of Justice, ramping up pressure on the White House to hand over Epstein-related documents and evidence that many of Trump’s own supporters believe have been hidden from the public.
Publicly, Congressman James Comer of Kentucky – the pro-Trump bulldog who chairs the Committee – is vowing to take the Clintons to task in the next 10 weeks. He has said in a combative social media post, that Hillary Clinton will be deposed by the Committee on 9 October, with former President Bill Clinton to be deposed just prior to that on 14 October.
So far, neither Bill nor Hillary Clinton has agreed to the proposed timeline, and if they do appear, they’re likely to face intense grilling from Republicans — particularly about Bill Clinton’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Former President Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Clinton visited Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, as many as 28 times, a claim that will undoubtedly cast a long shadow over any testimony.
[inline_related_posts title=”Trending Now” title_align=”left” style=”list” number=”1″ align=”none” ids=”” by=”categories” orderby=”rand” order=”DESC” hide_thumb=”no” thumb_right=”no” views=”no” date=”yes” grid_columns=”2″ post_type=”” tax=””]
Should the Clintons agree to testify, it would mark a dramatic moment on Capitol Hill — even if their depositions happen behind closed doors. Meanwhile, Democrats are already facing criticism for allegedly slow-walking the Epstein investigation under President Joe Biden, with some accusing them of trying to shield the Clintons and other prominent party figures linked to the disgraced financier.
Just last month, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC that the discussions about Epstein was a “distraction” from “the kitchen table needs of the American people”. The less she wants to discuss the Clintons’ friendship with Epstein the more Trump wants to direct attention to it.
The subpoena directed to Trump’s Justice Department is a tough ask for the White House. In a surprising move, three Republicans on the committee have broken with Trump and sided with the Democrat’s quest for all documents related to Epstein by August 19.
With Congress also out, numerous House members have returned home to face hard questions from constituents. More and more of Trump’s “Make America Great again” supporters are now demanding the ultimate transparency that he promised regarding the Epstein scandal in last year’s campaign.
The committee also made clear that high-profile Republicans are definitely within their jurisdiction of inquiry. Former Attorneys General Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions, who led the DOJ during Trump’s first term until they lost Trump’s favor, are both among ten former officials set to be deposed. Lawmakers are expected to ask them what they knew about Epstein’s sex trafficking network and victims and why the former administration made no obvious attempts to pursue the matter seriously.
Meanwhile, there is renewed pressure on Ghislaine, Epstein’s partner, to testify before the committee. Reports surfaced over the weekend that she was moved from Florida to a low-security prison in Texas after receiving a 20-year sentence for her part in recruiting and trafficking underage girls.
Speculation is growing that Trump may offer Maxwell leniency – or possibly a pardon – in exchange for her cooperating and possibly implicating top Democrats with Epstein while affording Trump a get-out-jail-free card. Maxwell’s transfer came shortly following her two-days long interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s previous personal attorney.
Trump said he was not involved in any decisions to send Blanche to visit Maxwell nor have any decisions been made about a possible pardon.
Still, even a partial reduction of Maxwell’s sentence would be politically explosive. The MAGA base is furious over the Epstein revelations, and any move to soften Maxwell’s punishment would be difficult for the White House to justify. Yet Trump, already weathering political fire, may feel pressure to bring the Epstein saga to a close—ideally one that leaves his own image intact.
How is October 14 just prior to October 9?